Need advice - 3 YO and 4 MO portraits!

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I'm so excited for the opportunity to photograph these kids, but I'm scared out of my mind, LOL! So - I'm just looking for ideas on 1) posing 2) interaction (anything special you do to interact with children of these ages?) 3) any special props you like 4) anything else you'd like to share about it?

This is what I'm thinking - I'm a mom of a 5 & 3 YO - so I'm hoping the interaction deal will be OK - but wondering if I should take any stickers or something fun like that to help (I thinking Halloween stickers, HA!). Or balloons?!?! And as far as props, I have an off white fleece blanket and furry rug - I'm hoping to use as backdrops, etc. I also have a couple really cute little chairs (well... just one for the 3yo actually) I can pack up and take with me. I'm unsure of poses... so if anyone has any shots they want to share with me... by all means... please!!!! I'll probably stick with my 50 1.4 inside and we may go outside and then I'll back up and use my 70-200 to give the 3 yo room to run, etc. My wider angle (18-55), isn't all that good (it was the kit lens) so I'm always hesitant to use it. I know she's interested in getting a shot for a canvas wrap (:barb ), and after doing a little research know I'll need to make room for the actual wrapping of the mounted ones, etc. OH - does anyone have any photos of a canvas wrap that you have? I'd like to share a couple pictures of them with the client if I could.

All right... that's it! Thanks for any and all advice / suggestions!!!!!!!!

Scott_Quier

The first thought that came to mind is to get a king-sized sheet. Wash it. Iron it. Do the windows - JK

Use the sheet as a backdrop with a sweep. Put the two on the floor with some baby toys (especially if mom still has some of the older childs baby toys) and have the older one attempt to get the younger one interested in one or more the toys. Baby can be laying down, on back or side. If older child has any warm feelings for the younger (and there's not guarantee on that one:D) - could make for some very wam photos.

Get a couple of small (quite small) pumpkins. Older one siting against a tree or something (a couple of hay bales would be perfect) and hold the younger in a sitting position between his/her legs. Put the pumpkin in the baby's lap and let it go from there - maybe the baby will interact with the pumpkin a bit? At 4mo, getting the baby to sit up will be a real challenge, but older one may be happy to help - it could happen.

Be sure to share a good shot on the camera LCD to both the mom and the older child once in a while. This will get mom excited about the potential and her excitement will help to get the older child engaged. There's not much hope for the younger on 'cause at that age, they are little more than a lump of clay .... errrr ... I mean a small bundle of joy.

HTH

ChatKat

Use the older one....
Scott's sheet suggestion is a good one.

I also use the older child as a prop for the baby. In this series the older wanted to watch TV so we let him lay on the floor and watch TV. We leaned her sitting up on him. But we also has him holding his sister. He is 5 and she is 6 months. Get a boppy pillow and have the older one hand the newborn a finger or a toy. Hopefully the elder will be happy at the same time as the baby. Play with the older kid and show him how big he can be to do what you are showing him. Bring cheerios, a finger puppet, bubbles, a feather duster. They all work for me.

Travis

Angela, I have a similar shoot scheduled for this weekend (3 mo twins!!!) so I've been looking at as many websites as posible for ideas. Here are a few that I have found helpful.

Heather Mosher
Smilebaby
Fiona Colvin

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Travis wrote:

Angela, I have a similar shoot scheduled for this weekend (3 mo twins!!!) so I've been looking at as many websites as posible for ideas. Here are a few that I have found helpful.

Heather Mosher
Smilebaby
Fiona Colvin

Awesome thank you! I'll check those out.

Thank you Scott for all of the tips... wonderfully helpful!

ChatKat - love the bubbles and cheerios ideas too!

THANK YOU!!!

KoryJ

I shot a 5 YO and a 16 MO last weekend (I shoot for free while trying to learn so don't think I'm charging for the photos you see below) The kids got along great but the older boy sometimes didn't want his picture taken and I'd used the advice Scott already gave to show him (and his mom) the pictures here and there and he would get charged up just seeing something on the back of the camera and then he'd warm up again. The mom also had some pumpkins around which made both of the kids have something to play around with and I got a nice shot of the little girl after the boy took it from her...
not meaning to hijack but here are some of the shots.

WingsOfLovePhoto

I mostly do babies and children so if you would like to check out some on my site feel free.... www.wingsoflovephoto.com. I use my 70-200 almost exclusively with children in and out of the studio. I have a bunch of "unlisted" galleries that I can turn back on if you want to see more. I am pretty basic inside. white background with small props and I just let it fly pretty much outside except for my current fall set up. Good luck!