Parents often arrive with one image in mind: everyone lined up, smiling, at the same time. That image exists. We usually get it once during the session, and it’s almost never the one they end up framing.
What actually happens during a family session
Children under six don’t cooperate because they’re asked to. They cooperate because they’re having fun. A session that starts with “stand there and smile” ends in tears within twelve minutes flat.
So we do the opposite. We walk, we give the kids something to do: spot a pigeon, count the boats, race to that tree over there. Then I photograph the adults watching them. Those are the images that last twenty years.
The best time of day
Morning, after breakfast and before nap time. Not late afternoon, even though the light is nicer then: a tired child gives you nothing, no matter how good the light is.
Between perfect light with exhausted kids and decent light with kids in good form, the second choice wins every time.
What I ask parents to do
- Don’t say “smile”: it produces a grimace, every single time.
- Don’t look at the lens to check whether the child is looking at the lens.
- Bring a snack, and be ready to stop for it.
- Leave the stuffed animal in frame. In fifteen years, that’s what you’ll be looking for in the photos.
Individual portraits
I always take the time to photograph each child alone, for a minute or two, while they’re absorbed in something else. These are often the grandparents’ favourite images, and they’re much easier to get than a successful group portrait.
What about the lined-up photo?
We take it. Early in the session, while attention is still available, and in one minute at most. It goes to the grandparents and it has its place. It’s just not why you hired a photographer.
Thinking about your own family session? I explain on the session page how it works with young kids.
