How Do I Get My Child to Enjoy Being Photographed?

You love capturing images of your children but sometimes the hardest part is getting them to want to be in front of the camera in the first place.

Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks that will help you get more great photos of your kids.

8 Ways to Get Your Child to Love the Camera

1. Incorporate something they love. What is it that your kids love doing in their spare time? For example, if dressing up is something they love to do, find a way to incorporate some fun costumes into your photography session.
2. Get rid of that excess energy. If your child generally doesn’t sit still for photos, use their excess energy to capture some candid shots of them first. Once they’re feeling a little less energetic, you should have a much easier time getting them to stand or sit still for photos.
3. Include a friend. A child is usually much more willing to do something if their friend wants to do it too so why not invite one of their friends along to your photo session to make the task a little easier.
4. Turn it into a game. Every child loves games so why not turn your portrait session into a game to make it sound more appealing. For example, getting your child to play peek-a-boo is a great way to get them to look at the camera.
5. Ask them to take a few photos. If your child is older than 18 months, involve them in the photography process to get them more interested in the camera. Get them to snap some photos of a parent or a sibling, which will make it easier to get them to pose afterward.
6. Let them be kids. Sometimes you really just need to let your children be wild and carefree if you want to capture some happy shots of them. So, let them jump on the bed or play outside – anywhere they’re the happiest.
7. Make it interactive. To make the photo session more interesting, give your child a task, something that works particularly well if you’re photographing an older sibling and a new baby.
8. Let them take a nap. If the above tactics aren’t working, the best thing is to let them take a nap and capture a few photos of them then. Just be sure to let them nap in a room where you can take advantage of natural light.