A tender family moment captured against the backdrop of a dramatic ocean coastline.

For starters...

I'm unfortunately going to burst your bubble right from the start. The likelihood that your session with your littles is going to end up with a large amount of everyone looking at the camera at the same time is pretty slim. The upside? That's perfectly okay! I promise you we'll always try to get those posed photos out of the way right at the start. It's important to remember that your kids are only this age once, and this is all about capturing your family AS is!

A cozy autumn scene of family bonding on a leaf-covered forest trail.
A young girl in a floral dress exploring wildflowers along a summer trail.
Distant figures walking along a misty beach shoreline.
A peaceful moment captured on rocky coastal cliffs at sunset.
A playful scene in matching blue dresses on a rocky beach at sunset.
A joyful beach scene with matching outfits against rocky cliffs.

But what if they're fussy?

I'd be lying if I said that all of my sessions with kids go 100% smoothly. The best thing we can do as the adults in the situation is roll with the punches as the shoot goes. When I do photoshoots with kids, we do some poses and prompts with breaks scattered in. I also do my absolute best to have you do things with your children that will be fun and enjoyable for them, keeping them engaged and ending up with those genuine kid smiles.

A little one in a floral dress playing with sticks by the water's edge.
A family moment captured in a golden autumn field surrounded by pine trees.
A toddler in plaid standing on a rocky shoreline next to an adult.

Here's the good stuff, the suggestions on how to prepare for your family photo session!

  1. Be open minded. They may be fussy, they may be hungry. No matter how much you worry ahead of time, it's not going to change the outcome. If we have the mindset that "it is what it is" and trust that we'll do our best, it'll help to calm your nerves.
  2. Bring snacks! Snack breaks (and having them walk towards me to get the snack - see middle image above) help them to hang on.
  3. If you have anything interactive that they love, bring that too! Think bubbles, blocks, sand toys, etc.
  4. Let them explore and play, and even join in with them! Some of the best photos I've ever captured are when parents are interacting with their children naturally; tag and tickling are always big hits!
  5. Lastly, lose the expectations. Of course it would be easy if they were smiling and happy the entire time, but again... the likelihood of that is slim. They're only this age once, let's let them be little!
A family sharing a playful moment together on a sandy beach at sunset.
A happy group sitting together on a sandy beach at sunset.
A cheerful group sitting casually together on sand during golden hour.
Energetic group plays and jumps together on a sandy beach at sunset.