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Would you like to know how I approach my session for natural smiles from children? Read below!
Five Tips for Getting Kids to Smile Naturally for Photos
1. Don’t Dare Say Smile
The most important thing when trying to get candid, beautiful, smilling photographs of your children is to bring that energy yourself and don’t dare say ‘smiiiiiiiiiiile’! If I’m grumpy when I ask my kids to take their picture, I’m not going get a joyful and happy participant. I have to enter the creation of the photograph with the same energy that I want the photograph to display. Asking the child to smile for you, well you may as well ask them to say ah for the doctor, it’ll be about as photogenic! Something happens to children as they start being photographed at daycares and school in their young years and it’s the impression they need to lift the corners of their mouths, purse their lips or grit and display their teeth. No, that’s not what we’re after so simply don’t ask, make the smile happen genuinely which brings us to tip two!
2. Get Goofy and Play Games
To bring out those natural smiles in preschool age children and toddlers, get goofy! This will work for older children too but their smile may have a sarcastic expression along for the ride. If I’m getting smiles out of a young child (six months to two years) when first engaging with them and their parents, to capture it with the camera I might sing a song and wave my hand, if the child turns wide eyed when I step back to take the picture I might come in with my hand softly as I sing and give a little finger tap on their nose or a tickle under their shoulder (after I have checked this is okay if it is someone else’s child). For an older school aged child I might simply come down to their level and ask them very seriously not to smile, do it with them and then burst into laughter myself because we just can’t do it. Get ready to bring the camera up and take the photo. Making silly sounds or faces whilst popping your head out from behind the camera is an easy go to and works for numerous ages and sometimes even parents too!
3. Talk to Them
Talking. For the shy kids I simply wait until they’re ready to have a conversation with me. I’ll come to their level, have my camera or phone ready but place it down. I’ll start with something basic like their favourite colour and see where the conversation leads. Often whilst chatting you can tell they are more comfortable and happy because you are giving them attention and showing interest, pick the perfect pause when they’ve been talking about something they love and take the picture. Remember, don’t say smile and ruin your groundwork, smile at them as you raise your camera or phone and take their picture.
4. Time for a Rhyme
Learn a tune. Watch your children’s reaction when you ask them to guess the song and you can bust out two verses of Thomas the Tank Engine or hum the Bluey theme song. I need to increase my repertoire and keep up with the times on this one but this is a simple and fun game with incredible results.
5. Let it Go
Don’t worry about the smile. Learn to love the photos without the eye contact and smile, this is my biggest tip of all! If you are present in the moment with your children, they’re engaged with something, having fun or connecting with another loved one, capture that instead. These are the photos that make us feel and remember what it’s like to be in the moments with them, they will carry more meaning and are often the ones framed on our wall or on our screen lock backgrounds!
