Some children love to ham it up for the camera. Some children see a camera they immediately channel their inner "America's Next Top Model". Some children see a camera and say, "cheeeeze", immediately followed by, "lemme see!" And then they're ready for the next photo to be taken right away. Think about it; is this your child?
But some children would rather run around and play instead of sitting a certain way and saying, "cheeeze". Is this your child? If so, that is OK. The best photos of your child can be captured by allowing them to just be their natural selves.
Posing is not natural for most people, not just children. Often times encouraging a child who is unwilling to pose can cause stress for the child and parent and yields poor results. Your photographer only wants to capture the beauty of your child. When photographing children its best to create an environment where they can feel comfortable. Some tips to accomplish this are:
- Bring a favorite toy
- Play or sing a song that your child enjoys
- Tickles are always encouraged
- Ensure your child has had adequate rest and is well fed
- Bring a favorite snack (photographers are usually down with a good bribe 😉)
These things coupled with choice and "odd" sounds from your photographer can help get the most out of your photography session with your child. Keep in mind they may not want to make eye contact with the camera and that's OK.
The most important think is to capture something genuine to remember your child just as they are at this stage in their life.
