What happens "When" the kids don't cooperate during a photoshoot?

Hi internet world! I'm back with my 2 pennies for the day ;) Only a day late on my Wednesday post... Just want to thank those of you who are keeping an eye on Little Miss Creative and our (aka my) whereabouts! There have been so many wonderful learning experiences and so much growth this summer. I cannot even fathom how the Lord has blessed LMC thus far on the journey but am so, SO, humbled by knowing the storehouse of growth that is yet to come in my photography and artistry career! Looking forward to sharing it all along the way! 

This summer has been booming with more family sessions than ever! So many beautiful new vacationers from Texas, Ohio, New York, Colorado, North Carolina, and more! It's exciting to meet new friends from all over the U.S. who come down to Santa Rosa Beach and the Emerald Coast to vacation. These people are here reuniting with family members on annual trips or just having a nice weekend getaway. What better way to celebrate than to create memories of your trip together by having a beach photoshoot? With beach photoshoots sometimes comes irritable children who are hot, need naps, or just don't want to be told what to do. So when a family wants a beautiful beach memory of their trip, it can be a little scary for mom and dad to hope the kids cooperate during the shoot. What happens when the kids don't want to cooperate during a photoshoot?

Last summer, if you had asked me where my photoshoot skills were lacking, I would have said family beach portraits. It was hard for me to understand the dynamics of how to create beautiful portraits with the harsh lighting and intense wind on the beach. On top of that, dealing with all of those people and crying children downright scared me! Because I recognized the learning curve of working with families & groups, that made me want to learn more and do even more family sessions, oddly enough!!! ;)  

Within a year, my approach to family photoshoots completely shifted. Instead of the stiff stand still smile type photographs that I thought everyone wanted, I began creating more interesting, dynamic photographs using my subjects' personalities and actions to tell stories. 

When a child runs away during a shoot, that's something interesting to be captured. When a child begins to cry during a photoshoot, that can be captured to tell a story too. Getting into a child's world is as simple as suggesting games, movement, silly faces, hugs, and tickles! I can't say this always works to get full cooperation but I can say this steers our photoshoot in the right direction to create beautiful life-breathing personal images! 

At the end of the session, if, through my lens, I've seen some giggling faces, creativity, or exploration from the little ones, I know we are "all set" as I like to say ;) 

A few tips I share with parents pre-beach-photoshoot to make sure of: 

- They have had their naps. 

- They are fed. 

- They are semi-clean. ;) I know this is not an easy feat with little ones**

- They have a toy(s) available. 

- You arrive to the session a few minutes early to allow the little ones to get used to the new setting and maybe even explore a little. 

- A possible "ice cream" or fun bribe is in store post session. ;) optional ;) 

- You have a towel to wipe of sand from faces/arms. 

- You have water on hand. 

- You have pins/hairties to hold back the hair. The beach is very windy! 

- They are ready to have fun and "play". 

- Our expectations are not for perfection but for fun and freedom to show who we really are! 

A recent blogger (cannot recall who it was) referred to each year of a child's life as the number of minutes that their attention span can last. I.E. One year old = One minute of attention. Two year old = Two minutes of attention. Haha, this is a great comparison... Although sometimes it can feel like seconds instead of minutes! 

Here's a fun example of play and how these moments can be so much more than "say cheese"!
With kindness,
Fantasia
www.LittleMissCreativeStudio.com