Let’s Chat Family Photoshoots: What if my kids don't behave?
I send out a questionnaire before all my family photoshoots, one of the last questions asking “what are you most nervous about for our session?” The most popular answer is always that kids won't listen or behave. So let’s chat about your kids' behavior, what my clients had to say, and my personal opinion as a lifestyle photographer who is constantly working with kids and families.
In case you missed it (and it’s been a while at this point), I posted polls on my Instagram stories asking my clients about their fears and worries for their family photoshoots when it comes to their kids during sessions. When over 50 individuals answered “yes” to “were you nervous your kids wouldn’t behave during your session?” I realized we might need to have a talk.
If you were one of those clients who said you were afraid your kids would behave badly, know you are NOT alone. 49ish other people were worried about the same thing. And out of those 50 people, 15 of you said your kids actually did behave badly (a 5 or less on a scale from 1 to 10) during the shoot.
15 “bad” babies, if you will.
Now 15 out of 50 isn’t a bad ratio if you ask me. BUT here’s where my point comes in.
Out of those 15 shoots with bad babies, not a single family said they were unhappy with the photos. In fact, the results were overwhelmingly positive. And you want to know why?
Because kids are going to be kids. Whether there is a camera there or not. And as someone who photographs families for a living, I can tell you with full confidence that it will not ruin your photoshoot. It’s not going to bother me either. I promise.
Here’s why! My whole philosophy is centered around documenting life’s real moments. Unposed, unfiltered, just as they are. I don’t want you to feel like you have to show up prim and polished, and I definitely do not expect your kids to have the table etiquette of a royal child. Because let’s be honest -- raising those sticky little babes is quite the task on its own without the pressure to be that “put together” family. So bring along your normal amount of chaos and let’s capture the memories of this wild ride called life.
And please trust me when I say, a little bit of bad baby never hurt anyone. If you don’t believe me, just ask my rockstar clients who showed up with fussy or rambunctious little ones. When I asked them, “do you think your child's behavior affected the outcome of the photos? Were you happy with them?” Here's what they had to say…
“Their real, authentic selves only made the photos even better!”
“Yes! You meeting our daughter at her level and her interests made for perfect photos.”
“No impact at all! Pics were perfect and we survived the stress!! haha”
“Yes! And I think their attitudes / personalities ended up adding authenticity!”
See what I mean?! One client said it best. “Find special magic in the messy moments.”
So to all my worried parents out there, don’t fret friends! You will still have beautiful family photos, no matter how many tears or fits we work through. They make for some fun photos to pass around at a future graduation or wedding anyway! But there will always be little moments of calm and giggles to be found, too.
And if I haven’t convinced you yet, here are some more words from clients to keep you stress-free for your family photoshoots.
“Let kids live in their moment. That's why we love them anyway!”
“The attitude shots you captured are some of our personal favorites.”
“It’s more meaningful to have photos that capture real life than staged moments!”
I can’t forget my personal favorite, “They still cute!”
And that’s the dang truth. Even the crankiest of babies are still dang frickin’ cute and we love them for it.
Take a breath of relief knowing you aren't the only worried parent out there. Now you’re ready to book your family photoshoots, yeah? Let’s get you on the books so we can start documenting your sweet family, chaos and all. To snag a session, head over to my contact page and we’ll get to planning!
