Baby Style : Photographing a Toddler

When I post on La Petite Peach, what you see is the best of the best images from each styled shoot or personal photo. What you don’t see is…

me running around like a crazy person, Ashley chasing Wesleigh with props, and Tanya trying to put shoes on her. Something like this outtake above from our holiday shoot…

Seriously, capturing a moment in the life of a toddler can be crazy. You should have seen me in NYC last week! I took, maybe, two decent shots of Wesleigh. She just didn’t want to stop for one second which can be cute. But I REALLY wanted a shot of her on the stoop of a quaint SoHo building and it just wasn’t happening. On the blog, I try to celebrate the loving and happy moments in our day and choose to forget (and delete) the runny noses and tantrum pictures. So it may look good on the site, but you should see us!

Here are some tips I have learned along the way when it comes to taking photos of your kids…

1. Find the best time of day for your baby.

Wesleigh is the sweetest first thing in the morning. This is when we take our little outings. I let her sleep as long as she wants, give her a bottle, and a hearty breakfast then she is ready to go. However, this is also when she is ready to burn some energy. If I want her to sit still for a shoot, I need to make sure all that baby energy has been burned off. Usually, some outside time for 20-30 minutes is all she needs. If I waited until after lunch (nap time) she would fall apart!

2. Be Patient…

Babies are super sensitive, and they can tell if you are feeling anxious or if your vibe is stressed. Try to be patient and let them do their thing a little. Sometimes I get the BEST shots when she is just playing on her own.

3. Bring some snacks and toys!

I can’t even tell you how many times I have received the sweetest compliments on photos of Wesleigh, and I know for a fact that she has a mouth full of food. I bring crackers, nuts, raisins and a bottle to every shoot. *Don’t forget the wipes for messy faces!*

4. Learn when to throw in the towel.

Sometimes you have to just roll with the punches. Wesleigh has an off day now and then. When this happens, I simply put my camera away and take my sweet girl out for a smoothie.

I hope this helps when you are out and about taking some beautiful shots of your babes. Do you have any other tips I can share? Would love to hear your favorite places to take family photos, too! Comment below!

Behind The Scenes from Desiree Spinner on Vimeo.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional photographer, I work with them on styled shoots for La Petite Peach. I do shoot all my personal experiences that I blog here and this list is just from my personal experience as a mama with a camera!