How do I make my children behave for photographs?

“They caught all the wild children,
and put them in zoos,
They made them do sums
and wear sensible shoes.
They put them to bed
at the wrong time of day,
And made them sit still
when they wanted to play.
They scrubbed them with soap
and they made them eat peas.
They made them behave and
say pardon and please.
They took all their wisdom and wildness away.That’s why there are none
in the forests today.”

Jeanne Willis Wild Child

This poem says it all.

I get asked this question a lot:
“How do I get my kids to behave for photographs?”

And my honest answer is: I don’t.

Because here’s the thing: your children aren’t meant to sit still, smile politely on cue, or pose like little adults. They’re meant to be children. And that includes running, giggling, exploring, refusing, sulking, playing, and sometimes doing all of that in the space of five minutes.

Take this recent shoot, for example.
Mum turned to me with a laugh and said, “I don’t know how this is going to go”, referring to their eldest, fiercely independent and wild-hearted. She gave the shoot about five seconds of attention before she was off doing her own thing.

And that’s when my job starts.

My approach to photography is intentionally candid. I show up with no expectations beyond capturing who you are. I adapt to the vibe of your family. We let them run. We let them laugh. We let them explore. Because that’s when their true personalities shine, and that’s what I want to bottle up for you.

Yes, sometimes it’s a bit more unpredictable. Sometimes it’s chaotic. But it’s always real, and it’s always worth it.

I believe that the best family photos aren’t the ones where everyone is perfectly posed; they’re the ones where you look back and say, “Yep, that’s exactly who they were at that moment.”

A fiercely independent daughter. A wild little soul. It’s nothing but a good thing…in the long run! Hang in there!

So please – let them be wild.

Let’s embrace their fire and their freedom, and create something beautiful out of it. I promise, it might feel like chaos at the time… but when you see the magic we captured? You’ll get it.

Get in touch, and we’ll capture your little wildlings, just for a moment. No bribes required.