I have had hundreds of opportunities to photograph children throughout my commercial career. I’ve worked extensively in schools, shooting their advertising imagery, local councils showing off facilities and community engagement through to advertising campaigns for business and family portraiture. Having photographed people of all ages I have a soft spot for kids and have been gifted some amazing connections with some very special little folk.

I think the old adage, never work with children or animals should actually be that certain people should never work with children or animals. At the centre of a successful photo shoot are conditions that enable a gentle progression towards the goal. Anyone determined to forcefully exert their will on either will be disappointed.

A commercial photoshoot is in very many ways in direct opposition to the way children respond. There tends to be a group of adults reliant on a child's performance, fixed into a tight time frame, with the collective wages accruing by the minute. All this carries a deep level of expectation of very specific outcomes that require compliance.

… What could go wrong?

It’s the vibe of the thing

I’ll focus on how I deal with photographing smaller children but energetically much of what I am talking about here relates to trust-building, so it will apply directly to all creatures, including grownups. Having shepherded my own children through to adulthood, I understand my role. I am able to offer massive positivity and engagement but also, age-appropriate boundaries.

The child being photographed should feel that everything is under control and that they are at the centre of something that is great fun. Importantly they also need to understand that, with their help, we can make something really special.

Children vs Adults

One fundamental difference between children and adults is that children show less compunction to conform to the wishes of others and are more inclined to have an emotional response to a situation. Adults, many of them at least, have learnt to moderate their behaviour and are capable of producing an extremely plausible “performance” in response to instruction. Most children forced to perform will rapidly become non-compliant without any consideration of the money going down the drain.

The key

Before asking anything of a child, I’ll work to establish a connection. I’ll invest more time with the kids than the adults. I’ll play with them, if they are big enough, ask them about which of their toys they like most and why, and if they are not speaking yet, I’ll make funny noises and get involved in whatever they are up to. By the time I have established a connection with the kids, the parents are almost certainly onboard through osmosis.

Keep the pressure down

One important thing to understand about a photoshoot is that only 15% or less of the photos taken are viable as professional images. The rest of the images are the workings out to get to a small handful of highly refined photographs. If every shot was crucial the pressure would be enormous but with digital photography, that just isn't the case anymore.

I don’t believe it’s possible to get an open natural photograph of a child if they have decided that they don’t want to be involved anymore.

We will get what we get! This may seem counterintuitive but energetically, I enter into the process without unrealistic expectations of what the child can manage. The moment the child indicates the shoot is over, the shoot is over. If I have done a good job engaging with the child then they are having a good time. The job gets done and the lack of pressure involved is palpable.

Photographing young children

Ideally, I am documenting a child having a joyous experience in a well-lit and suitable setting. What needs to be in place to give the child the best chance of a joyous experience?

In preparation, I would have spoken to the parents about the timing of the shoot in relation to the child’s day sleep. It’s vitally important that the child isn’t tired or hungry. Two things I don’t deal with at all well either…

I see myself as the advocate for the child throughout the process so to a large degree, I take on the responsibility of looking after the child during the shoot. The child needs to trust me and want to interact with me.

There is nothing more destructive to the buoyancy of a shoot than a “well-meaning” parent, scolding a child for not doing a good job. Most of the photos are expendable so there aren’t really any mistakes as such and we only need a small number of great expressions to make the shoot work. It can be a non-linear journey to find them.

Children know if I’m actually present with them, and if I’m genuinely interested in them, they will almost always engage with me and let me get some photographs whilst we are attending to the important business of having fun.

Often unplanned and unpredictable situations yield the shot of the day. With very few exceptions, the more natural the expression, the more engaging the portrait.