Arizona Family Photographer: 12 Tips to Engaging Your Children During a Family Photo Shoot

Let’s face it…kids can be kind of unpredictable during a family photo shoot. And Moms, I know this is a major stressor for you. You, Mom, are the one who scheduled the session. You are the one who thoughtfully and meticulously picked out the outfits. You are the one who has bribed your husband or significant other to NOT wear his favorite hat for just one solid hour. You are the one making sure the kiddo’s have napped and snacked before your session. You do this only once a year (or worse…maybe this is your first time) and you WANT those joyful, happy family photos. But kids…well they are a special breed aren’t they? And just like a sudden microstorm off the coast of Indonesia, your kids might just be the ticking time bomb you fear the most.

Whoa…take a deep breath! Let it out…and O.K.!

Hear me say this…it’s fine and it will all turn out amazing! When you get to your family photo shoot your only job is to be totally into your kids and your spouse. That’s right, all you have to do is interact with them; hug them, kiss and cuddle them, tickle them, walk with them, maybe even dance. Follow my gentle cueing and leave the rest to me. I’ve got your kids! Here’s how I’m going to engage them and get them to participate during our time together.

#1 : Let Me Introduce Myself

Before I start snapping pics I like to get down on the kiddos level and introduce myself. I usually share with them who I am, where I live and that I just got a puppy! I’ll even ask them if they’re feeling nervous or scared or grumpy, it’s ok to have those emotions, let’s just call them out up front. Then I share with them exactly how I like to run my sessions and that I totally love being creative with my clients and welcome any and all photo inspiration.

#2 : Take Kids Photos First

While I mainly shoot more lifestyle, moving naturally throughout a session as opposed to being all posed, I do try to orchestrate some more traditional shots up front. And I’ll typically work with the kids first on those. You never know when they’re going to deflate so it’s best to get those done while they’ve still got a good attitude and some stamina. Then, when they’ve grown a little tired of the whole thing, that’s when all the snuggles and play comes in perfectly.

#3 : Be Easy Going…Never Let Them See Me Sweat

Once a kid sees that a parent is frustrated with them then the walls go up. It’s no different when working with a photographer. I try to assure my parents that it’s ok if the kids act up, I’ll handle it. I’m a mom to 3 and in my house I’ve seen a lot and know a thing or two about keeping my cool. It’s ok if they aren’t smiling all the time, allow me to bring them out of their shell without trying to force it. Trust me to make things playful!

#4 : Use a Questionnaire

After you book a session with me I send out a questionnaire to all of my clients. This helps me get to know who I’m working with better. And oftentimes I set up a zoom call, or a coffee date, to meet in person before our session time together. In my questionnaire I have a section asking parents to give me a little information on their children: what ages, hobbies, interests, even dislikes. That way when I get to my sessions I’m already armed with some pretty cool info about them to impress them right off the bat.

Side note, I had a senior session last year with a young man on whose wrist I noticed a certain basketball players colors and number. It happened to be a player my own son was very fond of and had asked me to watch so many videos about. I asked my senior about his bracelet using the name, number and team and that was all it took. We talked about nothing but for the next 30 minutes and I was keeping pace with him. All that useless basketball knowledge stored up for such a time as this!

#5 : Let Them Be the Photographer

When a child just isn’t that into the shoot one of my favorite things to do is invite them to have a look at the back of my camera. They get to see exactly what it is I’m doing back there with my eye wedged up against my camera and see what they look like to me. Most times I ask them what they’d like to take a picture of and allow them to take a few shots. Sometimes that’s just enough to rekindle interest in what we’re doing. I gave the 4 year old son in a recent family mini session my phone to do some behind the scenes footage for me and this is what he captured! God bless him!

#6 : Tickling

Best and easiest way to get giggles…enough said.

#7 : Rapid Fire Questions/Suggestions

As we go about our family photo session I like to ask (especially the kids) things like “who’s the funniest in the family?”, “who’s the loudest?”, “tell me a joke”, “play telephone and tell me what the last person hears”. This type of play gets kids to let their guards down and forget that I’m there. It creates natural interactions between family members as they agree or disagree on answers, all I need to do is press my shutter and CLICK!

#8 : Tell Them NOT to Smile

Another surefire way to get your kiddos to smile is to tell them NOT to. Couple that with some of my awkward and well timed dance moves and get ready to bust a gut!

#9 : Bribery

Not gonna lie, I use it. I’ve used little M&M’s in the past but really enjoy tiny marshmallows since there’s no chocolaty mess to clean up. I also like to reward all my kiddos after a session with a lollipop.

#10 : Incorporate Movement

It doesn’t matter what, just move! Jump, twirl, spin, sway, dance, run. Kids are natural movers, so rather than work against them by asking them to pose, pose, pose, I like to give them the freedom to move about in creative ways. Parents too!

#11 : Props

Sometimes having items on hand for kids to hold or look at or play with is just what they need to feel comfortable. In a recent shoot I was working with a little girl, about 4 years old, and she was shy. I had hung some sheer curtains from the tree and asked her to play hide and seek with me and we created a really beautiful series of images while I watched her smile emerge.

#12 : Location is Key

When choosing a location I always try to keep kids in mind. Is there something of interest to the location, will there be space for them to explore or a terrain that’s going to be safe for them to touch or roll around on. Being in the desert can be tricky, most stuff here is spiky and hard, designed naturally to hurt you. But these spots can be found and the more it can engage the senses of a child then the more desirable it is for me to shoot there.

When you’re looking for a family photographer knowing how they interact with children is absolutely important. So be sure to scroll through their images. What do you see? What do the locations look like? What kind of interactions are happening in the images? And when you’re ready to book, I’ll be waiting for you with a questionnaire in my hand ready to learn all I need to know about your children.

All My Love,