When Iva & JJ's mom booked their session, she told me they're active, they wouldn't want to sit still, and they wouldn't want to be "posed". She was exactly right! These two adventurers wanted NOTHING to do with pictures, in fact...they would often yell "NO!" at me if they saw me taking a picture.
I had two choices: 1) Try to force them to do what I had planned and what I had envisioned for their session, or 2) Roll with it. I chose number 2. JJ was determined to find "the GREAT dinosaur" and he was begging to go into the woods to find it, because that's where he saw it hide. So that's what we did!
Exploring through the woods with them gave me a chance to hang back and capture their adventure. JJ has a very vivid imagination and he pulls you in until you're also hunting "the GREAT dinosaur"! The only issue I was having was getting the two of them together in a cohesive shot. And I knew this shot HAD to happen because it was the one their mama wanted most!
Exploring through the woods with them gave me a chance to hang back and capture their adventure. JJ has a very vivid imagination and he pulls you in until you're also hunting "the GREAT dinosaur"! The only issue I was having was getting the two of them together in a cohesive shot. And I knew this shot HAD to happen because it was the one their mama wanted most!
You guys...with toddlers and small children, there is one thing that is always your friend...bribery. Usually I have little treats hidden in my camera bag to entice smiles and sitting for 20 seconds. But my treats were depleted. So I thought about what my kids were enthralled with at that age and I remembered the way they would flock to my siblings at family gatherings because my siblings would let them play with their phones. TA-DA!
I told them if they would be still long enough for a picture, TOGETHER, and both look at the camera and both give me big smiles, I'd let them play with my phone. *Magic* Instantly they got together, looked at me for 5 seconds with big "cheese-fake" smiles on their faces and then immediately jumped up because clearly...they did their part! I had to get more determined and specific. I said
"Kids...you moved too fast! I didn't get the picture! So we can't get the phone out...not until I get at least ONE picture and right now I have none!" I told them to lay on their tummies side-by-side, look at me, and laugh for 30 seconds. They did it! As I snapped away I just kept telling them "Awesome job...keep laughing, keep smiling...that's perfect, you guys are great and you're definitely getting to play with my phone!" It helped that the grass tickled Iva, which made her giggle, which made her mom giggle, and soon we were all giggling!
"Kids...you moved too fast! I didn't get the picture! So we can't get the phone out...not until I get at least ONE picture and right now I have none!" I told them to lay on their tummies side-by-side, look at me, and laugh for 30 seconds. They did it! As I snapped away I just kept telling them "Awesome job...keep laughing, keep smiling...that's perfect, you guys are great and you're definitely getting to play with my phone!" It helped that the grass tickled Iva, which made her giggle, which made her mom giggle, and soon we were all giggling!
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