(image found on Pinterest)
I have so many moms speaking to me before a shoot with such fear and anxiety that their baby wont deliver on the day of the shoot, that the baby will be grumpy and tired throughout the shoot.
Well I like to say to them that they have nothing to worry about. Every mommy thinks their baby or family was the worst on the day and this is more often than not, completely incorrect. A professional photographer should understand the hiccups and delays involved with working with families and children. Babies are so unpredictable and this is not the babies’, moms or photographers fault but purely the nature of the game. Most babies that are absolute angels and sleep through the night and have regular feeds will end up being niggly on the day that you need them to “behave”…. any mother will be able to testify to this.
A professional photographer should:
- Be prepared for anything!
- Not rush you or the baby/children as it only makes the situation more terrifying for all parties involved.
- Allow more time than needed incase their is a delay of any kind.
- Not be pushy, unpleasant, irritable or show signs of nervousness whilst dealing with clients.
- Be helpful and offer to assist in the situation. If the photographer is hesitant/nervous to pick up a baby or make friends with a child then they are not cut out for this particular area of photography and it will most probably show in their work.
- Make suggestions and provide a creative platform for you to think out the box and want new, unique and exciting ideas for your shoot.
- Maintain a standard of transparency with their clients but also ensure complete confidentially. If your photographer is talking badly about other clients to you then they will probably do the same about you to future clients.
- Know when they are in the way or whether they are being useful in a stressful situation.
Here’s a few things that most babies and families do on photo shoots to make you feel more normal on your next photo shoot…
{babies} Cry…. alot…
{babies} Make at least one poo in their nappy while they are being positioned/posed…
{babies} Wee on the photographers blankets and props when you take their nappy off…
{babies} Refuse to sleep for the entire 2hour shoot…
{babies} Have scratches on their face from their little nails the morning they wake up for the shoot…
{babies} Flop out of position just before the photographer is ready to take the photo…
{babies} Burp up milk all over the photographer when he/she is being moved or lifted into a new pose…
{families} Argue about one persons outfit not matching everyone else’s or about someone not smiling properly…
{families} Have at least one person who doesn’t want to do the shoot or go along with the ideas given to them…
{families} Often one of the girls will wake up feeling very self conscious about a pimple that came out of nowhere on the day…
{families} One family member will steal the show and want to do a re-take from many different angles until they are happy with how they look…
{families} There’s almost always someone who messes/spills something on their clothes half way through the shoot…
{families} A mom will have to moan at her sons a few times “to behave” … “sit still”… “smile nicely”… “stop chewing your sisters arm” … “just one more picture and you can watch BenTen”
A professional photographer should be prepared for these situations… One thing to remember is that families are just families… everyone has the same sort of troubles and no family is without its hiccups. A professional photographer should see it this way and not be judgmental, no matter what the situation is. I don’t even notice half of these things anymore as it seems so natural to me after working with so many families.
I love photographing babies/children/families… I really do… And I strive to make every family feel at home during their photo shoot.
Your photographer should make your photoshoot as fun as possible and not sweat the small stuff. A blanket can easily be cleaned, a baby can easily be rocked to sleep, and a little tension can quickly be diffused with a joke or a funny face… All these experiences give your family character and it translates very well on camera… your photographer should make it work, no matter what.
So don’t fear in advance about your baby/family performing on the day of a shoot…
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