Tips for capturing authentic moments between dads and kids
Doesn’t your heart just melt when your husband cuddles with your babies?
That’s been one of my favorite things about watching my girls grow. When my husband walks in the door at the end of the day, there are usually three sweet girls (plus one goofy golden retriever) running to meet him. It’s one of those sweet moments that makes me wish I could freeze time.
For me, photographing fatherhood is completely different from motherhood, even though you want to capture many of the same things – tenderness, emotion, the bond between a parent and a child, strength, beauty. This is true when I’m taking photos of my husband and other dads, too.
If your husband doesn’t really like having his photo taken, you’re not alone. Typically, the dads I work with are more excited about Fresh 48 and newborn portrait sessions – after all, they’ve got a new baby to show off. No matter how many men I photograph with their newborns, I’m always touched by the pride and love in their eyes.
In fact, one of my favorite questions to ask new dads is what they’ve loved most about being a dad so far (even if it’s only been 24 hours!) and what’s been the most surprising. It’s rare to meet a dad who isn’t amazed at how this tiny bundle is a little person, with personality traits and quirks, even right away.
Family portrait sessions can be a little more challenging. We’re in Texas, which means it’s a million degrees outside practically every day, and parents are often nervous about how their kids are going to behave and if they’ll smile for pictures – all totally normal concerns.
Of course when you’re trying to snap your own memories, instead of working with a photographer, it can be extra frustrating.
Maybe this sounds familiar: You have a mental image of the photos you want, but your husband doesn’t want his picture taken. Your kids aren’t cooperating. No one wants to smile, no one is listening to you and everyone is whining.
Been there, done that.
Photographing my own family wasn’t always easy for me, either. I’m a perfectionist and I always know exactly what images I want to get. Whether we were just taking some family photos for fun or for Christmas gifts, things would start out ok, and quickly get incredibly frustrating. The kids wouldn’t look at the camera, or they’d start fighting.
My husband would try desperately to get them to cooperate while I waited, camera ready, to grab that perfect shot of everyone smiling, sitting or standing somewhat together, and happy.
It almost never happened.
I wondered how other mamas managed to get such lovely shots of their own families. It was so easy for me to get photos of other people smiling and happy – why is my own family so much harder?
That’s when I started using the same techniques with my husband and kids that I use with clients.
The key to genuine smiles and authentic connection between daddies and their kiddos is engaging them in an activity.
What doesn’t count? Asking them to stand together and look happy.
That’s going to fail every time, especially if you have little kids. You don’t want forced, fake smiles and the frustration that comes along with it.
Instead, have them do something fun together that everyone enjoys – like your husband teaching your son to ride a bike, or throwing your daughter high in the air. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Just think of the things your kids love to do with you and photograph it.
This helps everyone forget the camera is there and focus on the activity instead. When they’re genuinely having fun together, the stress of begging everyone to show you their “real smile” is gone! Your pictures will be so much better and I guarantee you’ll feel less frustrated with the whole process of photographing your family.
Earlier this year, we drove to my favorite spot in Brenham for bluebonnet photos. Not only is it an endless field of gorgeous bluebonnets and beautiful old trees, but it’s also in the middle of nowhere and there is usually no one else around… which means no distractions for the kids.
Instead of the usual stress of begging the kids to smile and stop fighting, our morning of family photos was easy and relaxed. We just let the kids play in the flowers – running, jumping, giggling and generally just being silly little girls together. They were all to happy to snuggle on the ground with their daddy while he tickled and played with them.
The result? Gorgeous, happy, authentic photos of my little family, with zero stress and zero begging for everyone to just please smile.
To the girls, it was a fun morning playing and being silly together where they got 100 percent of daddy’s attention. My husband had a blast spending time with them and he didn’t feel the usual pressure of helping me get good photos of the kids. I was thrilled to go home with tons of great pictures – and so very thankful for an easy, memorable, stress-free morning!
So, there you have it, mama – a pain-free way to photograph fatherhood and make happy memories you’ll treasure for years!
Even better, I’ve created a FREE PDF with seven ways to photograph fatherhood to get your family making happy, stress-free memories together! It includes a simple list of activities to try with your husband and kids, along with hints for capturing the quiet, sweet moments too. Get your FREE copy by clicking the button below. {You’ll get access to a bonus download too – 10 must-have photos during the little years!}
I specialize in maternity, Fresh 48, newborn and family portraits in Houston, TX and surrounding areas. My favorite thing is to spoil clients with a luxury photo experience so they don’t have to worry about a thing along the way! To learn more about booking your photo session, click here to get started.
