4 Tips on How to Get in the Pictures with Your Kids

As photographers we are keeping up with scheduling our clients, meeting their needs and making sure they walk away with images they’ll treasure for a lifetime from their session with us. In balancing all that on top of our own families, our personal photos with our children may not be as frequent as we’d like.

I know that for me when my business is busy during the warmer seasons and much-desired fall, I see a decline in making sure photos of my own family happens. Let’s be real, sometimes when you’ve been taking hundreds of photos of other families, the last thing you want to do is pick up your camera again!

But I think we all know how important it is to document our lives and more importantly to get in the picture WITH our children.

Ask any mother what they would want as a gift and more then likely they will say something along the lines of “Oh I wish I could just have one good photo with my kids!”

Here’s a few tips, as simple as they are, that will help you make sure you get in front of the camera with your kids!

1) Ask Someone Else to Take the Photo!

I know that sounds so simple and sometimes it’s easier said then done! Going to the park with your kiddos? Ask another momma nearby to snap a photo on your iPhone! Attending the first grade field trip with your little’s class? Hand over your camera to the teacher and simply say, “Press that button.” Don’t be afraid to ask your husband to snap a pic on his own phone for you every once in awhile. The more often you ask people to help out, the more often you’ll get used to it and it’ll become a habit! Don’t worry about if it’s going to come out as well as you’d like it to because when it comes down to it, a photo with your kids is a photo with your kids. Am I right?

And here’s another tip for you- Take the photo when you first arrive. Children are usually in their best mood when they’re excited about something fun that’s about to happen. Joining another mom at the local children’s museum for an outing? When you get there, have her take a quick photo of you and your kids when you arrive, before any possible meltdowns will happen and then it’s out of the way! The special memory is documented and you can focus on having fun!

2) Do a Self Portrait Project

Since my daughter was born, there are things we do on a regular basis that I have wanted documented in a particular way. They were moments in our routine that I know someday I’ll miss and I wanted to capture those rhythms in a particular way. I decided to start a self-portrait project with her.

I think of different things we do in our day and then I choose one to focus on and document. I set up my camera, use the self-timer, sometimes the tripod and recreate the moments with my little girl.

I know these are photos that I want captured in a particular way so I’ve chosen to do all the work myself. My daughter has actually really enjoyed doing these with me! She thinks it’s funny when momma keeps running back and forth from the camera to get the picture just the way I want!

Think through things that you do with your littles or maybe there’s a park you’ve always wanted to get photos of with your children. Make it happen! Bring the camera and tripod and have a fun outing!

3) Take Selfies!

Yes, selfies. Because of how accessible smart phones are, there’s no excuse NOT to take pictures with your littles. There’s nothing wrong with a selfie or two! Slap a classic black and white filter on it and you just may come away with something frameable! Snap away and have fun!

4) Schedule a Photo Session

Photographers can be the worst with this! We help schedule everyone else’s photo sessions but then when it comes to our own, we forget to make room on the calendar for it.

Find a photographer in your area who you connect with & just make it happen! Schedule months in advance so you have time to prepare & get excited about it!

Something I’ve done is swap photo sessions with a friend photographer. It’s worked out great & we’ve both come away with pictures we treasure!

Have you always wanted Mom & Me pictures with your little guy? Email that photographer that lives two hours away that you like, offer to meet up halfway and take pictures of her and her littles! It doesn’t hurt to ask and you just may make a new friend in the meantime!

I hope these were helpful to you! Have you any other tips that you’d recommend for getting in front of the camera? Add your comments below! I’d love to hear them and try them out myself!