Capturing precious memories is a huge priority for parents, but when kids have incredibly short attention spans, don’t like sitting still, or become easily distracted, catching the perfect shot can seem impossible. If you are the proud owner of a wiggly kid, be sure to consider the following tips and suggestions for getting at least one “blow it up big and hang it on the wall” pose!
First, to capture great photos you’re going to need a worthy camera. Amazon typically has great deals on cameras, especially around tax refund time!
10 Tips For Photographing Wiggly Kids
- If they are old enough to understand, give your kids a pep talk before your session and tell them what to expect. Clearly lay out the potential consequences for both good and bad behavior choices.
- Choose the active setting on your camera. If you prefer to shoot in manual, choose shutter priority and the fastest setting offered.
- Manual focus is also a faster setting that allows for repeated shots without the camera’s lens needing to re-focus.
- Kids tend to lose focus over the duration of the session, so be prepared for their best attitudes to happen near the beginning. Take the time to set your camera’s settings in advance so you can beginning shooting immediately and take advantage of those enthusiastic smiles.
- Pick areas that are well-lit, but don’t have a lot of activity. Playgrounds, people, pets, and other attractions can be incredibly distracting. Go for a simple setting that isn’t going to deter your kids’ eyes while you are trying to get a good shot.
- Consider investing in a colorful accessory that attaches to the body of your camera. You can find items such as this specifically manufactured for photographing kids in a variety of popular cartoon characters or animals. These certainly help to turn kids’ heads toward the camera. These photo props are colorful, will hug your camera lens, and will keep little one’s looking right at you!
- Bells, feathers
, bubbles, toys or books with bright images also help to attract attention toward the camera. - Play into their imagination by pretending that their favorite animal lives inside the camera. Tell them if they look at the lens, they just might see it!
- Kids love when you communicate on their level – ask them about their favorite things, sing songs, and tell jokes to make them laugh. If you channel your inner kid, you are more likely to get their attention and have them cooperate.
- When all else fails, pull out the big guns with incentives (you know, because the word bribe is just a little harsh). The promise of M&Ms, surprises, treats, and/or trips to the store for a toy can work wonders.
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, toys or books with bright images also help to attract attention toward the camera.
, surprises, treats, and/or trips to the store for a toy can work wonders.Now that you have the perfect shot, you need to display it proudly!
Photographing kids can be a challenge, but with the right amount of patience and creativity, you can land the perfect shot. 
Even if you have a hard time getting the kids to look directly at the camera, artistic images that are representative of real life can sometimes mean much more!
