Photographing toddlers is among the hardest part of my job. They never sit still! They hate posing for photos – if you ask them to smile at the camera, they do the opposite. They usually have a crying fit halfway through the session and they will spend a great deal of time clinging to any nearby parents. Still, I love a good challenge – and I do love hanging out with kids – so I always relish the chance to get to photograph crazy 3 year-olds.
When it comes to photographing toddlers, with their boundless energy and superhuman ability to get distracted, is to encourage as much playing, running, rough housing, tumbling, jumping and splashing as I can get. Inevitably, they tire themselves out enough to get some sweet photos where they are sitting still and behaving, and the added bonus is tons of adorable, fun photos along the way.
I know there are plenty of photographers out there who will Velcro little Tommy’s butt to the chair and torture him through a studio portrait session. I say, bring ’em to the park and let ’em run for awhile. Playing is good for their brains and bodies. And if you have the right camera and know how to use it, playing presents tons of wonderful photo opportunities.
