What if my toddler won’t cooperate during our family photoshoot?

If you’re thinking about booking a family photoshoot but there’s one thing putting you off, YOUR TODDLER, you’re definitely not the only one.

I hear versions of the same worry all the time:

“They won’t sit still.”
“They hate having their photo taken.”
“They definitely won’t smile when you ask them to.”
“They can be really shy with new people.”

The good news is, I’m not expecting them to do any of those things.

During my outdoor family sessions, your child doesn’t need to sit nicely, look at my camera or smile on command. In fact, I’d much rather they didn’t spend the whole session doing that.

Your toddler doesn't need to sit still

Toddlers are quite spectacularly bad at sitting still when someone asks them to.

So I don't build my sessions around expecting them to.

We'll explore, play games, run through the grass, have cuddles, chase Mum and Dad and generally let your child move around. I'll give you little prompts along the way, but there's no pressure for your toddler to perform for the camera.

Some of my favourite photographs happen in the moments between the things we were supposedly doing anyway.

And if your toddler decides we're going in a completely different direction?

Quite often, I'll follow them.

What if my child is shy?

That's completely fine too.

Some children are ready to play with me within about thirty seconds. Others would quite reasonably like to establish who this strange woman with a camera is before getting involved.

I won't expect your child to interact with me straight away.

They can stay close to you, have a cuddle, explore the location or simply watch what's going on for a while. I'll usually start photographing from a little further away and let them get used to having me around.

There's no rush.

Often the best thing we can do with a child who needs time to warm up is simply give them the time.

And what if they're the complete opposite of shy?

Excellent. 😂

If your child wants to run, climb, explore and investigate absolutely everything except the thing we had planned, we can work with that too.

Outdoor family sessions give children space to move. Instead of constantly asking them to come back, sit down or look at me, I can use that movement to create photographs that actually feel like them.

Running towards Dad. Being swung around by Mum. Racing through long grass. Playing hide and seek. Looking for bugs.

That's all photographable.

They don't have to stop being a toddler for me to take beautiful photographs of them.

But I would still like one photo of everyone looking at the camera...

Of course.

Child-led photography doesn't mean I'm going to leap into a hedge if somebody looks directly at my lens.

We'll absolutely try to get a few photographs of everyone together and looking towards me.

The difference is that we aren't going to spend the entire session fighting for that photograph.

If your toddler gives me three seconds of eye contact before running off again, that's often all I need.

Then they can get back to the important business of being two.

What if they're just not having it?

Sometimes children are tired. Sometimes they're hungry. Sometimes they've fallen asleep in the car for precisely seven minutes and somehow emerged with the temperament of a tiny dictator.

It happens.

We can stop for a snack. Have a cuddle. Change what we're doing. Let them explore for a while. Move somewhere else. Or simply take the pressure off completely.

And if they need Mum or Dad for most of the session, that's okay too.

A toddler buried in Mum's shoulder isn't necessarily a photoshoot going wrong. It might become a photograph of the way they curl into you when they need comfort, something you may actually want to remember when they're much bigger.

You don't need to make your child behave for me

This is probably the biggest thing I want parents to know before their session.

It isn't your job to make your toddler perform for my camera.

You don't need to spend the hour saying “look at the lady,” “smile,” “come back,” or “just one nice photo!”

Come and play with them instead.

I'll worry about the photographs.

My outdoor family sessions take place around Worcester, Worcestershire and the surrounding areas and are designed to be relaxed, playful and led by your family rather than a list of poses.

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Looking for Family Photography in Worcester, Worcestershire or surrounding areas?

I specialise in natural maternity, newborn and family photography across Worcester, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and the Cotswolds.

If you're looking to capture this chapter of family life, whether you're expecting your first baby or preparing to welcome another little one into the family, I'd love to hear from you.