The number one tip to getting natural smiles

Kiddies are completely unpredictable, even the older ones that we expect to sit and smile sweetly. They can be so adorable and easy going and laughing uncontrollably one minute, and the next minute, turn that charm off completely. They will typically smile for you all day long until you put them in front of a camera, then they freeze up like a deer in headlights. We want to get the best smiles we can. Over the years I have learnt what gets those beautiful happy smiles and what most definitely does not. Here is my number one tip and it is not what you would expect.

Do not try to get your child's attention or tell them to smile (unless I ask you to)

Babies and young children are often overwhelmed when they walk into my studio space. It is large and full of all kinds of interesting things. I am also a complete stranger. So the best thing to do is to sit on the floor directly behind me and say nothing. I need a chance to build a rapport with your baby or young child and get those natural smiles where they look straight into the camera.

Picture this scenario:

You're a small kiddo and have just walked into a very big, completely new room. A lady with a big black camera is sitting facing you and pointing it at you. And then she is talking to you and making faces. But mom and dad are also frantically trying to get your attention. Mom is on one side of the room and dad is on the other. 

Then because you are just sitting there staring wide eyed at everyone Ouma and Oupa also start calling your name and trying to get your attention. Mom then starts clapping her hands above her head and dad starts promising ice cream. Where on earth do you look and is there any reason to smile? Everyone just looks crazy and making a heck of a noise!

This is the most common scenario I see and 100% of the time ends in wide eyed stares and eventually tears.

One of the first photographs of my session with this little man. He was still warming up to me and getting comfortable.

I need to get your beautiful baby or young child to smile for real at something I say or do. The calmer you are the better things will go. So taking a seat right behind me on the floor, keeping a smile on your face and not saying anything gives me the opportunity to connect with your little one and a much better chance of getting those amazing smiles and laughs.

Once he had warmed up and felt safe with me he was all smiles and happiness.

Here's to a great session!

How to cope if your newborn photo session isn't going to plan

We’ve all seen those adorable photos of new, little babies looking so peaceful and relaxed with not a care in the world.  As new parents, we want similar photos of our children to send out to grandparents, make into screensavers, and blast out to our social media pages to show off our amazing baby. But then session day comes around and BAM! – your baby does not want anything to do with it.

You’re thinking, “Why won’t you stop crying? I’ve literally done everything I can think of, but you’re still not happy. Don’t you know I’m paying good money for this session? My friend's baby cooperated in her session, why can’t you just go to sleep and let us get some nice photos?!”  If this happens during your session, I want you to stop, breathe and remember one thing: all newborns cry. 

This is perfectly natural and not abnormal. There is nothing wrong with your baby for doing it. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Unfortunately babies pick up on our stress and get even more distressed. I know I certainly did not want to be told to relax when I was a new mum; I got stressed just trying to relax! 

But don’t let the crying upset you. I am not at all distressed and have learned to go with baby's flow. Embrace this moment in time. When you are holding your crying baby in your arms and are soothing him, true emotion shows through and those are often the photographs that you will treasure the most. Your child can look back at these photos once they’re all grown and remember the solace that they found in your arms. These tender moments are just as important, if not more so, than the sleeping, posed photos.

The point of booking a newborn session is to help you preserve the first memories of your child’s life. While posed photos are cute, you’re not going to look back and think, “Remember how cute she was whenever she would lounge around the house in the froggie  pose?” because that didn’t happen. You’ll look back at these photos and remember all the nights you walked your baby around the house or rocked him in a chair and hummed lullabies to try to calm him down. Those times are very stressful, but they also help you form a bond and that’s what makes these photos treasured.

All that being said, you will not just get crying photos if things are not going as planned. I am quite happy to wait for baby to settle and become relaxed and peaceful. I am not at all rushed. Your baby is a little person and as much as we would love him to sleep for three hours solid and pose like a model he most probably won't. She is perfect in every way and even if she is awake I can still take photographs of her little hands, feet, lips and ears. You will get photographs that you will treasure for the rest of your life no matter what happens in the session.

The photos in this post are of babies that did not sleep throughout their session and things did not go according to plan. Not so bad after all.

I hope you have a great day!