3 Tips for a Family Photo Session with Toddlers

I’m going to share my top three tips for a great family photo session with toddlers AND how they were used in my own recent family photography session! First of all, toddlers are actually my favorite age to work with. I have a 4 year old and 2 year old of my own, so I am well versed in the joys (and let’s face it, the challenges) that come with this age!

This fall, my talented friend and fellow photographer Denise Wilson from Denise Wilson Photography did our family photos for the second year (all photos in this article were taken by Denise during our session). I kept joking that I had my girls in photo session training camp, but in reality, it was just playing certain games with them to get them used to a few simple motions and terms! I’m so excited to share how they came out!

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Toddler Photo Session Tip 1 – Practice!

Practice! In most cases, I start a photography session with a warm up. I’ll give you and your family fun (and sometimes silly) prompts to get everyone warmed up and feeling comfortable. Feel free to practice some of the basic prompts at home, so your little one can jump right in! Pro tip: don’t even say you are practicing for your photography session. Just play these little games so they get used to the actions!

Some of my favorite games!

• Boop noses! Get your toddler used to being the “booper” or “boop-ee”. I love to be able to say… “I heard you loove booping your moms nose! Can I see?” Usually, they will start playing or give a big smile when they hear the call back to something they do with you! This is always a favorite with my girls! I ask them to give me “bunny kisses” and they light up and rub my nose with theirs. It makes for such a cute photo!
• Make your dress swish! This is so fun for little girls! If they’ve had some practice at home, they are often excited to show how they can make their dress swish.
• Hold hands and wiggle! This one seems odd, but it gets those wonderful genuine smiles from toddlers. It also creates some natural looking movement that makes for great, dynamic photos. You can have them practice holding hands in a line, or holding both hands with their sibling, looking at each other.
• Freeze Dance! This is fun if you have a very active child! I’m more than happy to turn on some music and dance! When we freeze, there’s always smiles!

The above photos are some adorable candids from our session with Denise that were all a mix of hold hands and wiggle and then hold hands in a circle! Then check out that adorable cuddle I got at the end from my girls – total mama’s dream, right?! Not only do these make for adorable candid photos, the kids also start to warm up and have fun! Kids are so much more willing to be held quickly for the “stand-and-smile photo” if they’ve had some time to warm up first!

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Toddler Photo Session Tip 2 – Expectations!

If I’ve learned one thing as a toddler mom, it’s that things go so much smoother if my little ones know what’s going to happen. So let them know:

We are going to meet a photographer (Jenn – that’s me if they want to see!) in a pretty spot and take some pictures! We get to be silly, play some games and explore! I’m so excited to play with you while Jenn takes some pictures! We are going to have so much fun!

Also, try to avoid saying things like “it will be done quick”… it can give the impression that the session won’t be fun for them. Instead, show them how excited you are to play with them! You’re also welcome to visit the location before our session if you think that would help your child feel more comfortable.

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Toddler Photo Session Tip 3 – No Matter What, Stay Positive!

I have a secret. Shy children, children who a bit upset about something… they will still look adorable in photos. You know what never looks good? Parents pointing at the camera or getting frustrated with their children. All I need you to do is keep a positive attitude before and during your session. The most important thing is to stay in the moment with your child. My camera will be ready, and we don’t want the adults making angry faces or pointing at the camera when your child finally smiles.

Not every moment of your photography session will be picture perfect. But I promise to get you a beautiful gallery of the moments that are!

Things might get crazy, you might leave the session wondering how did we get any good photos when all we did was run around. You’d be surprised at the amount of “in between” moments that can be captured. I promise, I have a reason behind any silly thing I might have you or your kids do!

Luckily as a photographer, I knew to stay calm during our session. My littlest was upset over something. Honestly, I don’t even remember what it was – I think she dropped her stick (IYKYK). I held her and swayed with her and luckily Denise was watching the whole fiasco, and was ready with her camera! This is now one of my favorite photos of Annabelle and I… I don’t remember the meltdown, but I clearly remember cuddling and swaying with her.

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Bonus Day of Session Tips

• Keep everyone rested and fed. In my experience most kiddos do fine if their photo session pushes their bedtime back a bit, but no one does well if they miss that nap!
• Bring some water and some non messy snacks (think goldfish, pretzels, M&Ms). Something that doesn’t melt, isn’t sticky, and ideally, something that can be given in bite sizes so we don’t have to wait for them to finish an entire granola bar or pouch is best!
• Wear something weather appropriate – kids that are too hot, too cold or just plain uncomfortable are going to have a hard time settling in for their session. My session guide will go over all this!
• Lastly, trust the process. I’m confident in my craft, and that includes toddler entertainment and management. My only goal is to move through your session in a way that will give you a gallery full of smiles, cuddles and memories for years to come.