“My child is impossible to photograph”

Oh my! Has this ever happened to you?

“My child is impossible to photograph”.  We hear this all of the time.  Have you said this before?  Is having your child or family photographed a stressful thought?  Do you cringe when you think about getting clothing together, making sure everyone has haircuts, everyone is in a good mood, has no cuts or scratches?  Well, I have been there too!  I understand completely.  But, after having photographed for over 32 years, I can help you take some of the stress out of your photography session.  Here a few things that you can do to make your session day much easier.

1.  Speak with your photographer in advance and preferably in person to talk about clothing, session location (in the studio or outdoor), props and the type of photography you are most interested in.  A true professional will want to meet you and get to know you and your children.  That time of meeting can make the difference between a good portrait and a great one.  This is a time of setting your mind at ease that you have chosen the right person to photograph your children.  If you can’t meet in person, at least take the time to talk at length on the phone about all of the things most important to you.
2. Make sure that no one in your group is hungry.  It’s best to make sure that your children have had at least a snack before your portrait session and also to check to make sure their faces are clean from any left over crumbs.  A hungry child is an unhappy child.  You can bring a snack to the session, but, it is best to give it to your photographer who will know the best time to introduce the snack if it all.
3. Haircuts are best given a week or two before the session.  Fresh haircuts can sometimes be too severe.  It is usually our recommendation to schedule them a week or two before the session.  If you are having your child’s hair actually styled for the session, then the day of is fine of course.
4. If you are like me, you have hired this professional and you trust them to manage the session.  If your photographer is a seasoned professional, they will know how to handle your child during the photography session.  It’s best for you allow them to work their “magic” and stand back and be very quiet.  When a child feels that they are having to “perform”, they are apt to give very forced and unnatural expressions.  Our studio almost always has two photographers working with the children.  One entertains the child, while the other photographs.  If the parent is needed for some reason, the photographer will let you know.
5. Talk to your photographer about what you really want.  Do you want a beautiful wall portrait that depicts an angelic image of your child smelling a flower or reading a book?  Do you want your child looking into the camera smiling with her huge dimples showing?  Do you want both of your children holding hands while walking down a path in the woods, or, maybe you want them sitting in a chair in the studio with a beautiful background in their dressiest clothes.  Let your photographer know what you want.  This is not about them…..it is about YOU!!!
6. Stay calm!  During the session, sometimes little ones cry.  It happens all of the time.  As long as you are calm, most professional photographers can turn it around pretty quickly.  Sometimes it just takes a calm Mommy, Daddy and or Grammy to keep everyone happy.  We have turned tears to smiles hundreds and hundreds of times.
7. If your child has a scratch, talk to your photographer.  They will be able to tell you whether or not that scratch can be removed during retouching.  Most scratches can be taken care of after the portraits are chosen.  Bruises can sometimes be more challenging…talk to your photographer.

You saw the image above of the little boy who was not a happy camper.  Believe it or not, that is our little grandson.  Here are just a couple of the beautiful portraits from this session.

Are you ready to take that step toward the creation of a beautiful portrait?  I would love to help you with that.  Call me at 405.751.0004 or email me at carolyn@whitakerimages.com.

If you are ready, we can meet together and discuss all of the ideas that you have for your children and family.  I am excited and waiting to hear from you.  Hopefully you will never again have to say, “My child is impossible to photograph”.

God bless you,

Carolyn Whitaker