Julie Campbell Photography » My Life

10 Tips for Photographing Your Toddler

Julie — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:42:10 +0000

I used to post monthly photos of this little guy. That was back when he pretty much stayed in one spot and wasn’t much too busy for the likes of me and my camera. That was also back in the days when he didn’t ignore me when I screamed his name only 2 feet away from his ears. He’s at that difficult age in more ways than one. He is 2 and a half now, and here I am just getting around to posting the 2 year old photos I took of him on his birthday.

He’s a little spit fire this kid. I have to watch him closely all the time because he can get into trouble in the blink of an eye. He climbs to get anything he wants no matter how dangerous. I think I say, “You’re going to crack your head!” at least a dozen times a day. Then there are his tantrums. I’ve already said that if throwing tantrums was an Olympic sport he would be a gold medalist. His competitors would not have a chance. When he isn’t climbing or screaming he’s saying something that cracks us all up. He loves being the center of attention in our family of 6. He truly does believe the world revolves around him. As is typical of most youngest children he’s spoiled, but we can’t help it.

When I’m upset he says in his high pitched little 2 year old voice, “Don worwy mommy. Evry ting gonna be OK.” He grabs my face with his 2 hands on each side of my face and gives me a kiss. When I tell him I love him he answers back with an “I wuv you more.” Of course I tell him I love him more, and his response is, “I wuv you mostest mostest mostest mostest!” That, my fellow readers is why I signed up for motherhood. It’s payment for all the poopy diapers, long sleepless nights, and the countless other tortures we endure for our little ones.

Here are a few tips for photographing your toddler:

1. First and foremost do not ever try to force them to smile for the camera. The results are never what you’re looking for. That scared forced smile is not the smile that makes your heart melt in everyday life. You’ll always look at the photo and remember it was forced.

2. Try to set up a situation where they get to do something they want to do. This makes them happy, and their facial expressions will be pleasant and what you are used to seeing in real life. In this situation Noah was exploring a trail and looking for bugs and leaves. He was happy as a clam. You might even want to try to let them do something they don’t usually get to do, like jumping on the bed or sitting on the table.

3. Try to get eye contact in a natural way. Don’t yell at your child and say, “Look at me and smile!” or “Say cheese!” Talk to him. Ask him questions. Sing him his favorite song. Tell him a joke. Do a dance. Make a funny noise. Try everything you can to get their attention.

4. Get down on their level. 2 year olds are much shorter than you are. Bend down and meet them eye to eye. Get up close, and remember to capture the details you love most of all about your child. Maybe it’s his chubby little hands, or funny little walk, or their long eye lashes.

5. Use a chair or a basket or something to get him to stay in one spot for longer than a few seconds. The blue chair came with us to the field for this very reason. You’ll notice every picture with him on it he is getting off of it. Sometimes it doesn’t work. If I had a big basket to put him in it would have taken longer for him to get out. I could have made a game out of it too to keep him their longer. For example, challenge him to sit still until you count to 5.

6. Don’t shy away from the photos where he/she doesn’t have a big smile. The above left photo reminds me of how Noah looks at me all day long when I’m telling him something. That’s the expression I see most. I don’t want to forget it.

7. Pull back and capture their environment. Don’t be afraid to have some of their favorite toys in the background. If you’re at home don’t clean up for every photo. It is fun to look back at old photographs and see the toys you played with at the time.

8. Toddlers are unpredictable. You never know what will make them laugh. Relax and have fun with them. Enjoy the little person that they are. Embrace their goofy side. Try to capture them being who they are, not just a smile for the camera.

9. Bribery does not work at this age. They have no concept of doing something now for a treat later. They hear about a treat and they want it NOW. Maybe some of you have more advanced children than I do (especially the girls), but my 2 year old does not understand delayed gratification.

10. MOVE! You will have to get up, move in front of, behind, to the side, and everywhere you can to get the photos of your toddler. They have a never ending supply of energy, and they will not sit still for longer than a second or two. This is normal.

We Wish You A Very Merry Christmas

Julie — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:23:18 +0000

I’m the mom of 4 kids. Our house is only quiet when they are all asleep. They never stop moving, running, jumping, talking, yelling, screaming or making messes. I decided our Christmas card should show what they are really like this year. We not only let them have pillow fights, mess up the bed, and jump on the bed we told them they had to. Our daughter broke her arm the day before (evidence of our crazy life) so we were careful around her, but otherwise it was a free-for-all. Here they are just being themselves — loud, crazy, goofy, and perfectly imperfect. I love them to pieces.

I truly do hope your Christmas and Hanukkah are the best ever. Try to take a break from all the craziness to play and have fun with your loved ones. It’s worth it!

Displaying Holiday Cards

Julie — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:48:12 +0000

It’s no secret I LOVE Christmas cards. Usually getting the mail just means getting unwanted bills and unwanted advertisements. It’s no fun at all, but come December I’m excited to go see the beautiful cards that arrive every day. I love seeing all those photos people have taken great care to get printed and mailed out. They make me happy. I used to tape them to my back door, but I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try. Everyone who comes over notices it right away and stops to look at each card.

I like being able to easily display the cards with clothespins, but now I am out of room to add the new ones and my branches are definitely heavily weighed down. I need sturdier branches next time. I also just have to add getting Christmas cards from my clients makes me SO happy. It is so fun to see how you use the images from your sessions.

I saw this idea on Pinterest as well. I love looking back at old Christmas cards. I keep the photo cards for this very reason. This year I punched holes in all my old cards and put these rings through them and now they are a nice little book for us to look back at our loved ones through the years. It took me only about 10 minutes to make, and it will be so easy to add to each year, or make a new one.

The Tradition Lives On

Julie — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:40:14 +0000

Every year we HAVE to go cut down a live tree for our Christmas tree. The kids demand it. Last year I was so busy with photo sessions I suggested we just pick one up at Costco. Their reaction was quick and violent, and completely unexpected. They cried, screamed, and acted as if I was taking away their favorite toy. They insisted our tradition of cutting down our tree cannot be changed… for any reason. I’m pretty sure that if I had gone ahead with my Costco tree idea they would have required therapy, and I would be blamed for destroying their childhood.

This year when the subject of a Christmas tree came up they started out by letting me know that we are NOT getting a tree at Costco, Home Depot, or anywhere else but the tree farm. We made our trek out to the tree lot in the only 2 hour block of free time on a busy Saturday. It was incredibly windy and cold, but the kids were in heaven running around searching for the perfect tree. The tradition lives on one more year, and probably until the youngest moves out.

Recognition of Merit

Julie — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:11:58 +0000

I was so honored to hear that this image won a NAPCP (National Association of Professional Children’s Photographers) Recognition of Merit in their 2011 International Image Competition. It was the first photography competition I have entered, and it feels really really good to get recognition. The NAPCP is not only a great place for photographers to continue their education and network with other children’s photographer, it is also a great resource for parents. Their blog has a lot of helpful advice when it comes to finding a photographer, preparing for your session, and other parenting ideas. Take a look here. Even I got an article published on their blog here about how to find good lighting in your home when taking photos.

Happy Halloween!

Julie — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:50:56 +0000

I hope you all had a very fun, happy, cheerful Halloween. We sure did.

The ladybug

The not-so-Mad Hatter

The Ninja

Elmo! He LOVES Elmo just like his big sister did.

We are a simple family. Nothing elaborate or fancy here.

Nine

Julie — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:09:42 +0000

My son turned 9 over the summer. He wants nothing more than to make everyone around him laugh with the stories he tells. He has a heart of gold, and it pains him to see someone hurt or upset. Of all my kids he is the first one up in the morning, and the last one to go to sleep at night. He just can’t stop moving. In so many ways he is nothing like me which makes it hard for me to understand him sometimes, and yet he has so many qualities I wish I had. These children of mine keep me on my toes. They are constantly surprising me.

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Decorating with Love

Julie — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:18:15 +0000

When people come to my house they usually say they thought they would see more photos on the walls. I suffer from a huge case of indecisiveness. I just cannot choose what photos I want to use. What if I take something tomorrow I like better? Then I look at all the technical flaws in my photos and think I can’t possibly hang that up. People will see that huge blown highlight or the excessive grain? It’s a curse I tell you.

I’ve been collecting ideas on Pinterest for how to decorate my home with the photos I love so much. I love the idea of photo galleries. Sometimes it takes more than one image to tell the story. Plus, you can easily switch them out for new ones if you want to.

I love these photo ledges from Pottery Barn.

This nursery is stunning. I’m out of the nursery business myself, but wouldn’t this make an amazing wall for any room?

The extremely talented Kelli France shared this kitchen display. I love it!

This huge canvas caught my eye. I don’t think we think about the fun and quirky pictures as large canvas worthy, but wouldn’t this be a fun room to eat breakfast in?

This display is simple, but the colors and feel of it just make me happy. It’s unexpected and fun.

I have decided to start small with a new corner of my house each season to focus on. Right now I’m going to work on the wall along the stairs that lead to the second floor. Should I do something like this?

I’m not sure if I’m that quirky. It will more likely look more like this:

or this, but with photographs:

I’ll let you know how it turns out.

My Girls

Julie — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:33:41 +0000

My Mom’s sister came out for a visit from Missouri, and it got me thinking about how different she is in so many ways from my mom. How can 2 people who grew up in the same home with the same parents be so different? Then of course I started comparing my sisters and I. Are we that different? Sure we have our differences, but I think we are more similar than different. Then I look at my girls. In a lot of ways they are like night and day. One is very shy, and one never stops talking. One is adventurous and ready to try anything new, while the other one hates change of any kind, and loves predictability. One can sleep for hours and hours while the other one has a hard time sleeping.

I often watch them and try to see little glimpses of myself in them, and yet all I can see is who they are. Their little souls are completely unique, and all their own. It still amazes me that I am the mother of these two perfect little creatures. It is nothing short of a miracle. I worry about both of them, just like my boys. What will become of them as they get older? What path in life will they choose? Am I preparing them to make what I consider the right decisions? Will they look back on their childhood and remember it fondly? Oh I hope so. I’m trying hard.

Books

Julie — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:05:18 +0000

Noah asks me to read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? over and over and over again. He LOVES that book! I love it too. It’s worn out from 4 kids reading it so many times they have it memorized.

My boy… he loves books, and I love that about him.