How I get natural smiles from your kiddos!

How to get genuine smiles from kids

There's no better way to help than to get out and experience nature for yourself.

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Tickles and Squeezes

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Surprise Attack

There's no better way to help than to get out and experience nature for yourself. no better way to help than to get out and experience nature for yourself.

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Skipping & Throwing Rocks / Snow

There's no better way to help than to get out and experience nature for yourself. no better way to help than to get out and experience nature for yourself.

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Piggyback Rides

This is a great way to get a close up photo of two kids or parent and child. To add extra smiles I ask parents to do a pretend drop to make the littles laugh and hold on tighter for better hugging photos.

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Silly Words

Do your kids have one or two words that for some reason make them giggle? For my nieces its “poopy butt” no idea why but you say it and the giggles go crazy. We keep whatever that word is ready for some giggle triggers.

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Big Swings

Swinging when holding onto mom and dads hands is a go to smile and giggle pose for little ones.

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Games

Poses are stiff and can read unnatural. Instead I use prompts like games to capture the best moments. These include races, tag (but with hugs),

Top Tips for What to Wear for a Family Photography Session

What to Wear?!

Are you looking for some guidance about what to wear for your photo session? Color choice, style, and patterns are a number one concern for most when it comes to photos, but I've put together a guide to help make the challenge much easier. Scroll through for color and style inspiration!  

Read through my tips on what to wear and what not to wear! 

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Earth Tones

natural • warm • loving

Think of the colors you relate to any tint or shade commonly found in nature, including browns , greens, reds, yellows, oranges. Go bold with your choices or take a subdued approach, either way this color scheme always works. 

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LIGHT & BRIGHT 

soft • kind • fun

Think of soft and delicate shades of brighter colors. Using this color theme creates a bright and inviting theme for your photo session. 

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CALM & COOL

neutral • subtle • classic

Using these classic shades creates a bold but timeless look. Be sure to mix in enough shades and avoid too much white. The key to this theme is using multiple shades, not just two or three.  

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Mix Patterns & Solids

Adding a delicate pattern to the mix of solids is a great way to make your photos pop. Go for subtle patterns think less is more.

Accessorize, but Keep it Simple

Add bows, curl your hair, or add a cute braid, but keep it simple and natural. These are all great ideas!

Add Some Texture!

Playful textures are a great addition to the clothing choices. Keep the textures to only some of the outfits, while keeping the others in solid materials. 

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What to Avoid...

Bold Stripe or Strong Plaid

Patterns are great, but we want to avoid a bold pattern like buffalo plaid. Avoid Bold Stripes and Bold Plaid and instead go for Pin Stripes.

Matching Too Much!

Too much of one color will actually blend together in the photos, causing a difficulty seeing where one persons body differs from another. 

Too Much White or Too Much Black

We want to avoid the "everyone where a white shirt with jeans" idea. Black not only blends together, but also shows the most lint and hair. 

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Games I use during my photography sessions!

The secret to the perfect family photo session: GAMES!

True fun creates the best family photos and one way I have found accomplish this is incorporating games into our session. I add a twist to these classic games to create great moments to capture on camera.

Read below to see which games I use and how to use them to get the best family photos.

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Race

Have a race! But add silly rules, like only hopping on one foot or race to Mom from Dad.

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Ring Around the Rosie

I can use this prompt in so many ways to capture great photos! I can sit in the middle of the circle as the little ones twirl around, getting adorable pictures and genuine smiles. Or stand back and have your little ones circle around Mom and Dad for a unique and loving photo.

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Telephone

I have everyone line up side by side, then the first person says something silly and passes it on, making it every sillier. By the time it gets to the last child, everyone is giggling.

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Red Rover

Mom and Dad stand holding hands and one by one I have your kids run and try to “break through”. If they can’t they join the chain and help stop the next child. This is also a great option for kids that are a little older who are resistant to taking photos. It’s a great ice breaker.

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Simon Says

Simon Says “Tickle Mama” “Smile Big” “Spin Around” you get the gist.

Tag

Instead of just tagging, it has to be a hug!

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