Just Shoot It

I never expect kids to want to have their picture taken, even (or perhaps especially) when their parents are paying me to do it.

Maybe it’s because I kicked off this (side) photography career by photographing my own colicy baby boy in various outfits and poses simply to pass the time and get through another day of screaming. Or perhaps the lesson was learned while watching mothers (some of whom I’ve known very well and understood to be quite normal) turn into candidates for a psychological study on nervous behavior over a child that refused to sit STILL and SMILE(!) for the camera.

Here’s the thing: most kids would rather play than pose. So if you want frame-worthy photos of your kids, use this fact to your advantage. Don’t put them through a traditional photo shoot.

Get them outside, get ‘em playing, and then use my main photography tip: grab your camera and keep shooting.

Angelic smiles can be overrated, so take whatever you can get: pink toes in green grass, a bare belly button, your two-year-old demanding more snacks with a furrowed brow. All of these can be awe-inspiring photos. Just remember to take more than you think you need. Taking two hundred photos generally ensures that I’ll have ten great shots. So shoot away!