Kids at Lake

Here's some from today. Running around with a family at a park is difficult (I find it more difficult than a wedding...some would disagree).

Here's how I do it, though. We get the formal ones out of the way. This was a contest give-away as a photo shoot. Not only does the immediate family show up but the whole family does.

1. Come stand in this area and I'll take some posed shots. Parents with kids (2 sets), grandparents with kids, etc. This isn't my strong suit so I just gather them up and TRY to get the kids to look at the camera. lol

Here's one trying to get the kids to pose/smile

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ah yes, herding the cats...it almost feels literal, doesn't it?
have you tried attaching a little toy (like a small plush animal) to the top of your lens with a hairband?
I find it helps!

I don't have toys. I find I end up losing it/paying attention to it more than the interactions. I do a pretty good job interacting with the kids regardless of toys or not. Some kids you just can't get to interact with you regardless of toys. In the first picture (boy on right) didn't want anything to do with the photos even if I had/tricks I pulled out. It's just his personality. The other I had trouble with about the middle of the session but I just look around for things to peak their interest. I usually find a "game" to play.

I usually just get the kids together and say, "we are going to play a game with mom and dad" and then just make up rules as we go along and they go for it. At the end of this session we found some things to throw in the lake, somersault competition, and things of the like. I also let some of the younger kids (1-2 years) look a picture on my camera and play with the dials and what not. Seems to get them to warm up.

Sometimes it's just hard and why I tend to like the stress of weddings far more than the stress of getting 2-3 kids to "look at me" all at the same time. lol