MOMMY AND ME PHOTOSHOOT- How to make it a success

While Mommy and Me photos are always an eye candy, they are honestly the most challenging to produce. There is drama, meltdowns, bickering, negotiation, and what not! It certainly has gotten better with Riri over the years as she takes directions well now and since she gets paid for these sessions, she approaches them with professionalism and seriousness.

Nonetheless, it is a struggle each time. There is a lot of planning and sweat that goes into it. From my past experiences of choreographing these mommy&me photoshoots, I’ve curated a list of do’s and don’t that all moms could cue in order to warranty sanity and efficacy.

• Involvement: When selecting the outfits for the photoshoot, make sure to involve your child/children in the planning process. This will avoid any last minute drama and will make them excited for the photo session. Have them try on the outfits beforehand, cuz if yours is like mine, then there is one hundred percent chance of everything being annoying and itchy last minute. Lay out everything the night before so that they know what to expect and what is expected of them.
  

• Weather: Choose a day when the weather is favorable. If it is winter time, then choose a day when it is not extremely cold or extremely hot when doing a summer photoshoot. The kids are very smart and they can easily use the weather as an excuse to be uncooperative. Owing to the school and our personal schedules, weekends are most suitable when doing a mother-daughter duet. We don’t have a choice then but we try to move around the time as per the weather forecast.

• Timing: Timing of the photoshoot is probably the most important determinant. Usually in the mornings when kids are in their best mood and have the highest level of energy is ideal. They are less grumpy and most cooperative. Don’t choose the day/mornings your kid has activities/parties/ classes. Photoshoots are exhausting and you don’t want an already tired child worked up further.

• Meals: Make sure your kids are well fed and properly hydrated before you begin the photo session. It is not advisable and humane to have a hungry kid around you when doing a photoshoot. Once, I got over-zealous and planned a multi-themed photoshoot, the lunch set up being the last and boy, did Riri give me a hard time? She was distracted throughout and after every picture she would ask “are we done?”. She wouldn’t pay heed to any instruction and her facial expression said it all. Finally, I had to stop the photoshoot midway and feed her. That was a lesson learnt.

• Location: If your kid is the adventurous/curious types, then please, please, please stay away from outdoor locations like museums, malls, botanical gardens, and dog parks. They will focus less on the photoshoot and more on how fast they can escape the session and make it to the museum or the arcade at the mall. Instead, choose a quiet park, an empty street or the steps of a fancy hotel.

• Don’t rush: The key to a happy you, happy kid and a happy photo session is ‘time‘. It might be just five photos but if you are particular like me, it can end up taking around fifty minutes to get those perfect five photos. So, have time on hand, be prepared for outtakes, bring a snack and some juice for mini breaks, especially if you think it’s going to take longer.

• Incentive: Giving an incentive ( either kind or cash ) to your child always works. When Riri was younger we could get away with an ice-cream or a cupcake as an incentive post shoot. But now that she is older, she demands to get paid and why not- it is extra recreational work for her too! Her standard rates are $20 per hour but over the weekend it doubles, costing mommy a whopping $40 per hour.

• Photographer: Ideally, I like to work with my photographer when it is a sponsored MOMMY &ME photoshoot, otherwise hubs is the designated photographer. The shoots are easier and more streamlined with a professional- they handle it tactfully and efficiently. But, when it comes to working with your partner for one of these mommy&me shoots, you got to make sure he ain’t grumpy, hungry, thirsty, is dressed as per the weather and you aren’t shooting near a museum or a mall. Consider him an additional child and revisit all of the above before heading out.

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