Collaborative Post
One of the little pleasures in life is a family photoshoot. Whether you are looking at a shoot with a newborn as a set of new parents, or you are updating the regular family photoshoots that you haven’t done for a while, a shoot isn’t always an easy thing to do with kids! Kids are unpredictable, and you want to make sure that you’re not paying out money for something that will be a stressful disaster.
You can order the Mommy and me shirts on time, and you can get the kids debriefed for a shoot, but on the day you still need this to go off without a hitch! Family photos require a patient and happy photographer who knows what it’s like to deal with children, and it requires you to be excited! You deserve to have a family photoshoot that goes off without a hitch, so here are five tips that you need for your next family photoshoot.
- Get The Kids Hyped. Children don’t often like to be told to sit still and smile, so you want to get them hyped up for the shoot in advance so that they know what to expect and what behaviour is expected of them. Children can be picky about their clothes, so let them have a hand in choosing what to wear for the shoot, and you’re going to want to give them a theme or colour to stick to beforehand! This will ensure that they feel they have some kind of control over their part in the shoot.
- Plan Their Clothing. This photoshoot should look nice, not cheesy and gross. Matchy-matching the clothes? May not be such a good idea if you want to have photographs that look like you! Some people love to go dressy but personally, we love a “come as you are” approach. If you have a kid that only wants to wear fairy wings, well, have a shoot where they are wearing their fairy wings with pride. Let this shoot be a place to celebrate your children for all their quirks, and make sure you’re comfortable, too!
- Children First! If you plan to have shots of the kids together, get those ones first. Children get fidgety as the shoot goes on and if you do a few candids as well as some posed family shots, you’re going to capture the children in their glory easily. If you let them go first, they’re going to be so happy to participate and they won’t be so cranky.
- Time it Right. Making sure that your kids are happy and you aren’t exhausted is important for a photoshoot. Time the pictures after nap times and meal times: you want rested, full children who aren’t going to be hangry of grumpy. If you have kids who are happier and more awake in the morning, book the shoot for the morning – it just makes sense!
- Breathe. Throughout the photoshoot, breathe slowly and relax your body. You want these photographs to reflect your whole family as rested, relaxed and happy people. This is easier when you don’t force your poses and smiles.
