Taking Pictures You Can Be Proud Of

When you hire a photographer to shoot portraits of your family, you can select the setting, what everyone will be wearing, and even what props you'll use. One thing that you can't guarantee, however, is how your young children will behave. The last thing you want is to be excited about getting good family photos, only for your children to act out and hinder the entire experience — and perhaps even prevent the photographer from being able to take any proper photos. Here are some tips that you can use to increase the odds of your children behaving during the family photo shoot.

Bring Along Entertainment

If you'll be meeting the photographer at a specific location away from your home, make sure that you have things that will keep your children entertained. For example, it's common to meet at parks for such shoots, and while parks can offer lots of things to do, you don't want your children to be bored standing around. Toys, snacks, books, and other such forms of entertainment are ideal ways to keep your children in a good mood while you and the photographer discuss how you'll proceed.

Involve Them At The Last Minute

A photographer usually needs to take some time to get set up. For example, if your family will be sitting on a dock next to a pond with the photographer standing in the water, he or she will need to don some waders, test out the lighting, and perhaps even sweep off the dock to ensure that it looks its best. It's a mistake to line up your children on the dock while the photographer goes through this prep work, as they'll soon get fidgety. Instead, allow them to do their own thing nearby and don't call them until the photographer is ready to begin shooting.

Promise Some Rewards

There are certain times in your children's life that you'll want to promise them some manner of reward in exchange for behaving properly, and a family photo shoot can definitely be a good example of this mentality. Tell your children how important it is for them to be good during the shoot, and pledge that you'll go out for ice cream or make a visit to the local toy store afterward. Armed with this knowledge, a child who may be tempted to act up will hopefully know to behave properly until the shoot is done.

For more information, contact a company like Moorman Photographics.