Whether you’re photographing a client or your own children you know you’ve been there where your subject does not want to cooperate. It’s easy to get flustered and for things to go downhill quickly but CMpro Jennifer Dell is here today to let you know that you can still get some amazing images. She’s going to offer up a few tips on how to turn that shoot back around and into your favor!
8 tips for photographing uncooperative children
We’ve all had one of those shoots, whether with a client or your own children. We take the time and dream up the perfect session. Every little detail has been planned and you couldn’t be more excited. You’ve envisioned this session and the way you want to go for weeks. The day comes and the weather is gorgeous and your location is ideal. You’re ready to go. Then, the unimaginable happens…. your children (or quite possibly your client’s children) have other plans. Instead of having a super sweet and girly vintage tea party, your impeccably dressed little girl decides that rolling in the mud and throwing rocks sounds like more fun (this would be my daughter). Or perhaps your sweet children would rather run the opposite direction, away from that gorgeous, gooey setting sun that provides the perfect backlighting. Whatever the case may be, I have learned over the years (mostly from working with my own children) to go with the flow.
Here are a few tips to help you go from this:
to this:
1. Put down the camera.
Yep, that’s right, put it down and step away from it. If you are working with props on a stylized session interact with your little subjects and have fun for a few minutes. Then, once everyone is into the activity, pick up the camera again and go for it.
2. Show your children/clients the images you are taking.
Let them chimp after a few shots, this typically gets kids excited to be part of the shoot instead of just your subject. Yes, I know that your camera was not cheap, but you can even let them hold the camera and show them what you are doing. It gets their interest and they are much more apt to working with you and not against you.
3. Engage with them.
If you find that you are losing their interests, engage them: ask questions, tell jokes, talk to them. Get them to engage with you. If you do this you will also get more genuine photos too (a bonus!). My daughter had on her mermaid costume and when I wanted to take a photo, she quickly clammed up and gave me this face:
After I asked her to tell me some Ariel facts I got this along with a story about how Ariel sleeps at the bottom of the sea:
4. Breathe.
I tell all of my clients to be prepared for any kind of silly behavior from their children. The worst thing you can do is yell or get frustrated. So like I tell my clients, just breathe. Don’t let the obstacle at hand ruffle your feathers.
5. Try distraction.
If your little one is having a meltdown try to distract them to focus on something else, point out something interesting or introduce something new.
My son was so not happy about me wanting to capture him in his crib but once I reminded him that he had some really great airplanes on the ceiling I got this:
6. Bribe.
I don’t typically like to bribe, but I have been guilty of this from time to time when I’m really, really, really desperate. Only with my own children, never my clients. I’ve promised an M&M or cookie here or there in exchange for some cooperation.
7. Try something different.
If what you had planned really and truly is not working at all… try something different. It isn’t the end of the world. Take these photos for example. These are of my sweet (albeit a little crazy) kiddos. I had planned the perfect valentine’s day themed session… hand made props even. Then when we got to the location my daughter had a meltdown and would not participate and my son picked up a dead mouse. Yep, you read that right a dead rodent. Oh it was so bad. This was all I able to get prior to regrouping…
So we re-grouped, took him inside to wash him and disinfect and her inside to chill. Then, 30 minutes later, we went back out, just with my daughter at that point and I was able to get this and it’s now one of my favorite photos of her.
8. Embrace it.
If all else fails, you can always just embrace the chaos, and call it documentary.
Thank you Jennifer for sharing these amazing tips with us! What are your favorite tricks when your sessions aren’t going as planned? Let us know in the comments below!
Jennifer Dell, Texas 
CMpro
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Jennifer is a child and family photographer in Houston Texas. Equipped with her D700 and a variety of prime lenses she documents families and helps them to create unique images often times designing stylized sessions around a client’s interests. While the bulk of Jennifer’s work is centered around her clients, she also enjoys taking on commercial projects. Her photographs can be described as vibrant and joyful with a touch of whimsy. When Jennifer isn’t behind the lens or working at her studio, she can be found playing dress up, going on an adventure, or reading books with her two small children. She dreams of one day escaping permanently to a Caribbean Island with her family, preferably St. John.
Read all photography tutorials by Jennifer Dell.
This is a wonderful post!! Thank you for sharing! I couldn't agree with you more! The kiddies are in charge and as the photographer we have to follow their lead. We can learn so much from these little ones. Most of the time the most genuine moments are captured because everyone is relaxed and having fun.
Love! I really love the tantrum pics too, LOL.
These were great tips! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much, Jenn! Great tips and gorgeous images of your beautiful kiddos…even the 'uncooperative' images! :)
Loved the article! My favorite tip was the last one – calling it 'documentary':)
I love playing make believe with my little clients. I find that when kids are using their imagination they display the best range of emotions. Love it!
Great article, Jenn!!! I know they weren't what you had planned, but I LOVE the uncooperative pics of your kids! Your daughter's pout is so adorable! Thanks for these helpful tips!
Thanks, Jennifer! These are some really great tips and reminders :)
Great tips, thank you. I love candid, uncooperative shots the best, though occasional smiling happy ones are always welcome!
Thanks for the great tips:) I have had to embrace the "documentary" many times myself.
Love this! I have lots of "documentary" shots of my kids. LOL!
I love this and ha ha, love the images, too! I think you will treasure the cute "sulky" ones just as much as the happy ones!! :)
thanks for this post. I have 3 young boys and they aren't always cooperative when getting their picture taken. I have gotten some of the funniest pictures that way though. I really appreciated the thing about the rat. classic.
So cute! I love the ideas and pictures!
Wonderful advice!!! This has happened many times to me when I was photographing my own children, sometimes you need to just walk away for a bit.
Oh and about the rat, sounds exactly like what my 4 year old would do and then we would be off to thoroughly disinfect too! :)
You're funny, Jennifer and so so so talented!
Really love your perspective, not to mention your gorgeous examples. Teriffic post. :)
Fabulous post!!! Thank you for all the wonderful ideas.
wonderful post and great tips!! And that's one beauuuutiful crib. <3
It's been so frustrating lately trying to take pictures of my little one so this post will really come in handy for me next time. Thanks for sharing!
Great post! I love your son's crib
thank you so much for this post!
Great tips, thank you so much! I especially love number 8 "embrace the chaos and call it documentary." :)
Brilliant article, Jennifer — and beautiful examples! I love your work.
This is one of the best posts ever. Beautiful images. VERY helpful advice. All taken! Love it! Thanks Jennifer. :)
Great ideas!! And I actually like the photos I get of my girls during their meltdowns…it might not be pretty but the emotion is unforgettable. :)
Great tips Jennifer and as always I love your images. The one of your son crying in his crib just cracked me up and I absolutely love the Ariel story image.
fantastic!!! just gorgeous shots of your kiddos…the before and afters…love them both!! great advice to remember. thank you!!
This is really helpful! I have to remind myself that cameras are big and scary and strange for children! Putting it down and playing with them helps so much, even with my own.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for these great tips! I just visited your site and I LOVE your work. The images you used for this article are absolutely darling.
Great ideas, I love the last photo!
Great work
This is really helpful. .
I think I should read this before my first photoshoot with kids which I did last month
and it was really bad :/
This encouraged me to give my self another chance !
Holy crap. I LOVE this post. And i was even more excited to find out you are in Houston (like me!) …now, i don’t have children, but i have a super uncooperative, easily distracted husband who might as well be 5 years old when it comes to taking pictures, and you just gave me hope that one day i could actually have pictures of us that don’t look canned, or like we just did some sort of staged school pictures (awful) with the terrible smiles, or the goofy half-grin. LOL. thanks for all the pointers!
Thank you, great ideas, love !
I love this article but I still need more advice!
I recently had a shoot with 5 children. A group of cousins.
The youngest, 18 months old was screaming in blood curdling cries the whole time!
It caused all the other kids to look sad and scared!
I had to yell above the screams to even give small direction to the other 4 children!
It was by far my worst session!
Any tips on how to handle that??
love it jennifer! so well written :)
Elise,
That’s tough! I have had a shoot that sounds a little similar to what you went through! five kiddos can be tricky. In that situation, I would put down my camera, have mom take away the 18month old that was upset and either get snacks/drinks/cuddle anything to get baby back to a happy place. A lot of times, you’ll find a short snack break can do wonders. In the meantime, hang out and play with the older kiddos to get them to relax after the tension of having an upset cousin. Then, hopefully, everyone will be back in a more relaxed happy state and you can continue the session.
One of the best photography tips article I’ve read! Thank you!