Stress-free photography and children or animals don’t generally exist in the same sentence, do they? Well, with Emot, they can!
Organising any group of people can be a difficult task, but it generally gets harder when you add kids or pets into the mix. But this doesn’t have to be the case.
There are tips and tricks that can make including your youngsters and fur babies in your wedding photos easier and even fun.
Always be ready
Sometimes the most beautiful moments can occur when they think no one is watching. It may seem impossible to capture a moment that you weren’t meant to see but that’s why it’s important to always be ready.
Your professional photographer will know this too, so they’ll seemingly have their head on a swivel and their finger on the trigger so they can capture all the beautiful candid moments shared between your family.
Set the tone
Create a fun and lighthearted atmosphere. This should happen naturally for most guests as they’re already celebrating your wedding day, but sometimes children need a little coaxing to understand and start to feel the joyous nature of it all.
With all the pampering and fussing, which the adults generally love, children can get bored or annoyed. It’s important to ensure they are included as much as possible and have something to keep them entertained.
The same goes for pets, especially energetic dogs. Some dogs love to sit around and just enjoy the company, but if your dog is easily bored then you may want to keep a few toys on hand.
Let them be themselves
When you try too hard to get a child to look at the camera or sit still for multiple photo shoots, they will start to tire and bore and may start to act up. Their smiles will also no longer be genuine and will be obviously forced if they even try at all.
The best way to combat this is to just let them be kids. This could mean saying a joke or tickling them right as the camera goes off to get a genuine smile or giggle.
The most beautiful portraits are those that capture genuine happiness and love, so if you’re planning to have your children at your wedding then drawing out the real laughs and smiles is the best way to go.
As for your pets, if they look happier looking up at you or sitting on your lap than being forced to sit on the floor and look at the camera then you may want to consider making a few changes.
Good old distraction & bribery
If all else fails there’s always the old faithful options of distraction by toys or bribery by treats. These may not be the first options you turn to, but they tend to be the most reliable.
If you truly want to achieve a stress free family photo session then you may have to give in this once and offer up the treats and toys or put on your child’s favourite show.
One of the tried and true methods for photographing dogs is to have your photographer hold a ball or treat above the lens to get your dog to look at the camera, because dogs don’t always understand what’s going on without motivation.
The same is true for young children and babies. They don’t understand where to look so you have to help guide them. You can do this by holding a phone playing their favourite show or their favourite toy near the lens.
Let your photographer guide you
These are just a few top tips to remember to help make your day as fun and stress free as possible, but of course, your photographer will have many ideas and help ensure everyone is genuinely happy and looks great on camera.
Our wedding photographers are passionate about helping capture all the love shared between your family on your big day. Check our availability for your wedding date here.
