Having your child’s portrait taken can be a great experience, but things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes children are just not in the right mood to get that perfect photo, schedules are running behind, or food gets spilled on the new outfit. If you are upset or feeling stressed the child will easily pick up on that. Be prepared to take things in stride, no matter what the situation.



If the child doesn’t want to smile, look for a great personality shot with a frown, cry, or maybe that certain expression capturing the essence of the child in a way other than a smile. Some of these alternative portraits turn out to be all-time favorites.

Being open-minded leads to creativity and fun. Make the best of whatever comes your way and work with the photographer to find that perfect, or not so perfect, portrait.