5 Tips for Photographing your Children

I've taken thousands of pictures of my kids over the years. I normally like capturing them in their element, without posing them or making them say "cheese". However, once in a while, I like to take formal portraits of them. If you're a Mom-tog (mommy-photograper), you know that taking formal pictures of your own kids can be a disaster because they usually behave way better for others than you!

 I'm not an expert, but I have found a few things that will help you get great photos of your kids and thought I would share them with you today!

 Tips for Photographing your children:

#1) Prepare them. Start talking about pictures a few days in advance. Get them excited over what they will wear, where you will be taking the pictures, and how much fun you will have. Practice poses with them at home (if they are old enough) so they know what to expect when the real time comes. 

#2) Be prepared to bribe. I am not lying when I say this is probably the most important part of taking pictures of your kids--and any kids, for that matter. Small treats that don't make a mess (smarties, fruit snacks, goldfish, mini cookies) are perfect for getting kids to sit still for one photo at a time. Keep them happy and smiling by giving them little treats every time they do a good job. And, ice cream at the end isn't a bad idea either! :)

#3) Capture them in their element. The nicely posed pictures are great, and we as Moms love them. But don't let this be the focus of the shoot. Let them take breaks to run, play and explore the location you've chosen. Who knows, you might end up framing the candid shots that truly capture your child's personality!

#4) Make them laugh. The great thing about shooting your own kids is that you know how to push their funny buttons. For mine, pretty much anything that has to do with poop or toots will make the cut and they will all crack up on the spot. ;) It's really important to me that I get natural smiles of my kids, and the best way to do that is to break out the jokes. Say no to fake, cheesy smiles, even if it means making a fool out of yourself!

#5) Less is more. Having dozens of photos from one shoot is great, but don't be upset if you don't end up with that many. Chances are, your kids will be done after a few poses, and that's ok. For this particular shoot, I ended up with 2 good poses of them together and one single of each and to me that's better than having 10 with half-hearted smiles. The rest of the time, I let them play and got adorable photos that way--and it's more fun for all involved.