Try a few or all of the 10 tips below for getting your Kids to Smile in family photos!
Capturing wall hanger photos of your family, especially when you have young kiddos is no easy task. You might be thinking “How is it that simple instructions like “look at the camera and smile” are so hard to follow?
Please know you are not alone, we have all been there! Through my own family photo journey, I have over 2.5 years of trial and error mom hacks to share with you. Here are my top 10 tried and true tips for getting your kids to smile in photos!
Disclaimer: Kade is 2.5 years old and some of these tips will work better for babies/young kids and others will work best for kids a little older.
SMILE TIP NO.1: ASK YOUR KIDS TO SMILE
Communication is extremely important, as well as setting expectations. I’m sure you talk to your baby or littles throughout the day so why not talk to them about the photos you plan to take. If your kids are a little older the conversation may be easier. For example, Kade and I discussed that we were going to see the sunflowers and look for birds, bugs, and butterflies. I also mentioned that Gigi and Pepé were going to be there which always excites him. I asked him if he was going to cheese and then we would practice cheesing together.
SMILE TIP NO.2: TICKLE TIME
Our main go-to is tickling! Who doesn’t laugh and smile while being tickled? Either Spencer or I am usually holding Kade while we will tickl his side. Or if he is on his own for a few photos we play the “I’m going to get you” game attempting to walk up to him slowly, tickle quickly and then run away”.
SMILE TIP NO.3: BE SILLY
Have fun capturing photos of your family and kids. Be silly, play, toss your kids in the air, laugh, make funny faces. Your happiness and silliness will hopefully rub off on your kids allowing them to enjoy the moments too and naturally bring out
SMILE TIP NO.4: PLAY GAMES
Playing games like Peek-a-boo is usually a kid-pleaser to get those smiles going. I have also found that most kids like a challenge. A few other games that have worked for us are “Who can smile bigger”, “Don’t you dare smile”, and “Let’s smile
SMILE TIP NO.5: BRING A SMILE EVOKING PROP
If there is a particular toy, sound or a favori te song like Baby Shark that is sure to bring out the smiles use it! My advice would be not to overstimulate your child/children and only use one prop at a time.
SMILE TIP NO.6: INCLUDE A HAPPY COMFORT ITEM
Let your kids feel a little more at ease during the photos by allowing them to hold a favorite stuffed animal, toy or food. We have taken many family photos with Kade holding a rattle, stuffed animal, snack cup, and/or toy (usually a car). I will admit I do try to pack props that
SMILE TIP NO.7: PACK SNACKS
If possible make sure your kids have full bellies going into your photo session. Nothing screams distraction more than being hangry! I always pack additional snacks for the kids and the adults just incase. Packing your kid’s favorite snacks can really be a game-changer for incouraging smiles as well. Kade’s favorite is fruit snacks and he would smile all day as long as you keep the fruit snacks coming.
SMILE TIP NO.8: GIVE YOURSELF TIME
You know your family best! If you have had good success with family photos and the smiles come easily sign up for those mini sessions! If your kiddos are a little more reluctant to smile, need time to warm up or get distracted easily make sure you plan for extra time. Let your kids take a break to run around or have a snack. You could capture candids during the break time or use the time for a few photos of you and your spouse.
SMILE TIP NO.9: BRING A HELPER
Having an extra set of hands is always a good idea, especially if you are hoping to capture photos of your family and not just your kids. Your helper could be a friend, baby sitter, or another family member. Your helper can assist with getting those adorable smiles and watching your kids during breaks or when it might not be their turn for a photo. As Kade has gotten older and more mobile we have been asking my Mom/Mom +Dad to join us on our shoots. My mom is great at helping to get Kade’s smile or watching him while he needs a break. Sometimes we plan to have my Mom and Dad pop in the photos and other times Spencer and I usually take the opportunity to take a few photos of just us.
SMILE TIP NO.10: REWARD WITH A TREAT OR SURPRISE
This one might be a little controversial but it has worked for us. I believe in incentivizing or rewarding good behavior. I look at it as Kade is earning a surprise.
BONUS: GO FOR CANDID
Candid photos have beauty unto their own. Photographers can truly capture the essence of your family interacting. Be it smiling, laughing, crying, or anything in between. There is beauty in remembering those moments. I have been guilty of wanting that perfect everyone looking at the camera with eyes open and beaming smiles photo. But I have realized the more I want that photo the farther I am from it. However, if we go into a photoshoot with the hopes of having fun and capturing real moments we undoubtedly find we have plenty of photos with smiles that evoke emotion and tell our story.
MEET OUR PHOTOGRAPHER
I have been admiring Rachel’s work of Rachel Carey Photography for some time now and was so excited to have the opportunity to work together. Rachel is close to my home town where each year a few farmers grow sunflowers for the community to enjoy. It was the perfect setting for our fall family photos and she completely crushed it! The golden hour was perfect and Rachel’s editing totally matched our boho vibe. She was so thoughtful and brought a few props too. Thank goodness she did, it was much colder than I expected and we used the blankets to keep Kade warm. Usually, we shoot for a few hours but due to the chilly weather, we had to be quick. We shot for about 45 minutes with two outfits changes for me. And we had so many beautiful images to choose from. Thank you, Rachel, for capturing these beautiful memories!
