5 Photo tips for Toddlers

After more than 15 years photographing toddlers (and being a toddler mom myself) here are a few of my biggest tips and tricks for helping a photo session go as smoothly as possible:

1) Plan your photosession around nap time.

This one probably goes without saying but don’t skimp on nap time on photo day. If you have an evening session make sure to choose a start time at least one hour after their normal wake up time - that way if they fall asleep late they will still get a good nap in. If they wake up on time - give them a snack and some play time before heading to the session! I would never plan on skipping nap time / shortening nap time for a photoshoot.

2) Bribery DOES NOT WORK

Toddlers do not understand time. So if you say “smile and we can go get ice cream later” then the rest of the session is going to revolve around them crying for icream. I also don’t recommend bring candy / sweet treats to the session because then they are either chewing in the image or asking for it. I have never seen bribery end well in a toddler (once they are able 6 years old that can change)

3) The best smiles are the natural ones

Looking at a toddler and telling them to smile (most of the time) results in a very fake and forced smile. The best smiles are from fart noses, tickles, silly jokes and games. I try to make the session a fun game for them that results in real and raw laughter.

4) Toddler photos are a lot of game playing

Toddlers have about a 60 second attention span so a lot of my toddler sessions a few formal arrangements with lots of games (walking , chasing, tickling, dancing, spinning, throwing, etc..) to get candid images and keep them engaged for the session.

5) Release your expectations

Some toddler sessions go great. Some don’t. It’s amazing what I can capture in 5 minutes of a toddler being happy and engaged! Don’t sweat it if they have a meltdown or need a break - they will respond best if you keep the energy high and the stress level low. Worse case scenario is you have a few images to laugh at down the road!