how to prep your young children before a session

Jan 17

If you are considering having a family session with your littles and are worried the younger ones will be “difficult”, please, do not worry! They are not being difficult. I strive to create a space where your kids can be themselves and have fun. If they want to run around or play hide and seek, then by all means! I will make the most out of their silliness without ever forcing situation on any child. The last thing we want to do is traumatize a child from taking photos!

Here are a few things you can do to prep your children before a session:

Try to get them to nap beforehand so that they are well rested
Keep them well-fed so that they are content
Snacks on hand is an option, but may be best used as an incentive for when the session is finished because if we give and then take away snacks from them in the middle of the session, they may just get really pissed off
Bring their favorite toy/anything that makes a sound they like that I can hold up to get their attention toward the camera
If needed, bring a family member or friend that can help with the kids and be a support for you and your partner while taking photos. However, honestly I don’t mind holding your baby in one arm while I photograph mom + dad! I do it all the time! But if you have multiple babies, then you may want to consider bringing an extra help may apply to you. Just because I only have two arms! Haha!

The key approach I take is letting the kids lead the way during the session. We carefully and efficiently capture moments without them even knowing. I love having mom + dad play with the kids in whatever raw and real moment that looks like, and capturing that from afar as if I’m not there. The beauty of that is you won’t leave the session with stiffly posed photos. These fleeting moments with your little ones will be beautifully captured into tangible photos that you can keep forever.

In this way, I can document the emotion and love within your family unit in a way that’s enjoyable for everyone- even the kiddos! See below the Landes’ session for a perfect example of how fun and light-hearted family sessions can truly be despite the parents worry about their little one not cooperating. Believe me as a mom, kids and babies do not bother me at all. My love for doing this for families and providing that calm energetic space you need is how I lead my sessions. Parents who put full trust in their photographer and their art will leave with amazing photos!