You've scheduled the perfect portrait session for your child, picked out the perfect outfit, and now you're worried about whether little Susie will give a "good" smile. I get it. It's a big investment, and you want to capture your child's joy because that's what brings you joy. Just be careful not to suck the joy out of the whole experience. A photoshoot should be relaxed and fun, not filled with expectations and pressure. If you want your child to enjoy their photoshoot, here are some tips to bring out that natural smile you're hoping for.
Avoid the talk.
One sure fire way to stress your kid out and reduce the chances of them having fun at their photoshoot is to talk to them all the way there about how much you want them to smile pretty or give a good smile. Instead, talk about how they're just going to go have some fun and be themselves, and maybe even entice them with a treat afterward. Ice cream, anyone?
Don't tell them to smile or say "cheese."
Having them say "cheese" is going to give you just that. Cheese. The pressure of you standing there asking them to smile is sure to reduce the chances of the "good" smile. Often, moms and dads know what to do to make their child laugh. Get goofy, make silly faces, and break out some embarrassing dance moves. Ditch the pressure and lean into those things. If you'd rather, it might be better if you were either out of sight or standing back and letting them and the photographer do their thing.
Share some of your child's favorite things and favorite songs with your photographer beforehand.
This will give your photographer something to talk to your child about to put them more at ease. If your younger child has a favorite lovey or toy that is neutral, or at least not a distracting color, let them bring it.
Let your photographer handle the mood.
You don't have to manage it all, although sometimes it's helpful for you to be obnoxiously silly in the background. Allow your photographer to help your child warm up to them and do their thing. Depending on their age, things your photog might do to help your child have fun are:
tell them to make funny noises
have them smell their armpit
play music and sing with them or have them dance
tickle them with a feather duster
tell them to fake laugh
play peek a boo
have them say their favorite food in a monster voice
talk to them about what they want to be when they grow up
ask them their favorites: food, characters, colors, heroes, princesses...
tell them no matter what, don't smile...because eventually they will
Let them be.
Let them be moody, shy, silly, fussy, loud, quiet. Embrace whatever expressions come out of them, because so many of them besides smiles are awesome. In fact, my favorite portraits of my daughters are when they aren't even smiling. Chances are, your child will smile - at least once. But if they don't, that's really ok, too. Sometimes even more beautiful. Give them room to breathe. Give your photographer room to breathe. Just see what happens.
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