What If Your Toddler Won't Cooperate at the Photo Shoot? | Calgary Family Photographer
Cranky toddlers happen!! But don't worry, that doesn't mean we can't get some great photos of your family anyway!
Here are my best tips for preventing cranky toddlers, and what we will do if our preventive measures don't work out!
Planning Ahead
If your toddler usually falls asleep in the car, it is likely they will nap on the way to your family photo session. Make sure they have enough time to properly wake up before the session starts! Give at least 30 minutes for them to wake up before we move into taking photos. The best things to do in this time is to play at the park, have a small picnic, or play a game that will get them in a happy mood before photos start! If you know your toddler takes a bit longer than 30 minutes to wake up, definitely ensure they have that time.
One of my first experiences with grumpy toddlers was when a family showed up to their session, and woke the toddler right at the moment we were ready to start taking pictures! Needless to say he was a grumpy boy and did not appreciate this stranger in his bubble while he was still waking up.
Getting to Know Me
When we first arrive on location, I will introduce myself to your kids before I talk to you! It never hurts to get them on my side;) I will also promise a treat for good behaviour -- because a little bribery never hurt anyone! I always keep lollipops and stickers on hand for a little motivation.
During the Session
I will never force your child to do something they don't want to, but I will do my best to keep things fun and low pressure! I often encourage parents to talk about the photo session before it happens as more of an adventure than a photo session, and that's because that's what I strive for!! We will be on the move, having dance parties, looking for bugs, and climbing on rocks-- some posed images will be taken, but as a lifestyle photographer I also love getting the candid action shots!! I provide lots of fun, silly prompts for your children to follow-- I will never tell them to sit still and smile. We are out here to have fun and make some memories, so I keep things easy-going!
If Things Still Aren't Going Well...
The great thing about booking your family photos with me is that my sessions don't technically have a time limit. Some photographers say when you book them that you get a 1 hour session, and while this is generally enough time, I do not limit my clients to that. We will take the time we need. If that means taking a break so you can take your Little for a walk to do a quick reset, then coming back for more, we can absolutely do that!! Sometimes taking a 20 minute walk or time to play on the park without me or my camera nearby is enough to hit the reset button and finish off our session successfully!
Most of the time, toddlers are more than willing to participate if things are kept fun and flexible! We will pull out all the tricks to ensure a great session for you and your family-- and rest assured, even if your toddler isn't on their perfect behaviour for our session, you might be surprised to see than you still love your photos. Because they're real, and they're yours.