When we work together on your family photos, my goal is always to capture the closeness of your relationships. I want you to be able to look back on these images and feel like they are authentic representations of your unique bonds as family members. One of the ways we can accomplish this is through candid, genuine poses. 

You may be thinking, “My family doesn’t really feel comfortable or confident in front of the camera,” to which I would say, that’s not an issue at all! I will be there right alongside you, giving you prompts to follow and guiding you in the right direction. I have lots of great pose ideas up my sleeve, so if something doesn’t feel right for your family, we can always switch gears. 

As a general theme, I like to situate my client’s heads close together in the frame to showcase their unique relationships and get everyone smiling naturally. This is usually easier for people who are similar in height, like couples, parents, or young siblings. So for families with young kids, we have to get a little bit creative with parents bending down to be on the same level as their kiddos in every photo.

One common way we can achieve that closeness between parent and child is by picking up your kiddo and holding them in your arms. This both brings them closer to your height and alleviates the need for crouching. However, holding your little one doesn’t work in every situation and does have some downsides. Your arms will inevitably get tired, and your outfit may seem more rumpled from hoisting a toddler up and down a million times.

There are still some fantastic photos of parents holding their kids to be had, but thankfully I have a sneaky little trick that usually one-ups the classic baby-on-hip pose –– a shoulder ride! This is one that kids LOVE, which is all the better for us because it brings out those natural smiles! 

As a photographer, anything I can do to get a genuine grin from a little one is automatically a win in my book.

Shoulder rides can happen in a variety of ways, whether it’s mom’s or dad’s shoulders we’re using. If you have a family with multiple small kids, we can always have both parents hold someone on their shoulders, or I’ve even had siblings give it a go. The fun part about this pose is that even if you can’t hold it for a long time, it’s guaranteed to get everyone laughing. I say it all the time, but your photo session really is about the happy memories you make together, and enjoying being together is the happiest of all.

As always, if there is something I can do to help your child feel at ease during our session, please let me know! I am happy to be accommodating in order to get the best possible result.

Ultimately, the best poses for kids are ones that allow them to be moving, smiling, and acting comfortably. While I do love a straightforward-smiling-into-the-camera shot, photos of families interacting happily are the ones that really pull on my heartstrings. I want to capture your authentic family relationships, and that happens best when you’re all acting naturally.