Family Portrait Tips For Parents With Young Children

Family Portrait Tips For Parents With Young Children – Four Practical Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Session

Working with families with young children is always a fun and engaging session. Most children really make you earn their smiles. But with a little preparation before the session. And a positive attitude during the session, it can be easier than most parents anticipate. Here are four practical family portrait tips for parents with young children.

Help Prepare Your Children About One Week Before The Session

One of the best things that parents can do is to prepare their children before the session. I recommend letting your children know that everyone is going to go to the park to have fun and take pictures. If your Photographer has a website where their picture is available, showing them this can also be helpful. Let your children know that the Photographer is a friend and that they are excited to meet them. That way it will take a little less time for your children to warm up and the Photographer does not feel like a stranger. If you show your children that you are excited for the session, there is a good chance that they will be excited too.

Agree On An Incentive For Good Behavior

Second on the list of family portrait tips for parents with young children is to agree on an incentive. In my experience, this works really well for most children. The incentive can be given in a couple of ways. One way is to provide a special treat as the session goes on. For example, a couple of gummy bears in between each successful pose. Or the incentive can be something that they can look forward to after the session. This can be a treat of some kind or extra time playing video games. Parents will have a good idea what motivates their children the best.

Keep Smiling, Try Not To Show Frustration

One of the most important things parents can do is to not show ANY frustration on their face during the session. If your child has a limited amount of smiles they will give, it’s important that you’re smiling at the same time 🙂 Often times, a child will give a great smile and the parents will have a look of frustration on their faces. So keep smiling! If your children see that you are smiling and having fun, they will typically do the same.

Keep An Open Mind During The Session

Last but not least, I encourage parents to keep an open mind during the session. Kids are at their best once they realize that the session is fun. When children are having fun, they tend to show natural smiles that do not appear forced. Your Photographer will have several ways to bring the fun out of your child and it is important to keep an open mind. This may require making funny noises, running, jumping, spinning, or putting them on your shoulders. The sooner that your child is having fun, the easier the session will progress. If your child needs a one or two minute break, we can take a pause and get other groupings that may not include them. Once they’re ready to take more pictures, we can include them in more pictures 🙂

If you are looking to take family portraits, hopefully this article on family portrait tips for parents with young children has been helpful. Thanks!