Tipful Tuesday | Dads, You can trust me. | Kentucky Family Photographer

When I tell people that I am a family photographer, many people often comment that it must be so hard to photograph unwilling 2 years olds. While 2 year olds often have their own idea about how the session should go, I love their energy and am always happy to let them take the lead and follow along in a playful way. 

You know which member of the family is the often the hardest? Dads.

WHY do DADS STRUGGLE WITH thier photo SESSIONS?

After photographing over 100+ families over the past 5 years, I have nailed down a couple of reasons why dads struggle with their session. The first is that preparing for a session can sometimes be stressful, which I don’t want it to be. But I also have two toddlers and understand the struggle of trying to get in naps and praying it’s a good day for them. I get it families! Most of the time Mom is frantically running around getting outfits ready (including dads, which may be something he doesn’t *really* want to wear) and as the day approaches, the details become even more important and possibly overwhelming. Mom may be trying to schedule an appointment to get her hair or make up done, get the kids dressed, have them fed and happy and on time to the shoot all in one day. Yeesh! It can be stressful. This is why I love to stay in contact with my families and offer any help that I can, especially when styling.

My advice here- jump on board the session train and take on tasks related to making the session day go over smoothly. Take on dressing and feeding the kids so mom can get ready with a little more peace, I promise that the level of stress you are feeling, she is likely feeling it 100X more. Often times, the stress level us Mom’s get can set the stage for the stress level for the entire family. If you are worried that your partner is going to pick you something to wear that you do not like, be proactive and pick something WITH your partner that works well with other outfits. Remember that I am also here to help!

What about DURING THE SESSION?

Generally, as soon as the session starts and Dad sees all he has to do is snuggle and play with his family for a little bit, the stress seems to ease away. Here are some things I want dad to know about how I structure things and why they don’t have to stress.

Listen, I am prepared that there is always a chance that at some point one kid is going to have a minor freak out (remember I have 2 toddlers of my own lol). This may be a generalization, but to me, dads seem extra sensitive to their kid’s behavior in public. When the kids start to fuss, parents want to shut it down immediately because I am there and you all are doing this thing. But here is the deal – I do not mind if your kiddos ” mis-behave“. Generally, I am really good at redirecting that energy into a game or something fun. You don’t even have to worry about it for one second! In fact, sometimes when a kid gets sad, the moments of comfort a parent offers gives some of my favorite images. Remember to relax and if your child has a moment, let them have the moment, and we’ll pick it up right afterwards. I promise to help guide everyone and will take our time to make sure we capture everything needed.

Ok, but what about our BODY IMAGe?

Just like anyone, dad can worry about how he will look in the photos. I understand this from my husband, he is worse than I am. In fact, I get more worried comments from dad than I do from mom about how the end result is going to look. But I am always, always shooting for the most flattering angles to capture you and everyone else in the family. The photos parents love the most, even if it may take a while to learn to love the photo, are the ones where they are showing true emotion. It is hard to show true emotion when you are really worried about your belly or chin or bald spot. Let those worries go! I am here to make you look good. I got this! Again, relax and just simply enjoy these fleeing moments with your family.

I feel weird about SHOWING EMOTION IN PUBLIC.

Many dads feel weird being extra snuggly with their kids and wives in public. I get it. But this is a rare chance to look back and see just the way your kiddo’s nose scrunched up when you tickled him or the look on her face when you threw her up in the air. My advice? Leave your worries at the door and snuggle your family with all your might during our hour together. Plus if being around other people gives you anxiety and creates unwanted worry, I can help you choose a more private location so that you don’t have to worry about any of that! Just make sure to speak up and let me know, we got this.

Bottom line is that capturing photos with your family is really important. Even if it is not important to YOU, it is likely really important to your partner if she is the one who booked the shoot. It will be SUPER important to your kids as they grow. And trust me, these moments will be important to you as well. I love looking back at the photos I have with my parents when I was little. I wish so badly I had even more. So jump in and love that little family of yours. I will be there to make it fun and beautiful.