Photographing children: Melissa Avey shares six tips to help you get the perfect picture

Many of us already know how tricky it can be to get that perfect shot. When it comes to children it can be even harder. If you are lucky you might have a newborn session where the baby is sleeping away and allowing you to pose him however you please. Or perhaps you have a little model on your hands and she loves to have her picture taken.

However, sometimes you get stuck with a kid who absolutely refuses to smile or even look at that camera, so I decided I would share with you my favourite tips for getting children to pose, or at least look at the camera.

1. Be real with kids. Don’t show up to a shoot shy, stiff and unsure of yourself. Children feed off of the emotions and personalities of the people who surround them, so if you are grumpy and bored you might want to at least pretend you are happy. Have a bit of a conversation with them.

2. Take candid pictures. Some of my favourite shots are actually completely candid photos. You need to be ready at any moment for that amazing shot!

3. Find out what their interests are before you even show up. This way you can let them tell you stories about their train collections or how they love to wear Mommy’s makeup.

4. If all else fails, get dramatic! (Ok, not REALLY dramatic) Tell them to stand up and shout away their grumpies! Sometimes the pictures turn out really interesting!

5. Don’t stress if the kids aren’t cooperating. Just keep composing interesting shots and do your best to make them feel comfortable. They will come through!

6. Having said all of that you should always be prepared with time. Newborn sessions can take up half a day and sometimes you need to squeeze in that extra 20 minutes on a family shoot. These things do happen.