Toddlers and Preschoolers, oh my!
Toddlers and preschoolers are magical little human beings always surprising me at every turn. Every parent, care giver, and child photographer have the same question at one time or another…how to take photos of toddlers successfully. It seems like the impossible dream! Teehee…can you imagine? No meltdowns, crying, or them saying “NO!” Well, I love to dream! I have great sessions, good sessions and once in awhile, I have a harder session with toddlers and preschoolers because even toddlers and preschoolers can have a rough day. For the most part, I have amazing sessions and I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help you. Whether it’s in the studio or outdoors, I’d love to share my tips with you.
How to take photos of toddlers and preschoolers…
- First and most important to me, I have no expectations! Yes, it’s absolutely the truth. I have no expectations when I go into the session. There is one thing I’ve learned in my years of being a mom and a photographer of babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and children and that is you cannot force them to do something they aren’t willing to do. You can try…you can beg…you can bribe (that sometimes works)…you can yell (that never works) but they will not be forced. So when I go into the session, I expect nothing from them so when they take a few images then I’m pleased and show them how happy I am with them!
- Second important tip – I try to stay calm and peaceful. Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and children are like little sponges. They pick up on everything! If I’m frustrated or angry but trying to hide it…it doesn’t matter because they feel that through my tone, words, and actions.
- One of the other things that helps me to stay calm and peaceful is that I focus on quality rather than quantity. Seriously…how many images do we need anyway from one session? We only print a handful for our walls so delivering 40 -100 images is not in my best interest or anyone else’s. Trying to focus on a large quantity will only stress me out as the photographer and my little subject who has a limited attention span.
- That brings me to my next tip. The attention span of a toddler, preschool, and most children is short. Take advantage of the short periods of time that you have them and try not to drag it out. The only time I drag it out is when I have to give babies, toddlers, and preschoolers a little more time to get to know me. I aim to grab a vertical, horizontal, and headshot of each “pose” and then I move on.
- My most important tip as a photographer is to make the sessions child friendly. If I put a one year old on my set, they are most likely going to crawl around and run away. There is a lot of back and forth for the parent bringing them back to the set. But that’s ok! I take the time to bring them back and forth and to be comfortable. If they need a “mama snuggle” for a minute then we stop for a snuggle. However, I can keep them longer than a walking two year old or three year old. For my 2 and 3 year olds, I will try to build a little set that makes them want to be there. Little toys they are familiar with, bubbles, balloons, small toys to hold in their hands, and bribes. Yes! I totally will pull out a bribe! I also keep baskets, buckets, benches, and chairs for them to sit on. Every toddler and preschooler loves a little chair! Here’s a link to some fun little toys that I love for my little ones.
- Last but not least, I allow the babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and children to be themselves. I am not a lifestyle photographer but I leave room for play and want the images I capture to be authentic. I start with posing and then allow the posing to relax and when it comes to little ones they need the room to be themselves. That’s why I have all the different props and little items to keep their attention. That also means if they are not big smilers at home then I won’t wait forever for that perfect smile. It means that I will capture who they are – because they might be curious and investigative of their surroundings. They could be deep thinkers and their eyes tell a different story than the smilers. A little side note…that doesn’t mean they aren’t happy children. It just means they respond to the world differently and I’m ok with that. I want to capture who they are in this season!
That is my method on how to take photos of toddlers and preschoolers! I hope I have helped. If you have any questions, just give me a shout and I’m happy to answer them!
I love doing studio sessions for children. Check out this sweet Wonder Woman session with strong and powerful Ella. Now you can enjoy the cutest three year old ever! I’ve been capturing this little boy, Jackson, since he was a newborn and it’s so much fun to see him develop into the cutest, sweetest little boy. Isn’t this backdrop from Fancy Fabric and Props stunning!
