Photography 411~ Tips for a Great Child's Session

Once the session is scheduled, clients (let's face it, usually the mothers) are most concerned with what baby is going to wear, but there are some things that you can do to make your child's portrait session more successful and less stressful regardless of what they don for clothing. Who isn't up for that?

Sometimes I think a great child session has as much to do with child psychology as it does proper exposure and f-stops. Granted, there are always exceptions to the rule- but in general these are some tips, suggestions, & realizations I've put together after five years of creating childrens' portraits. It's sometimes difficult for me to give parents instruction, but I keep in mind everyone's goal is memorable images from the sessions, and it's my job to do whatever to make that happen. These are a few things I recommend.

1. As tempting as it is to offer Jr. the moon to make the session go slick, keep BRIBERY to a minimum. While a mention of a trip to McDonald's after the session is alright-some children may think they task of getting their pictures done must really be toturous to have to have the repeated promise of a treat. Instead, talk about what they will be doing that will be fun at the session-things they will see and do, etc. At the same time, don't over do it. Too much preparation and talk of what they are expected to do tends to worry them more than prepare them. My photography style is aimed at capturing your child as they are, and no preparation is really needed for that.

2. If you don't want it in the portrait, don't bring it inside with you. I'm talking about blankies, lovies, stuffed animals, etc. If a portrait in that heirloom dress while Janey clings to her tattered neon orange blankie is not what you envisioned, leave the blankie in the car, or put it out of site once inside. Trying to remove those lovies or pacifiers or other things that aren't meant to be in the portraits can cause sad feelings and tears.

3.Bring the bare minimum of people to your session. Extra siblings and adults usually prove distracting for a baby or toddler. It maybe helpful to bring one extra adult to watch a sibling when they are not getting pictures done- or to take the sibling home when their turn is done. It is usually not necessary to bring grandpa, grandma, aunts and godparents along for a single child and usually adds unnescessary stress to both child and you.

4. Resist the urge to allow your child to roam freely and explore. Not only is there lot of equipment that is not meant for little hands, but once a child becomes too comfortable roaming and touching everything in sight, they will loose all interest in staying on the set where they are placed. If they've explored all the props, it leaves very little to pull out to regain their attention once they start to wane.

5. Seen and not heard. You might think I'm talking about children, but actually I'm talking about the big ones..the adults! Usually it's best for mom or dad to stay in the child's sight as to not worry Jr. about being left, but at the same time it's important for mom/dad to be quiet so that the child's attention stays focussed on me. I can't count how many times a totally precious shot was ruined at the last moment when mom/dad say something to get baby's attention and now the perfect shot has baby looking right over me to the corner and a loss of eye contact with the lens. If your help in gaining baby's attention is needed, I am not shy to ask for your help.


6. Resist the urge to 'practice' smiling at home before the session. This usually results in a fake smile that looks nothing like what your child actually does when they are truly happy. Along those same lines- resist the urge to tell your child to say, "CHEESE!" Again, the result is not an authentic smile unique to your child. In fact, some of my favorite images of children, including my own, are images where they are not looking directly into the camera, or have a more pensive expression rather than a big grin. I've included a few favorite images that came to mind in this post.

7. Take an extra swipe with the wash-cloth. The lens catches every crumb and more that your child may have on his or her face, so take extra care in washing around their mouth and nose. For babies with chapped skin- I suggest a think layer of Vaseline on their cheeks at bedtime the night before. Don't fret about little bruises or scars as these can be touched up.

Finally, the day of the session, do what you can to make the day as stress free as possible. If your little one despises baths- don't insist on one. A good washcloth will do the trick in most cases.

As a mother myself, I know that portrait day can be one of the most stressful days~ but I hope these suggestions will come in helpful for planning your child's next portrait session and for achieving the kind of images you will treasure forever.