5 ways to get kids excited about their family photo session
I’ve heard before that sometimes kids grumble when they hear that family photos are coming up…but, I don’t think that happens when I’m your photographer because I keep the sessions super fun for everyone. But, I do have a few tricks and recommendations up my sleeve to help get them excited for the photo session.
One: Have them bring a favorite item
I have many families that I see annually, and at each session their child brings one special item. This varies from a special hat, to a stuffed animal, or a set of books or skateboard. When the kids participate in planning something special to have at the session they become more invested in the outcome of the photo session, as they will have a vision of how they can take photos with their special item.
Two: Let them participate in selecting part/all of their outfit
If you have a child/children with very specific taste in how they dress, I recommend that you don’t fight against that. You can definitely give them parameters (and use the guidelines I have here for selecting everyones wardrobe) and then work within your overall vision to still have their true sense of style shining through in the photos. So, if you have a child that refuses to wear a dress…don’t force that, as it will only lead to them starting the session unhappy. Or, if you child wants to dress in their favorite bow tie, figure out how to work that into the outfits. Same goes for accessories…we can take some portraits with their 50+ special bracelets, and then I can easily have them take some photos without. This way they show up ready for fun family photos!
Three: See if they can plan a joy filled activity
I recently had a mom and son duo show up with their ‘bubble guns’ and it was so fun and creative for them to have a bubble fight during the session. I’ve had families bring a kite to the beach, or other fun games that we don’t even always need, but it can spark creativity and buy in for the kids to plan a fun activity, even if it’s just jumping on the trampoline during an at home session, or wrapping up the photos at the local playground.
Four: Choose the best location for family fun together
When we chat about locations that are meaningful to your family, it’s also important to consider what space there is for kids to climb, move, and explore at the location. Including your children and teens in looking at the inspiration/location blog posts on my website, and getting them excited about where the photo swill take place will help to relieve any of the ‘unknown anxiety’ that can happen before doing something new, and can also get their excitement elevated when they see how fun a location can be to explore together.
Five: Plan a fun reward for after the session
Nothing is more motivating for kids and adults, than a reward…am I right? This can be as simple as heading out for a latte or hot coco after a morning session, or getting ice cream on a warm evening. You could even plan an event like bowling or a fun hike for after you photos depending on the location and time of day for the shoot. But having that little carrot to keep everyone focused on having fun knowing there is a special treat at the end is always a help.
