Do you have a kid (whom you love dearly) that makes the WORST expressions in photos?
It might be funny when you're just snapping away on your phone, but when you set aside time for a professional photo shoot, it can be a worry for many moms.
I can tell right away when a subject has an awkward expression. Since I have good manners, I will NOT say- "That looks awkward." 😛 What I WILL do is keep shooting- and I will say something like, "Let's try a few different expressions for variety," to see what I can pull out of my subject.
I have a tremendous supply of tricks up my sleeve that I won’t list here, but if you want to know what YOU can do ahead of time to help avoid awkward or unhappy expressions, here are some ideas.
For a young child:
🍼 DO feed them before hand, and make sure they're rested. Don't schedule right before a nap! If they are very young and refuse to take a nap that day, I suggest rescheduling. It's that important. Hungry, sleepy kids will not give their best expressions.
🏟 Don't have multiple people in the studio with them- if you have a support team (yay!) that's great, but if they're all in my studio talking loudly to Little Junior at the same time, his eyes will be darting every way but where I need him to look. Result- unfocused, slightly disoriented expression.
📵 DON'T show them your phone. Sometimes parents grab their phone out of desperation to play the opening song for a favorite show. Yes, your child WILL look at you, with a half-second of sparkly eyes, then they'll go straight to a look of frustration when they realize it's not actually time to watch Cocomelon. Once that desire has been created but now unmet, they are upset and any further smiles you're lucky enough to get will be forced.
☎️ DO chat with me beforehand and I'll find out what your kiddo likes, doesn't like, etc, and I'll be prepared to talk about trucks, sticks, ponies or whatever brings a smile to their face. If you talk to me over the phone and I'm allowed to be creative, I'll have a session flow prepared ahead of time to walk your child through.
For mid/older kids (9+)
🍕 DO feed them beforehand! EVERYONE is happier when their belly is full!
🙅 DON'T scold them and tell them their expression is awkward, especially in front of me. They may be embarrassed and it doesn’t make them magically produce a better expression. Be patient and let me take a few bad pictures to get to the good ones.
👦 DO bring one of their close friends. In this case, if you have a good friend or cousin that knows the subject well, and they're standing beside me- all they have to do is raise their eyebrows or say one word of an inside joke, and my subject starts cracking up. It works every time at this age!
For teens, young adults, and you:
🍔 DO eat beforehand- see above! Be happy!
🗣️ DO chat beforehand with me about the subject's personality. We'll consider together if bringing a friend is a helpful thing. It may bring out the best expression, or my subject could withdraw. I need to know if the subject enjoys the spotlight, or privacy. I will create the environment that helps pulls out their real side. This could be as simple as shooting with a tripod, where I step aside and talk to the subject while the camera clicks. All of this is planned in advance, which is why I talk over the phone with clients to get all the spoken and unspoken information I can to create a plan for success.
🤗 DO be happy, yourself. If you're doing family pictures and you're stressed, your kids will pick up on it. By discussing everything beforehand, there's no need to be stressed! I have a plan, and I'm here to help you enjoy your life. Moms that try to control everything put a damper on the event- remember, you’re paying a professional so it’s my role to control the event. I have it all planned- step into it, and see what happens!