HELP !! Children who won't pose for Portraits

EVER HAD A CHILD THAT JUST WON'T SIT FOR A PORTRAIT?

Over the years I've photographed 10,000's of babies, toddlers and kids in the studio, clients homes and nurseries.

I've certainly experienced it all, from the little smiler's to the crying tantrums, yes kids can be very unpredictable at times.

One of the biggest mistakes photographers make is to push the child who doesn't want to sit for a photograph, this is never going to work.

The first thing you need to realise is yes the child will most probably sit for a photograph, but it will often be on their terms!!!

Here's a few tips that will make the shoot a whole lot easier.

1/ Firstly put the camera away.

Let the child get used to you and tell the parents NOT to intervene, it only makes things worse if you have mam and dad trying to bribe or give the child an ultimatum.

2/ Get down to their level.

Sit on the floor next to the child and get a conversation going, ask about their favourite toy's or TV show, anything that strikes up a bit of chat going between you both.

3/ Add a bit humour.

Once you find something the child is happy to talk about start adding a bit humour to the conversation, this is great for breaking down barriers. And yes talking about breaking wind is essential !!

4/ Photograph someone else and ask them to help.

If the child is still unsure you can always start by photographing mam or dad or better still a brother or sister, involve the child and ask them to help you. Show them the results on the back of the camera and ask them if they'd like to see their own photograph on the camera too.

5/ Dont rush, take your time.

If the child still won't sit then don't push them. Encourage them to play with a few toys carefully placed in an ideal spot for a photograph. As the child starts to play take a few photographs and show them the results.

Sometimes you may only get the natural photographs of the child at play, but then sometimes these are the perfect photographs that the parents totally love. If this works then bring the family to the child and create a natural family portrait around the child's play.

One great secret weapon is a bubble machine, you can pick them up on Ebay for ￡10 and they've turned many screaming crying kids into little smiler's for me.

I'd love to hear how you get on with your portraits and how you are managing with your upselling to higher priced packages, if you need help give me a message.

Thank for following Jeff