I am extra excited about this post! Not only will I be sharing some of my favorite photos from a GORGEOUS Kiowa family session on the farm, but I will also be sharing some of my favorite tips for prepping young kids for photo session success! :-)

One of the most common concerns that I hear from clients is that their child won't cooperate during our photo session. SO many parents are worried about spending the time and money to have their photos taken, only to have their baby/toddler/young child scream the entire time, and as the parent of 4 young kids I FEEL YOU SO MUCH. So so so much.

However, this post isn't intended to be a downer, but rather to encourage you that every single child reacts differently to photos and THAT'S OKAY! I have learned a few things in my years of photographing children and families, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite tips for prepping your kids for photo success today!

1. A fed child is a happier child. Try to feed your kiddo before our session to avoid a hangry meltdown. ;-) It also helps to pack some of their favorite snacks to bring with you!

2. A well rested child is also a happier child! When I photograph my own kids, I plan to start after nap time and before bedtime so that they are rested and have one less excuse to be grumpy, haha. I recommend the same thing for my clients!

3. Talk to them before the session! Almost all children, even as young as toddlers, like to know what is going on. The more that you talk about how important the photos are to you, where you will be going, and what to expect, the more likely they are to feel comfortable during our session.

4. Bribery, because let's be honest - it works. If your kiddo knows that they have something fun to look forward to after your photo session, they are more likely to want to do well! Ice cream works wonders for most kids!

5. Try to relax! This is probably the toughest one, but our kids definitely pick up on our mood and if you are stressed out it is likely that they will be too. Try to relax and let me take care of the rest!

6. Give yourself (and your kids) some grace! We all need this reminder sometimes! Your kids may be thrilled to have their photo taken, or they may not be, but either way I promise that I will do everything possible to get you the incredible photos that you are hoping for! :-)

I hope that some of these tips will be helpful during your next family photo session! And because no blog post is complete without photos, I am SO EXCITED to share some of my favorites from my session with the Somers family! Doug and Kaci have two beautiful kiddos, and we had SO MUCH FUN taking their photos on the farm! Their daughter Laycie is two years old, and to be honest she was nervous about our session. She probably would have preferred to play with the chickens all evening, but as you will see we got some BEAUTIFUL photos of her (and her handsome big brother Jase!)

Doug and Kaci: Thank you so much for trusting me with your family photos!! I am absolutely IN LOVE with the photos from your session and I hope you are too!

I had a couple of people ask me about the sun flare in this photo after I posted it on social media, so I will share the answer here as well. I did NOT add any "fake" sun flare to this photo -- this was just one of those lucky in-camera captures! I was literally crawling on my hands and knees as I followed them through the field, and somehow managed to frame the sun exactly where I wanted it. And thanks to the Sigma ART 35mm lens, we got that magical starburst flare that I love so much! :-)