- Hire a photographer – Instead of going to a studio, consider hiring a local photographer to meet you at a fun outdoor location. This is lots more fun for the kids and you are able to get a lot more creative and have fun with your session more than you would be in a small studio.
- Do it with another family – One of the best things we ever did was book a session with a photographer for us and another family with young kids. She’d take 5-10 pictures of our family and then our kids would get to run and play for a few minutes while she took a few of the other family and so on. It was awesome having breaks between photos and the kids were much more manageable this way.
- Take breaks – Even if you aren’t able to do a double session with another family, try to take some breaks to let the kids breathe. Do a couple shots of just you and your partner or just ask the photographer if you can have 5 minutes for your kids to rest between shots.
- Let the kids be creative – Figure out what the kids would like to do and then frame it as a photo. One year my (3 year old) son was taking a break from pictures and started climbing on a small fence. Our photographer immediately started shooting shots of him doing it and even asked us to put his sister on the fence next to him. They were both more than happy to comply with smiling, when they were doing something they had chosen to do, and we got one of the best pictures of our kids together standing on that mini fence!
- Action shots – Try taking pictures of every one walking holding hands, or with the kids on mom & dad’s shoulders. Anything that involves movement, because we all know…kids don’t like to hold still! Embrace their wiggles by giving them something to do!
- Be the canvas – If you want to get really creative, blow bubbles together, do a water fight photo session, or have a little paint war at the park with photos. Doing something crazy together can make for some really fun and candid shots!
- Bribery – I’m not usually a bribing type of mom, but once a year on family picture day, I definitely resort to bribes. The trick here is to do it at the right time. If you say “we’re going for ice cream after we’re done taking pictures” right at the start, the kids will be impatient and won’t want to take any pictures. Instead, I wait until about half way through before I reveal the super-fun thing we will be doing after the photos are done. This gives the kids the second wind they need to get the last few shots.
- Have fun – If mom and dad are stressed, then chances are the kids are going to act out. Do your best to go into the shoot as relaxed as possible and realizing things might get a little chaotic! Making the shoot as fun and laid back as possible will do a lot to help your family get a really fun shot this year!
learn the secrets of awesome family photography but we have some fun tips today that are sure to help you get a good photo this year, even with the wiggliest of kiddos!
With the holidays fast approaching lots of families are already thinking about booking sessions to get that family photo to sneak it with a fun Christmas letter this year.
Here are some tips for getting a good photo of your entire family this year!
Are you hoping to get a fun family photo this year? It can be tough to
At the end of the day, life is about being happy being who you are, and I feel like we are so blessed to have the support system and the best family to really just support each other no matter what we’re going through.