How to Get Your Kids to Smile for Pictures

Need help taking cute pictures of your kid? This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of OshKosh B’gosh; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

When it comes to clothes for my kids, I love to find things they’re going to be able to wear over and over, in lots of different ways.

Bonus points if it’s’ something they love wearing.

And icing on the cake if they match.

Last year I bought Adelaide a darling white eyelet easter dress. And she wore it exactly twice.

This year I picked up something a bit more versatile (and toddler-sticky-finger friendly) for both kids in coordinating yellows + greens.

I love that Lincoln and Adelaide’s outfits work just as well for Easter Sunday as they do for egg hunts on the lawn (if the lawn in New England wasn’t covered with snow right now). They’ve both asked to wear their Easter clothes just playing at home and I love finding things that are as comfortable as they are cute.

I picked up everything for these two from OshKosh B’gosh‘s darling spring line – have you seen it? The hardest part of choosing outfits was narrowing it down (and with shoes it was impossible, Adelaide talked me into three pairs #shoehoarder …and she doesn’t even really talk yet ;).

Once you’ve got the cute clothes picked out, you’re going to want the pictures to go with them. So today I’m sharing my five best ideas for photographing your kids. These quick tips that have been super helpful in getting shots I love of my kids:

Go for the candid. My recommendation is trading the shot of them smiling at the camera for a more candid one. Not only will it save you the frustration of trying to get them to look at the camera, but the smiles you’ll get will likely be more genuine. We love to “play games” while we take pictures (things like “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!” and “ring around the rosie”).
Have candy on the ready. I am not above dishing out a sweet treat for a cooperative child.
Ask questions. A lot of the times while taking pictures I’ll give Lincoln a specific dot (or branch or leaf) to stand on and then I’ll start asking him lots of questions. I try to stick with things he likes or thinks are funny so I get smiles out of him. Another favorite is to ask him about animal sounds and suggest incorrect answers. For example, I’ll say, “What does a dog say? Does a dog say ….meow?” We’ll say no and giggle and move on to another animal. He thinks it’s hillarious.
Encourage movement. Photos are more interesting when they’re capturing movement. Try asking your child to jump, or stomp, or clap, or wiggle their arms.
Be happy. Nothing sours a photo-op more than a cranky parent. When I start to feel myself get frustated that one of my kids won’t follow a prompt, I take a breath and smile. Once I start getting frustrated thing always go downhill. It’s nearly impossible to capture kids having a good time unless they’re actually having a good time!

If you’re looking for cute + coordinating spring outfits for your little ones, check out OshKosh B’gosh’s Spring line. And if you’re looking for tips on how to pick coordinating outfits for your family, check out this post on what to wear for photoshoots.

Whether you’re stopping by OshKosh in person or online, use this coupon for an extra discount!

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