What to Expect at Your Child's Portrait Session

Every session is different because every family, kid, person is different. Everyone brings something unique to their session. But some things remain the same in my children's portrait sessions. These 30 minute sessions are designed to be long enough for your child to warm up to me and their surrounding while being short enough to keep their attention. I aim for kids and parents to walk away enjoying the session. If the kids have fun, their photos will reflect that.

So here is what to expect before your child's next portrait session with me.

Time to Warm Up

Your child will likely be shy when we first begin and that is okay. Even kids I have photographed several times are shy when the session starts. The first few photos are usually a warm up, so there's no pressure to get your kids to smile. I also don't expect them to sit or stand a certain way, especially in the beginning. I like to give them a few minutes to get used to me, my camera, the location and let them know that our primary goal is to have fun.

Time to Explore

One way I let kids know it's okay to be shy, that we're here to have fun, and that I'm not going to force them to do anything is by letting them explore. I encourage them to run around, pick flowers, look at different features or wildlife at the location.

Not only do they start having a good time, they forget that this new person is there with a camera. They realize I'm not just going to make them sit and smile. Our time together also becomes fun and relaxed so by the time we are done with their session they look forward to the next time they get to see me. Plus, you get a lot of documentary style images of your little one having fun and doing kid things.

If you're seeing this and thinking "but my kid will get messy", I may not be the photographer for you. I don't want your kids to be covered in dirt or mud for your photos that you plan on sharing with relatives or framing for your home, but keeping them perfectly clean and unwrinkled is low on my priority list. I care more about their expressions and whether my photos of your kid capture who they are at that stage of their life. And kids usually have dirt on them. Or bugs in the their pockets. Or scrapes/bruises on a knee. And they're perfect.