Tips for Shooting Kids
Our very own Kim Mallory has some great tips for parents and photographers when it comes to shooting kids photos!
Tips for shooting kids:
I am a proud parent of three girls beautiful girls. They are lovely but they aren’t perfect. What child is? As a mother I have been both elated & completely embarrassed by their behavior on more than one occasion. And even though I’ve always held my kids accountable and taught them right from wrong, let’s face it – kids are kids and no matter how sweet they can be, they can also tip the scale and turn into little devils in the blink of an eye. So with this in mind, when I go into a photo session, I expect kids to be kids and that includes the good, the bad and the ugly! I don’t judge my client’s by their kid’s behavior, because I’ve been there – and it’s not a fun place to be when the kids are misbehaving.
Dealing with countless kids over the years, I think I’ve finally figured it all out. A little bit of manipulation a whole lot of bribery – hey, whatever works. The key? Connecting with the kids. Here’s how:
-The parents are the worst roadblock when it comes to connecting with their children. So, I warn them ahead of time that I will be taking over control and that I don’t want them to direct the kids (this is sent in a .pdf info sheet via email).
-When I meet the kids, I tell them my name and ask them some silly questions so they know I’m fun and nice. They like to tell you how old they are. Don’t ask me why. They will often offer up more info.
-I never tell them what to do. I ask them if they would like to go barefoot or wear shoes – ALWAYS give them a choice. Or ASK them. “Can you take your shoes off” 50% of the time they will agree.
-If the parents are telling them what to do, kids instantly get ticked off. I always tell the kids: “hey, you don’t have to listen to your parents today, just me okay” They always agree – what kid wouldn’t?
-If the parents interfere I tell them “let me handle the kids, they’ll listen to me” I never want the parents to get involved with the interactions. They will wreck everything!
-I also reinforce to the parents that “all kids are the same” They all act out or act silly to show off. (believe me I know!!) I let the parents know that they are kids and they are completely normal. This makes the parents feel better and they start to relax.
-I use bribes. I tell them they will get a prize at the end of the session but ONLY if they listen to me and do what I need them to do.
- Children need to know their boundaries. If they misbehave, I tell the kids that they need to be good or there is no prize. I’ll also tell them how wonderful they are when they are behaving and shower them with compliments.
- Oftentimes if kids are distracted, I tell them ”we need to get a picture for grandma” and they will always cooperate. -I always ask kids to “give me your gramma smile – like the one you would give grandma if you wanted candy or money” You would be shocked at the beautiful sweet smiles I get 99% of the time!!
-For little kids, have stickers handy. Put a sticker of a bug or an animal on a stool and tell the kid they need to squish the bug or keep the bear warm (by sitting on it) Put a sticker on the back of a kid’s hand and tell them to keep it warm with their other hand and kids will sit with their hands in their lap.
-If a child is REALLY hyper I’ll say. “Okay, it’s time to get your sillies out” and let them jump around crazy on the spot, jump up and down, shake out their arms and legs… Then I’ll ask them if they are gone (the sillies). And they say yes and sit still. I have a bed in my studio and I’ll let them jump on the bed too. (with mom and dad spotting). Then I’ll ask them to do a bum drop. (and get the shot of family on the bed)NEVER force an upset child to sit and smile sweetly…. and don’t let the parents do it either. Just let the kids and the parents know, that it’s okay to go ahead and take a break. They child will have it in for you if you try to get them to do something they don’t want to do. At this point you can distract them by asking them if they would like to help you move something or if they would like a rest on the chair, or if they would like to look for flowers instead. If you can’t get them back on board then the session is over and if you did everything I’m telling you up until now, you should have gotten at least a couple of good shots!
I also like interactive shots and I’m not going to torture myself trying to get three kids under the age of four to look at the camera and smile sweetly. I let my clients know if their expectations are unrealistic. My line if I get a picture that has 1 kid scowling, 1 kid smiling sweetly and 1 kid looking away is: “REALITY SUCKS”! But that’s who they are and we need to embrace that. You will look back on these photos and they will make you cry and laugh when you are through this phase!
I have been blessed with hugs, high fives, sweet smiles and even birthday party invitations. Treat the kids like they want to be treated… and just let them be kids.
KIM MALLORY photography Location - BritishColumbia
Spontaneous, creative, captivating
www.kimmallory.com
tel: 604-824-9917
cell: 604-316-3635
