How I Make Family Sessions Fun for Kids & Stress-free for Parents
So you're looking to book a family photo session and you're looking forward to getting beautiful photos of your family! But... you're worried about how the session will go with your kids. With 6 years of experience photographing kids (and loving every second of it!), I feel like I have a solid toolbox of ideas that help me run fun & stress-free family sessions. I'd like to think I've mastered the art of capturing kids and making the process easy for everyone!
Most kids, especially the little ones, might not be the biggest fans of following directions and sitting still for a whole hour long session. And understandably so! Or maybe you're worried your kids will show up full of beans. Especially for outdoor sessions, kids are going to be kids... which usually means adventurous! Kids see a path - they want to venture down it. Kids see what isn't a real path - they also want to venture down it. But while all this energy and chaos can seem overwhelming - I see it as opportunity... if you know how to direct it in the right way!
My key to directing kids is to let go and embrace the chaos - as scary as that might seem! I actually love the energy kids bring to sessions - it keeps things interesting and fun.
My family sessions are centred around prompting, rather than posing. I like to give gentle direction to create the moments I want to photograph, instead of stiff set ups. Not only does this create genuine moments, but also helps everyone relax.
Some prompts I love are:
"Everyone look at each other & laugh" (Fake laughter often quickly turns to real laughter!)
"Everyone look at Mom/Dad/baby..."
"Everyone squeeze together in a big hug"
"Everyone squish their faces together"
As well, I always start my sessions with photos of families walking together, holding hands. I love using movement as it helps to loosen everyone up and adjust to being in front of the camera. I love letting the kids be playful - race against each other, give tight hugs, spin around. Whatever I (or they!) can come up with!
I want to let your kids be playful and expressive. My goal is always to capture their true personalities. I always promise to make sessions as relaxed as possible and hopefully fun for everyone!
I want to capture your family for who they are. To me, this means creating a safe space for everyone's personalities to come out. The best photos come when everyone's having at least a little bit of fun!
Let's chat about booking your family session! Photos are memories that will last a lifetime. No need to stress... I'll be there every step of the way to make this process as easy as possible and give you photos you will cherish forever!
