How to actually prepare your kids for a photo session

The single most common thing Grace hears from parents in the first five minutes of a session is: 'She was so excited this morning and now she won't look at the camera.' It happens constantly, and it is almost never the child's fault. Here is what actually helps.

Do not use the word 'cheese' ¶

Telling a child to say cheese produces a cheese face, which is a specific and recognizable expression that looks nothing like the child's actual face. Grace spends the first part of every session undoing cheese face. It is easier to prevent it than to fix it.

Instead, try telling your child that the photographer is going to play a game with them, or that they are going to go somewhere fun and someone is going to take some pictures while they play. The less the session is framed as a performance, the better the results.

Timing matters more than most parents realize ¶

A hungry child and a tired child are two different problems, but they produce the same outcome: a session that is harder than it needs to be. Grace schedules sessions around nap times whenever possible, and she always asks about the child's typical energy window when confirming a booking.

For toddlers, mid-morning after breakfast and before the first nap is usually the sweet spot. For school-age kids, late afternoon tends to work better. They have had time to decompress from the day.

What to wear (and what to skip) ¶

Solid colors and simple textures photograph better than busy prints, but the more important variable is comfort. A child who is itchy, pinched, or wearing shoes that are too tight will communicate that discomfort in every frame.

New outfits bought specifically for the session are a common trap. The child does not know how to move in them yet. If you want to use something new, have them wear it around the house for a few days first.

• Avoid logos and large text across the chest
• Layers work well for autumn and winter sessions
• Bring a backup outfit for kids under three
• Skip the brand-new shoes

Let the photographer do the warming up ¶

Grace's standard approach is to spend the first ten to fifteen minutes of a session not photographing at all. She talks to the kids, asks them about their interests, sometimes plays a simple game. The camera stays down or to the side. By the time she raises it, the child has usually forgotten it is there.

Parents can help by resisting the urge to direct the child toward the camera. The instinct is understandable, but it tends to make children more self-conscious, not less.

The families who report the most relaxed sessions are almost always the ones who told their kids the least about what was going to happen. A little mystery goes a long way.