Tips for taking fun photos with small wiggly children.

Taking family portraits with small children can feel like trying to catch butterflies with your bare hands. Their energy, curiosity, and constant movement make it tough to get that perfect photo. But with the right approach, you can turn these challenges into joyful moments that show a family’s true personality! I’ve learned a lot from my years behind a camera, and I want to share one of my experiences that taught me a valuable lesson! 

One of my favorite family portrait sessions included a very young boy who did not want to have any part of being in the family photo.  He was 3 or 4 years old, and did not like to stay in one place very long.  This is very typical for his age!  His parents were doing their best to get him to stand still and look toward the lady with the camera. He would try for about 30 seconds and then decide he didn’t want to stay with the group, and would run away. This was an extended family portrait session that included grandparents, as well as an aunt and uncle. His dad picked him up in a loving manor and held him while standing with the group in an effort to keep this smallest member of the family from running away. This little man then became an expert at imitating a wiggle worm. Mom tried to get him to cooperate by encouraging him to stop wiggling, but this little guy was heading now into a meltdown. Dad went into play-time mode, and started tossing him carefully up into the air. He seemed to really enjoy that and started giggling.  So….now we’ve got him smiling, but trying to capture a little person flying upward thru the air in focus was going to be a big challenge.  Then I asked dad if the little man might enjoy being held upside down.  Dad and Mom both chimed in – yes!  He loves it.  We do that all the time!  

Dad then proceeded to turn him upside down and held him by the ankles. The little man started giggling, as did most of the rest of the family.  The photos turned out great!  I was able to capture this little guy with a smile, although he was upside down, and the rest of the family had expressions of real laughter. My favorite smiles… real ones, not posed! 

Lessons learned:  Let the parents handle children that might be a little reluctant, and keep trying!