How to have a successful toddler session | Parker Toddler Photographer
First things first- when it comes to working with toddlers- They run the show!
Toddlers have big emotions, big opinions, small vocabularies and minimal patience. So how do I get them to do what I want?
I don't.
This is their rodeo and I'm just there to capture it. When I'm photographing toddlers I'm following *them*- making sure they're happy exploring- and capturing the natural beauty they present me.
One of my favorite tips when trying to get great images of toddlers is let them have the stick! ( Or rock, or leaf, or handful of dirt- or whatever it is that your first instinct is to tell them to put down)
I promise you this little piece of nature that they have become emotionally attached to in the previous 2 minutes will not ruin your photo. What WILL ruin your photo is the tantrum that will surely follow once you have taken their precious rock away 🤣 It's pretty easy to redirect a toddler in most cases- if I think the item that they've glommed onto is distracting in the photo I will find a prettier flower, or piece of wheat- and in many cases- I'll just photoshop it out!
Stop telling them to smile!
Instead- create a smile! Don't pretend for a second that you never spent an hour doing some inane thing to make your baby laugh when those first giggles escaped their tiny mouth (my husband once fake coughed himself hoarse because our baby thought it was the funniest thing in the world)- you know how to make your kiddo laugh! Animal sounds- fart noises- silly faces- toddlers are an easy crowd!
Bribery- always a classic
In every day life we probably don't want to bribe our kids too much- but this isn't every day life. This is artwork of your precious tiny human that you are investing in! I always keep suckers and stickers on hand to offer toddlers to help keep them focused when they're starting to lose patience.
And as a bonus- the tantrum cure- BUBBLES!
I have yet to meet a toddler who doesn't love bubbles. I own at least 5 bubble machines by now ! I usually save this trick for the end of a session because once the bubbles come out you can't really take them away again 😜 When I have a toddler who has reached their limit and is having none of our photography nonsense or has reached a full on tantrum- that's when the bubbles come out. As a bonus- they make for really beautiful photos too!
Please don't be afraid to have your toddler photographed professionally! This stage is so very short and filled with so many little details that you never want to forget!
To remove the stress from having your toddler photographed- bring them to me! I absolutely love photographing toddlers in all of their ‘big feelings’ glory ❤️
