8 Tips to Prepare for Your Photo Session with Your Toddlers

I wanted to jump on here today and just remind you of some simple and easy things you can do to ensure a great experience and amazing photos! After almost 10 years as a family photographer here in the DFW area, I have a lot of experience photographing toddlers. This experience allows me to adjust expectations on the fly and still get incredible images of your family. I have all the energy and love kids so much.

Here are a few things YOU can do to partner with me and let your kids have fun and get so so many great photos of your family! Here they are:

1. Reward good behavior!!! Plan a fun treat for after the shoot! Give them something to look forward to.

2. Work with your photographer to create a vision for your shoot and pick a location that allows freedom to run, pick flowers, take walks, play in water, a place where kids can enjoy themselves and have something fun to do.

3. Get ready early! Be at your shoot early. That way no one feels rushed. This is huge! Takes a lot of stress off you momma.

4. Mom, have your makeup done by someone else. :) Hire a local makeup artist like Wendy Zerrduo or have Brite Beauty come to your home and make it SUPER easy for you!

5. Pack snacks! Pack toys! Things from home that still photograph pretty. Wood cars, a neutral lovey or baby doll.

6. Pour your hubby a glass of scotch before you go. :) Dads get stressed about photos. They just do. You’ll fight about something silly and it’s not you, it’s the photoshoot! Give dad lots of grace, don’t ask too much of him and find a photographer who will put dads at ease and make it fun for them too. And its okay if you have to fake the love sometimes. Haha

7. RELAX. Throw expectations aside and allow your photographer to capture more moments and less perfectly posed shots. Don’t worry, you’ll get some of those too! But toddlers and kiddos are unpredictable and fun and energetic and silly and goofy and want to play more than anything else!

8. (Speaking to myself!) Do not sit on your phone waiting for the photos. Go enjoy your kids and hubby and life and I PROMISE I am working on your photos and will send a sneak peek very soon! :)