Do you have a kid that never wants to take pictures? Yea, I have one of those too! If I ask my daughter to stand still, pose and smile for a picture, I can almost guarantee you that she won’t do it. So what do you do? Never photograph them? Bribe them? I am a full-time influencer and my main focus is motherhood, so having photos with my daughter in them is absolutely necessary.
The first mistake we make is assuming that our child has to be perfectly posed and smiling for it to be a “good picture”, but that is not true at all. Almost all of my favorite pictures are exactly the opposite. Natural photos that feel candid are so much better. They’re more powerful and more meaningful. You can get that candid look, without it actually being candid.
Over the years, I have found several ways to get beautiful pictures of my daughter without tears, screaming or even bribing. I have 5 super easy solutions that anyone can use and I promise they work!
#1 GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO
Give your child something to focus on. It can be anything. I’ve given my daughter a mixing bowl and told her to stir it. I’ve given her a juice box and told her to drink it. It doesn’t matter what it is, so long as it’s a task to focus on. This way their attention is on the task at hand, instead of focusing on the parent taking their picture. If you give them something they enjoy doing, you’re likely to get a smile as well. Here are some of my favorite photos where I’ve used this tip.
#2 KEEP THEM MOVING
Kids in action don’t worry about the photos being taken. So long as they’re having fun, they forget about the pictures they didn’t want you to take. I will ask my daughter to go for a walk with me or dance with me. She’s focused on me and the activity, not the photos being taken. Another great one is running together. She loves playing “you can’t catch me” and she’s always laughing while playing (major win for the photos).
#3 TICKLE THEM
If you want a real smile in a picture, like a big one, just tickle them. It always guarantees a big smile. This is by far my most used trick with my daughter. Family photos almost include me tickling my daughter. It’s easy and it works. Here are a few of it in action.
#4 SURPRISE THEM
Catch them by surprise and they’re going to laugh. I like to lift her up over my head or have my hubby throw her up (she’s too heavy for me to throw anymore). You’ll definitely get a big smile and usually a squeal too. Another fun option is flipping them upside down. My daughter always laughs and the pictures turn out great.
#5 TURN AROUND
If all else fails, turn around. It doesn’t matter if they’re mad or not paying attention, you can still get a beautiful photo. I tend to turn around with my daughter and talk to her or point at something to get her to look in the right direction. It’s a last resort but some of my favorite pictures we got using this trick and it’s the easiest because it doesn’t matter what the faces look like. This is especially great for a lot of people. If you have several kids, the odds of getting them all with their eyes open and a decent expression in the same photo is hard. Getting a nice photo of all their backs is not that hard.
I hope these tips have inspired you to get beautiful photos of your children! Please don’t fight with them or bribe them. Taking photos doesn’t have to be miserable. I promise!
Please let me know if these tips worked for you. Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear which was your favorite.
2 Comments
Keep in mind the time of day. Is it nap time? If so sometimes I just don’t even try. Is it noon and you are outside with no shade in sight? The shadows at that time of day are harsh and difficult for even a seasoned photographer to wrangle. Keep in mind the timing.
Absolutely true!!