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Any advice for a family portrait?


12 years 3 months ago #192355 by Catti1era
I'm shooting my first family portrait, outdoors, this weekend.

I was already warned by the mother that one of her children may not be too cooperative about getting his photos taken. Anyone have advice on how to make a stubborn 10 year old smile or be cooperative with a photo shoot?
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12 years 3 months ago #192356 by Jessica Photography
bribe him with candy. lol I don't know. I think this responsibility should lay on the mother's shoulder. You are there to photograph a family portrait, everyone should know when it's time to pose and smile and when there is time to play. I can understand if this was a baby, toddler or pet where you have to get their attention to look at the camera. But a 10yr old should know better.
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12 years 3 months ago #192359 by Catti1era
Well the candy party sounds like a good idea, but I think I may need to do something else. He is too old to get his attention by waving toys, so that won't work. I also agree the mother should be able to get her own child to settle down for a couple of shots, but I am the photographer and if I want to get some portraits taken within the time allowed I gotta find a way to get him to look at the camera.
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12 years 3 months ago #192410 by icepics
Having been a teacher for a lot of years, I think at that age a child would typically be able to participate in a family portrait, so this makes me wonder if there's something going on developmentally with this child. Since this situation apparently could be a challenge for him, it might work to try to set up beforehand as much as you can.

Maybe get most of the family ready and bring him (or him and mom/dad) into position last. You might need to plan ahead/think through the steps of your session so you can work quickly and keep shooting; stopping much to reposition etc. could become increasingly difficult for this child. It might work best to keep the session fairly short and simple.
Sharon
Photo Comments
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12 years 3 months ago #192426 by rmeyer7
Another possibility is this kid's parents might not actually set and enforce boundaries or rules for his behavior. I've seen an alarming number of parents who have never even considered the idea that they have the authority in their homes, not their children. My wife does in-home tutoring and has encountered many families in which the kids never have to do anything that they don't feel like doing.

Hopefully this isn't one of those situations! But if it is, rest assured that the parents will blame the photographer -- not their own lack of parenting -- when their kid refuses to behave/pose/smile. Just like parents who blame my wife for the fact that their kids don't do their homework when the tutor isn't present.

(What those kids need is really a good, solid dose of "You will do your homework whether you want to or not, because I said so. And you won't go out or have any other privileges until it's done!" But that's a whole other rant for another thread...)
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12 years 3 months ago #192444 by icepics
True, 'not too cooperative' could mean a lot of things... In a one time portrait session I guess the best you can do is try to set it up to get the photos as effectively and as efficiently as you can, whether it's that the child can't participate in a typical way or it's a situation due to lack of effectively managing a child's behavior, or some of both.
Sharon
Photo Comments
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12 years 3 months ago #192448 by McBeth Photography
Bribe with candy, not a lot ... just enough to change the mood, and find a goofy stuffed animal to hold near the camera when shooting. Wearing a silly hat might get the grown up to smile bigger too. :)
It is what it is.
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12 years 3 months ago #192533 by John37
I went through this in November with a 21 person family, with lots of kids. One thing we did was to involve the kids in a goofy shot. We asked all of them to make the silliest face they could for the camera. That got their attention and they all complied. From there is was hurry hurry hurry. One thing I learned was to make sure you communicate your intentions. Sometimes, if you don't anything, some parents won't know TO say anything to their kids, as they don't know what you're trying to accomplish. If you let the parents know your plans and that you need their help to get (and keep) the kid's focus, it will lead to a smoother process. I did this the second time around, with the Santa shoot, and it worked well.
Hope that helps!
"The most endangered species? The honest man!"
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