How to Get Shy Kids To Smile For Family Portraits

My Five Favorite Techniques To Get Shy Kids To Smile For Family Portraits

Working with kids is not as difficult as you may think. It takes a little bit of experience, patience, and understanding of what kids like doing. Shy kids can be a little more challenging. However, here are five of my favorite ways to get shy kids to smile for family portraits.

Most Kids Need Space To Feel Comfortable

Get Shy Kids To Smile For Family Portraits

First and foremost, shy kids need space in order to feel comfortable in front of the camera. This is why I prefer outdoor locations that have a lot of open space. Indoor studio sessions can work well for kids that are at least 10 years or older – but most kids need space. At the beginning of the session, I like to give as much space as possible. And eventually work my way in closer as your children get more comfortable.

Singing One of Their Favorite Songs With Mom and Dad

One of the first ways I like to get shy kids to smile for family portraits is to have them sing. Most kids have at least five or six songs that can instantly get them smiling. Having mom and dad join in on the fun makes it even more fun.

In my experience, shy kids also like poses where they are moving rather than standing still. So I like to incorporate movement with a lot of my poses. For example, we may start the session off by walking, holding hands, and singing a fun song.

Kids Cannot Resist Smiling While They Are Running

Another technique that works well with shy kids is to get them running. There are several ways to get kids to run and smile. But one of my favorite ways to do this type of pose is by having kids start at a distance and run to Mom and Dad. They can finish the pose with a huge bear hug – that makes for a cute picture 😉

Spinning In A Circle

If your children are small enough to be picked up, spinning in a quick circle works REALLY well. As long as Mom and Dad are able to spin, and there are only one or two kids – I LOVE this pose. In my experience, once we get shy kids singing, running, and spinning, the focus goes away from taking pictures to just having fun. And as much as possible, I like to spend the entire session having fun 🙂

Having Mom and Dad Do Something Silly Behind The Camera

Another great way to get shy kids to smile for family portraits is to have Mom, Dad, or someone else do something silly! For this pose, I will have kids close their eyes and when they open them, the people behind the camera do something silly 🙂

Kids Also LOVE To Bounce

Last but not least, another way to get shy kids to smile is by having them bounce on Mom and Dad. This also requires your children to be of a certain weight – but it works well with small kids. When I say “GO” Mom and Dad will bounce the children on their knees for about five seconds. Most kids cannot resist laughing and smiling while bouncing with Mom and Dad.

Hopefully these poses have given you some ideas about how I like to work with kids during your session. Once kids realize we are just having fun, we can capture some really cute images!