Okay, Mamarazzi’s this one is for you. Grab your phone and take a quick look at your gallery. Um, yea. Its chock full of cute little faces, right? Yup, mine too! That’s what happens when you are a mom. I am always taking pictures of my littles whether its on my “big-girl” camera or on my phone. So since taking pictures of your little ones is an every day occurrence, here are a 5 tips that will make taking pictures of your kids easier.

1. ) Set and Reset

Okay, so you pinned this picture, that you absolutely love, and you are attempting a replicate. Did I mention how much you love this picture? But, here is reality, your kid just won’t stay put long enough for you to snap the picture. Oh! but at this very moment, even though you asked so nicely (with undertones of frustration) to stay put nine hundred times, your precious most-of-the-time adorable toddler is somehow now lying face down on the floor kicking and screaming in a very not-so-adorable fashion. You have tried to position the kid twelve times but as soon as you get him posed correctly and run to get into the position with your camera to snap the picture, your toddler is well, toddling…Sound familiar? This wonderful idea that you thought would be fairly simple to execute is becoming your worst nightmare. You are about to give up and attribute this epic incident to yet another Pinterest fail. Don’t fret … we have all been there. Even I have as a photographer with my own kids. Key word though my own kids. Believe it or not, getting your own kids to cooperate versus someone else’s is way harder. Why? Well, cause you are just mom. And let’s be honest, exactly when does your child hold still, I mean really? Look back at those iPhone photos, how many of them are just slightly blurred, totally blurred, or have you wised up and now just have burst mode permanently turned on so you can choose the least blurred image out of like, 50?  

Well, one of the best ways to get a couple nice pictures of a toddler is the set reset method. I’ll be honest though, this is a two person job. So find a good friend or put your husband to work. Pull up that picture you want so bad and show it to your new assistant. Then with your camera go get into position. Get completely ready. I mean dial in your settings, your framing, everything … get it so all you have to do is push the trigger. Now you stay put…I repeat STAY PUT. As your finger hovers over the shutter, your assistant is going to go setup and pose the toddler for you. Then as soon as the kid is in place, your assistant, as quickly as possible, gets out of frame. Now, hit that trigger fast! You may have to repeat this process a couple of times but after three or so times you will likely have the picture or something acceptably similar to what you wanted.

2.) Go with the Flow

There are times when your kids cooperate more than others. Let’s be honest. Sometimes they can listen so well and other times not at all. Kids are unpredictable. When you are taking pictures, learn to relax, go with flow, and be flexible. Try not to be too dead set on any one particular shot or pose. Know when its time to give up, do something else, take a break, or incorporate an activity. There have been several times with my own kids when they were simply not in the mood for pictures and we called it. You can always try again another day …

However, to help them be in a good mood and increase your chances of cooperation there are a couple simple things you can do. Make sure your kids are fed, napped, and your chosen location has minimal distractions. I once tried to take pictures at a local park and my three year old would not cooperate. She was far too focused on how much she wanted to go play on the swing set. She was done with pictures before we even started. In her mind, the only reason you go to the park with swings is to, um to go swing, duh Mom. She was instantly furious when she saw me grab my camera bag!  Another thing you can do especially if your child is a little older is explain to them your plan. Sometimes it helps for them to know what to expect. “Okay, today Mommy wants to take a couple pictures. If you do a good job listening it will be fast and then we can go do something you want to do.”

3.) Follow them Around

Kids are going to be kids. Sometimes if you want a great picture without the hassle, its best to go for candid shots while they are in their element. And, this is a great technique if its just you (no friend or husband around to help). Basically, this is exactly what it sounds like … you follow them around and take pictures. Planning activities that would photograph well is a good idea. Blowing bubbles, reading a book, playing dolls, running …. My only pointer if you are planning this approach is to make sure you are still framing your subject appropriately (I love to use the rule of thirds) and to manage your exposure correctly. Since your toddler may be running in multiple directions, you may be contending with your quality of light changing with every turn so you may want to consider using a shutter priority setting as opposed to manual. This way you don’t have to worry about constantly adjusting your exposure.

4.) Bribe Shamlessly

Okay, so normally, as a mother, I do not bribe my kids with treats, but as a photographer I bribe away! I always have a couple packages of fruit snacks in my bag. The are small and there are a few in a single package so they are great to use as small bribes for a smile, or to stay in position for a minute or two and the child gets instant gratification for a job well done. Then when we move onto the next thing and I need to ask for another “favor”, a second fruit snack pops into play and the child is eager to follow instruction …

5.) Don’t get Frustrated!

Sometimes things wont work out the way you envisioned. That’s unfortunately just life and part of the learning process. Don’t give up. Take a break and try again another day. And whatever you do, do not let your kids sense your frustration! They can smell frustration a mile away and it just feeds bad behavior. They know you are frustrated and they somehow just know to try your patience and test your limits. So call it before you get to that point. You will feel better overall and more motivated to try again later…

Best of luck taking pictures of your munchkins. Please comment below and if you enjoyed this post please subscribe to my blog.

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