The million dollar question! Read on for my tips on getting your children to smile for photos — there’s good news and bad news.
The good news: children smile and laugh a lot (some stats say 400 to 500 times per day)! The bad news: it’s pretty hard to get them to do it on demand.
So, what can we do to get the winning holiday card shot?
First, adjust expectations and embrace the season you’re in. Someday you’ll laugh about how grouchy your 10-year-old looked in every. single. photo. from that Christmas! I guarantee your family and friends will probably find it funnier than you do when they open your card or see the print on your wall.
But what expertise do I bring as the photographer behind the lens? My background in photojournalism means that I love to take tons of natural, unposed photos while you are playing/walking/laughing/talking with your children. And when it’s time for the posed shots (often the ones you want for your wall!), here are my tips:
For babies and young children, my camera and I are a novelty — if you’re using your smartphone all the time, your child may never have seen a big, black DSLR camera that clicks like mine does, so they will probably be looking my direction anyway. From there, a gentle tickle and silly word or sound as you hold them may be all it takes to get your little one to give us a big grin (I’ll be making my silly sounds from behind the lens too). Older siblings are a huge help here too!
For your slightly older kids, don’t underestimate the power of a pre-session pep talk and a bribe! I’ve seen many an ornery child perk up at the reminder of ice cream right after photos are over. Actually, please do promise a treat before you start the session. If you make it up on the spot, your child is less likely to believe you, and so less likely to cooperate.
Also popular with the 4-10 year old crowd: your best potty words and songs. With four kids of my own, I know the power of a good potty joke to get a big laugh and just the smile you want. Having a favorite song or line from a TV show like Daniel Tiger, Bluey, or something else silly also helps redirect the child’s mind from how much fun they’re not having in front of the camera to thinking about their favorite character or song.
For your preteens and teenagers, they will likely respond to a good bribe too! And the upside of this age is that they are much easier to reason with than the emotional terrorism of your toddler (although I’ve heard these two stages are strangely similar… :)).
For all ages, having a family member who isn’t in the photo and can help elicit smiles can be hugely helpful! Just make sure they are standing directly behind the photographer so that everyone is looking the right direction for the shot.
What should you avoid? In a posed shot, you can encourage your child to smile along with you, but keep your own face pointed towards the camera so that we get the best chance of all faces pointing to the lens. If other family members are out of the shot, have everyone wait to pull out their phones to take pictures until the professional is done. If the grandparents or aunties and uncles want to help get the baby to smile, have them stand directly behind/above the photographer. And don’t have multiple people filling this role or the baby will just look confused. :)
To recap: when we fail to plan, we plan to fail. Prepping your kids ahead of time with encouragement about how short the session will be, how fun the treat after will be, and how you expect them to behave will go a long ways towards good behavior and cheerful attitudes.