Getting the whole family to smile at the same time and look in the same direction can be extremely challenging. The more people you need to get in the shot, the harder it becomes to coordinate eye contact and smiles and to get everyone on the same page at the same time.

This becomes a bit more urgent when you’ve booked a family photoshoot, as you only have limited time to get the shots you need so you’re not wasting time or money, and you come away with genuinely happy photos you can treasure for many years to come.

Here are a few tips to get everyone to smile in family photos.

Book a Family Photographer Who Works With Kids

There’s a big difference between photographers, and you need someone who works with kids on a regular basis. Someone who is used to these environments, such as www.katherinebarnesphotography.co.uk/bristol-family-photographer and younger clients, will be able to spot telltale signs that things are going awry and will have accumulated an arsenal of tricks that help them get better images. This way you get better results, fewer forced smiles, and the pictures will be a representation of your family. 

Keep Sessions Short for Young Children

There can be a lot of sitting or standing around at a photoshoot, and everyone will get bored at some point. And the last thing you want is for your kids to be captured with tired, cranky expressions.

Schedule the session for the time of day when your children are at their best. It might be after nap time or a mealtime. Then make sure the session is genuinely short, i.e., under an hour, as this gives you a better chance of capturing real joy and their character over forced poses that you need to work around or images you’re not entirely happy with.

If sessions are longer, build in breaks for them to reset rather than forcing things to go on for hours.

Bring a Favourite Toy as a Distraction

One of the best things you can do is bring along something that will keep your child entertained. It might be a book, toy, or even a snack if that works better. Whatever you know is going to get them onside, bring it and use it strategically.

This will also be genuinely helpful for the photographer too, as they can use the item to help get the child’s attention at the right moment without you needing to step in and negotiate with your child. The result will likely end up more natural for everyone.

Avoid Over-Directing the Moment

It can be really tempting to jump in and take over directing the type of shots you want. But that doesn’t always get the right results. Sometimes the best pictures are the more relaxed ones. If you try to force it, you might end up with stiff, self-conscious poses, and no one wants that. Instead, take a step back and let the session unfold naturally. You might capture a laugh between siblings, a joyful expression from a moment of fun or just love seeing through the images. This is what you want, not a stiff formal arrangement, which can happen if you’re trying to orchestrate every single movement, smile and shot.