How to Take Beautiful Pictures of Reluctant Kids - and Keep them Authentic

By: Animal House Photography

Taking pictures of kids reluctant to be in them is not as hard as it seems.

With the right tactics and some patience, any child can be captured as their most authentic selves without any tears in the process (probably).

If you're a photographer, you know how challenging kids can be sometimes. We are getting the middle of the story, meaning we don't know what happened before or what will be happening after our session. This means we are going in blind and have to be ready for whoever shows up.

But not to worry. 

With the right knowledge and a patent but confident demeanor, you can capture beautiful authentic photos of any child.

How to Engage the Shy Child

The shy child story often goes something like this.

The child hides behind her mom, peeking out from behind her legs. Mama pats her child's leg and asks her if she wants to go play. The child shakes her head, turning her face away from the camera.

You try for a few minutes to engage them, asking questions and throwing out some interesting ideas, but they don't bite. You're at a loss.

Instead, embrace the quiet moments.

This shy child is showing how secure her relationship to her mother is. Take this moment to capture the safe place mom provides for her daughter. This relationship is one both of them will treasure for years to come.

A mother and daughter in a cozy softly-lit living room lean over a newborn together.

How to Capture the Wild Child

You know this kid. 

The one who immediately climbs every piece of furniture in your studio.

The one who bolts out the door the moment it opens.

The kid who pulls down anything not bolted down.

Sometimes, we see this kid and we shudder. We wonder - as do the parents - how in the world we will get them to sit still long enough to get a picture.

Take them on an adventure.

The trick with the kid who won't sit still is to stop trying. The wild child is not a kid who stays stationary, so to capture them authentically means to catch them in motion.

Take them somewhere fun and encourage them to explore. Set them up for success and watch them shine.

In a large Huntsville Alabama field with mountains in the background, a father tosses his son into the air.

How to Interest the Distracted Child

This kid wants to do anything but pay attention.

She asks a million questions and answers your queries with answers out of left field. She's fascinated by everything except your camera. Keeping her interested in one thing feels impossible, and she keeps disappearing to investigate some mystery or another.

You'd take her picture if only she was here.

To photograph this child, encourage her curiosity. 

Ask what she's interested in. Invite her to show you what she found and tell you what she thinks it is. Take her to something unique in your studio or your location and ask her about it. Who knows, you might even learn something!

A young girl wearing a beret and a plaid skirt inspects a pebble as she sits on a rock on a sunny Huntsville overlook

How to Enjoy the Loud Child

This kid has no inside voice. He's loud and proud, declaring both his presence and his opinions at peak volume.

Sometimes in a small space like a studio, this child feels overwhelming. How do you give instructions to your client when you have so many decibels echoing around the room?

The answer is simpler than you think.

To turn the tide with the loud child, laugh at their jokes.

This kid probably LOVES attention, and guess what: you have attention to offer. Laugh at their jokes and act like paparazzi. They'll love it and the rest of the family will find themselves laughing before you know it. 

A family of five stands together outside at sunset with the middle daughter sitting on her father's shoulders with her arms stretched out wide

How to Enjoy the Loner Child

This child is similar to the shy one, except she's not anxious about your presence. She just isn't interested in engaging with family pictures. She wants to go off on her own and do what she wants. 

Sometimes teenagers fall in this category. They don't really want to be there and nothing will convince them differently. So what is a photographer to do?

Capture their independence.

No matter the age, this is the stage of life this child is in. This is their personality when confronted with family pictures. This is who they are, so capture it. Maybe it's this child sitting alone. Maybe they are walking along the fence line thinking their own thoughts. Follow their lead and see what happens.

A young girl with red hair and a blue bow stands on a Huntsville Alabama overlook and looks out over a river

The ultimate trick to beautiful photos of children is to let them be themselves.

The more you push them, the less they will want to engage with you.

When you lean into their unique personalities and encourage them to be themselves, children bloom. The knowledge that you and their parents like them, that they aren't a nuisance, urges them to relax and enjoy the experience.

As the photographer, a patient and confident demeanor lets parents know that you aren't worried about children being children. Interest and following their lead tells children that you are a safe and fun presence in their world.

Ultimately, gorgeous photos of kids are right around the corner if we just pay attention to what the kids are showing us.

A smiling Black woman leans against a tree with text explaining that she is a Huntsville Alabama lifestyle photographer

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