MANCHESTER FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER // But what if my children misbehave?

Manchester Family Photographer’s thoughts on how we deal when the little ones don’t want to play ball on your shoot!

But what if my children misbehave?

Hey, I'm a mama of a headstrong, whirlwind of a toddler, Marnie. I TOTALLY get the concern that your little one(s) may not behave. It can feel like a lot of pressure to make sure everything is right for a family shoot - whilst it is easier said than done, from my experience, putting as little pressure on it as possible seems to be the best way to go! 

Children just know when something is a big deal to you and just seem to choose the exact right time to not be their best selves, am I right? 😬

So keeping it no-big-deal will help you no end. Prep them by saying you're going to see your pal who will take some nice photos of you. Say we'll have fun together, play some games and get lots of nice photos! 

At the shoot, I'll work my magic to get littlies on board. I have a whole host of tricks up my sleeves to help. I'm usually besties with them by the end of the shoot, and often get messages from families saying their children have been asking when they can play with "Laura with the camera" again! 

I also send out a questionnaire before our shoot so I can find out some more info about you all as a family and also your little person's / people's interests. Then I've got insider info to get them in board from the get go!

We keep the entire shoot very relaxed. We'll start by having a little walk / chatting to get everyone relaxed. We'll stop from time to time in a nice spot to get some slightly more prompted photos of you all, but we'll mostly be led by the little ones. If they're happy, then everyone is happy and we'll get those beautiful shots. 

If it gets all too much for them and they need a little rest and snack time (tip: bring plenty of non messy snacks!) that's totally fine!

There will never be any judgement from me if there are melt downs and bribes of chocolate - we all do it! I'll be there as a supportive extra set of hands - to help keep the good energy, hold the baby when you need a moment with the toddler, to show the kids my camera and get them involved taking photos of mummy and daddy, to start up a new game, to be an ear to offload on if you're finding parenting particularly tough, to give you a moment. Whatever it is that you need, I can help. I'm not just there to take the photos! 

So, to conclude, keep the shoot a no-big-deal, and relax and trust that I'll get the photos no matter what happens. Let's embrace the beautiful chaos of family life together! 

Want to capture your own beautiful chaos? Just click the button below to enquire!

Thanks so much,

Laura

Manchester Family Photographer.