“What if my kids are naughty?”
It’s probably one of the questions I hear most often from parents before a family photoshoot.
Along with:
- “What if they won’t sit still?”
- “What if they don’t smile?”
- “What if they have a meltdown?”
- “What if they just won’t cooperate?”
And my answer is always the same:
Let them. That’s for me to worry about.
After more than 30 years of photographing families, I’ve learnt that children don’t need to be perfectly behaved for us to create beautiful family photos.
In fact, sometimes the cheeky, silly, energetic and completely unpredictable moments are the ones I love the most.
Your kids don’t have to be perfect
I know it can feel like a lot of pressure to get everyone ready for a family photoshoot.
The outfits are sorted. Everyone has had their hair brushed. You’ve reminded the kids approximately seventeen times to “please be good for the photos.”
And then you arrive and your toddler decides they would rather run in circles.
Or your eight-year-old suddenly becomes incredibly shy.
Or the siblings start arguing over absolutely nothing.
That’s okay.
That’s childhood.
I’m not looking for a perfectly behaved family. I’m looking for your family.
The giggles. The cuddles. The cheeky faces. The big personalities. The little moments between everyone.
Those are the things that make your family yours.
What if they won’t sit still?
They don’t have to!
A family photoshoot doesn’t need to mean everyone sitting perfectly still and smiling at the camera.
Children are naturally curious and full of energy. So rather than constantly asking them to stop moving, I like to work with that energy.
We might play. We might move around. We might have a little fun.
Sometimes I’ll ask them to cuddle Mum or Dad. Sometimes we’ll get everyone laughing. Sometimes I’ll simply wait and see what happens.
And while they’re busy being themselves, I’m watching for those beautiful little moments.
The ones you might not even notice are happening.
What if they’re shy?
Not every child arrives ready to perform for the camera.
Some need a little time to warm up.
That’s completely fine too.
I never want a child to feel like they have to suddenly become someone else because there’s a camera in the room.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is slow down and let them watch for a while.
A cuddle with Mum.
A quiet moment beside Dad.
A little conversation.
A bit of time to get comfortable.
Then, before you know it, that shy little face often starts to appear.
And when it does, we can capture it naturally.
You don’t need to tell them to smile
This is one of the biggest things I want parents to know before their Brisbane family photoshoot:
You don’t need to manage the photos.
You don’t need to keep saying, “Smile!”
You don’t need to tell them to sit up straight.
You don’t need to worry if someone is pulling a funny face.
And please don’t spend the whole session trying to get everyone to cooperate!
That’s my job.
I’ll guide you when needed and help everyone feel comfortable, but more importantly, I want you to enjoy being together.
Because when parents relax, children usually do too.
And that’s when the magic happens.
What should we wear?
Keep it simple.
For my signature black and white photography, simple clothing works beautifully. Whites, neutrals, jeans and classic pieces allow the focus to stay where it belongs: on your family.
But the most important thing is to wear something you feel comfortable in.
Your family photographs aren’t really about what you wore that day.
They’re about the people in them.
The way your little one reached for your hand.
The way your children laughed together.
The way Dad looked at Mum.
The way everyone squeezed into one big cuddle.
Those are the things you’ll want to remember.
The best family photos aren’t always the perfect ones
I think we sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves to create the “perfect” family photo.
Everyone looking at the camera.
Everyone smiling.
Everyone sitting still.
But years from now, I don’t think you’ll look at your photographs and wish your children had behaved a little better.
You’ll look at their faces.
You’ll remember how little they were.
The cheeky grin.
The missing teeth.
The crazy hair.
The way they climbed all over Dad.
The way they cuddled into Mum.
The little personality that was so completely them.
Those are the moments that become precious.
And those are the moments I want to capture for you.
So, what if your kids are naughty?
Let them.
Bring your energetic toddler.
Bring your camera-shy child.
Bring the siblings who can’t stop winding each other up.
Bring the teenager who would rather be anywhere else.
You don’t need to arrive at your family photoshoot with perfectly behaved children.
You just need to arrive as yourselves.
I’ll take care of the rest.
After all these years as a Brisbane family photographer, I’ve learnt that the most beautiful photographs aren’t always the perfectly posed ones.
They’re the ones that feel like you.
The ones that make you laugh when you look back.
The ones that bring you straight back to this little season of your family’s life.
So relax.
Have fun.
Let your kids be kids.
I’ve got you.
Ready to capture your beautifully imperfect family?
If you’ve been thinking about booking a family photoshoot in Brisbane, I’d love to create something beautiful for you to treasure for years to come.
