How To Make a Toddler Behave During a Photo Shoot

When my kid gets tired of her toys and she starts looking for the iPad, that's the time when I need to get creative and find something entertaining fore her to do. I couldn't go outside because it was very cold, so I needed an "inside" solution. 

For some time I had in mind a photo shoot so I figured that it was a perfect answer for both of us. So how do you make a toddler to behave during a photoshoot? This is how it worked for us:

1. Explain to your kid, what are you going to do. Make it sound exciting. At this age my daughter repeats everything I do, so if I am excited - she'll be too, even if she doesn't understand yet of what are we going to do.
2. Play dress up. My daughter is such a girly girl, she loves pretty clothes. Every time I buy new ones for her, she happily hugs them and thanks me. Like every mother, I always have stacks of new clothes, because kids are growing up so fast. Therefore I show her, the new outfit and ask if she wants to try it on. Always ask their opinion, because kids become stubborn when you force something on them. In the end you just want it to be a beautiful and fun experience for both of you. 
3.  Chose the right location. If you shoot inside you want to chose the room that gets the most natural light. Place your kid in front of the window and make sure that when you shoot you don't face the window, otherwise you'll get dark pictures. 
4. Make it a game. We, moms, know how fast a kid gets distracted, so make sure to make it fun for them. In my case, our bedroom is the brightest so I placed my daughter on the bad. I don't usually let her play on our bad so imagine her enthusiasm when I allowed her to jump on it. 
5. Don't make them pose, let them be themselves. I can't tell you how many good shots were ruined because my daughter was fake smiling in the camera. When I told her to smile, she started doing this weird thing with her face, that she thought was smiling, and was looking unnatural and stiff. Then I told her to just jump and play with her doll and forget about the camera, and things got much better. 
6. Feed them before the shooting. This might sound crazy but you don't want to deal with a hungry kid. I, as a mature, am very moody when I'm hungry, imagine how a kid can behave. 

All these steps work for us, but kids are different and need individual approach.

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