To some parents, the mere idea of a photo session for their kids sounds exhausting. As much as they would love to have beautiful portraits of their children, the idea of getting their kids style, dressed, and nice and coaxing them into behaving for a photo shoot seems daunting. It doesn’t have to be, though!

At my Southeast Georgia photography studio, I have just about everything we need to create timeless portraits for your child. If you’re considering or preparing for a child photography session, here’s a rundown of the few items I do suggest you bring.

Backup Outfits

Never underestimate a child’s ability to get messy or get a hole in their clothes at the most inopportune time! You never know what could happen, even indoors, so it’s always a good idea to have a backup outfit for each child.

Refreshments

When kids get irritable during a photo session, a quick snack or drink can work wonders. We want your child to be satisfied and happy, so it pays to be prepared with some of their favorites. Try to stick to snacks and drinks that are unlikely to create a mess, like pretzels, crackers that don’t have dyes or colorful seasonings, Cheerios, mini marshmallows, clear juice, and so on.

Things That Make Your Child Smile

Plan to bring some of your child’s favorite things from home, like a stuffed animal, one of their favorite toys, and so on. These can be fantastic for pulling your child’s attention toward the camera or coaxing out a smile. You can also have some of their favorite music ready to play during the session so it puts them in a great mood.

If you’re having portraits taken for multiple kids, I’ll likely take some photos of the kids together and some solo photos of each child. In this case, it’s handy to have a book or something else to entertain one child while the other is having their solo photos taken and vice versa.

Extra Diapers, Wipes, Pull-Ups, Etc.

Most of my child photography sessions only take an hour to an hour and a half because that’s about as long as we can maintain a child’s attention, so your child might not need a bathroom or diaper change. If they do need one, though, you don’t want to be left without the essentials, so bring whatever your child uses.

Want More Info? I Can Help!

As a photographer, I do more than just take your child’s pictures. I’ll coordinate with you to plan a beautiful photo session with the specific look you want, whether you’re looking for fine art photography or storytelling photography. From the set design to what to wear and what to bring, I’ll guide you through it all. Contact my Hazlehurst, GA photo studio and let’s start planning your dream portraits