There is nothing more magical than the world as seen through the eyes of a 3 year old. As a family photographer, we meet lots of great children. This one was extra special!

Today we met Severin, the 3 year old grandson of our clients Katie and Frank. It was an awesome family photography session!

I love working with kids…they are the real deal…what you see is what you get. Kids…particularly young ones…are so innocent that its impossible not to have a great time.

As soon as we arrived, we sat down and started getting acquainted with Severin. We talked about “stuff”. We showed him our “voice activated” lights and got him involved. He even learned to take a picture by saying “please” to the camera. What fun! We played with stuffed animals. Severin even gave everyone dance lessons. What a hoot! He didn’t know it, but he was great at making the grown-ups relax. They had fun watching us play.

When we finally decided to take some pictures Severin was great…he offered us a full repertoire of 3 year old funny faces. These are great story telling photos of an age that will pass all too quickly. He had a blast…and so did his parents and grandparents.

I am a family photographer. Of course, that means I’m a childrens photographer too! Here are few tips that might help you the next time you want to take pictures of your kids.

1. Food first. Make sure the kids have something to eat before starting.

2. Pick clothes that are simple and not too fussy. Solid colors and not too many layers is a good starting point. If your child is uncomfortable, you will be fighting an uphill battle.

3. Make it fun. Kids read us like books. If you’re stressed out, they’ll know. They are really good at spotting fake too. Be real.

4. No threats or discipline! Sorry, but good photos don’t come from duress. Make it fun!

5. Make the photographs secondary to the relationship. Get involved, ask questions and relate to the child before you pick up the camera. Parents are sometimes amazed that I’ll spend 10 minutes or more just playing with a child before I pick up a camera. Sometimes I’m a stranger.  Kids need time to figure out that you are ok.

5. Don’t overdo it! Taking pictures can be lots of fun…but when the kids are done, it’s time to stop. You can only get what they are willing to give you.

When we came back to the studio, there was a message from our client…it made my day! Here it is…

Let me ask you… Did you find this article useful? What would you like to hear more about?  We would love to hear from you!

Call us at (435) 649-4523 , comment here or on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn