Family photos with a toddler are a different animal than family photos with a baby. Somewhere around 18 months, kids stop being pliable and start having opinions. The baby who sat wherever you put them last year now has a strong position on being put anywhere.
If you’re dreading it, you’re in good company. After nearly two decades of photographing families in Farmington and around the Farmington Valley, I can tell you the sessions parents are most nervous about usually turn out fine. Here’s how to set yours up so it does.
Does My Toddler Have to Sit Still for Family Photos?
The thing most parents brace for is the part where I try to get their two-year-old to sit on a stool and smile at the camera. And while I do aim to get at least a few posed, smiling photos, the session isn’t ruined if your toddler doesn’t want to comply.
I do the posed photos first, right at the beginning, while everyone still has patience in the tank. We get the full family shot and whatever groupings are on your list, and then that pressure is gone. Nobody has to sit and perform for the rest of the session.
After that, your kid gets to be a kid. They run, they explore, they climb on things they probably shouldn’t. That’s when the photos I actually love start happening.
If your toddler needs a break, we take one. And if it truly goes sideways, if they hit a meltdown they can’t come back from and we didn’t get anything worth keeping, you can reschedule. I’d rather do that than hand you a gallery neither of us is happy with.
What Time of Day Should We Schedule a Toddler Session?
Nothing you do on session day matters as much as picking the right time slot.
In-studio sessions offer the most flexibility when it comes to what time of day they’re scheduled. You know your kid’s rhythm better than I do, so when we schedule, I’ll ask when your toddler is at their best. Some kids peak right after breakfast. Some are useless until they’ve napped. Whatever that window is, we book inside it.
Outdoor sessions add one wrinkle. I schedule them close to sunset, which in the middle of summer can mean starting at 8:30 in the evening. For a toddler with a hard early bedtime, that’s a rough ask. Booking in the fall solves it, since start times move up by a couple of hours as the days get shorter.
That said, a late start is rarely the disaster parents brace for. In my experience, a session close to bedtime goes better than expected. The change of scenery, an open field with room to explore, and the chance to run around with mom and dad all buy you a little extra adrenaline, usually enough to push bedtime by an hour without anyone falling apart.
Are Family Photos With a Toddler Better Outdoors or in the Studio?
Toddlers do better with room to run. That’s the honest answer.
Outdoors, there’s space, there’s plenty to look at, and there’s no sense of being contained. A kid who would spend a studio session testing the boundaries of a backdrop will happily tear across a field and forget I’m there. The candid energy that makes toddler photos worth having comes a lot easier when nobody feels boxed in.
The studio at 29 Mill Street still works for this age, especially in colder months, and the timing advice above matters even more indoors. But if you’re on the fence and the weather cooperates, go outside. For the full breakdown, my guide to a family photo session in Connecticut compares studio and outdoor by situation.
Should Parents Be in the Photos Too?
This is the one parents push back on, and it’s the one I’ll keep pushing.
Toddlers warm up by playing with the people they trust. That’s you. When a two-year-old is wary of me and my camera, the fastest way in is not me trying to charm them. It’s you tossing them in the air, chasing them, spinning them around while I stay out of the way and photograph what happens.
Those interactive moments are the ones families end up printing. The kid isn’t performing, and neither are you, and the whole thing looks like your actual life. So plan an outfit for yourself. You’re going to be in the frame.
What Should I Bring to a Toddler Photo Session?
Snacks are welcome. Food in the studio is fine. My one rule: don’t bring the entire container.
Put a few treats in a Ziploc bag or a small cup, just enough for a bite or two. A small bag gives your toddler a visual cue that the snacks are finite, so when it’s empty, it’s empty. A full container turns into a negotiation that runs the rest of the session.
Comfort items are fine too, with one thing to know: whatever they’re attached to is probably going to end up in the photos. If a well-loved bunny goes everywhere your kid goes, plan on seeing the bunny. Some parents love that and some don’t, so decide ahead of time.
Bribes I’d skip. They rarely work at this age, and they tend to raise the stakes for a kid who was already unsure about the whole thing.
Is a Mini Session a Good Idea With a Toddler?
Minis are great for the right subject. A toddler is usually not that subject.
The format is built around a short, fixed window and a set number of final images. That works when your subject is easy to photograph and doesn’t need time to settle in. Toddlers need the time. A kid who spends the first stretch of the session deciding whether they like me has already used up most of a mini.
The bigger issue is what you walk away with. A mini gives you a small, tightly focused set of photos. A full session gives you the range: the posed shots, the running-around ones, and the moments with you in the frame. That variety is usually what parents actually want at this age. I broke the whole comparison down in my post on whether a mini session is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
We take a break. Sometimes that’s all it takes. If your child hits a meltdown they can’t recover from and we don’t get images worth keeping, I’ll give you the option to reschedule rather than call it done.
Snacks, yes. Bring a few in a Ziploc bag or small cup instead of the whole container, so your toddler can see when they’re gone. Bribes I’d skip. They rarely work at this age and usually add pressure.
Whenever your child is happiest and most cooperative. We’ll pick the slot around that. For outdoor sessions I shoot near sunset, so if your toddler has an early bedtime, a fall date gives you a much earlier start time.
Yes. We handle the posed shots at the start while attention is still available, then let your child play. The strongest images from toddler sessions are almost always the interactive ones with you, not the ones where everyone is looking at the lens.
Family photos with a toddler go best when nobody is trying to force the child into a version of themselves that doesn’t exist yet. Pick a good time, plan to get in the frame, bring a small bag of snacks, and let the rest happen.
Ready to book? Here’s more on family and children’s sessions with a Connecticut family photographer at my Farmington studio and on location around the Farmington Valley.
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Kelli Dease is a Farmington, Connecticut newborn and family photographer specializing in timeless, light-filled maternity and newborn portraits, baby and children’s photography, and family portraits. She offers a relaxed, full-service experience for growing families, creating in-studio and outdoor portraits with a focus on simplicity and ease. Clients receive access to a curated studio wardrobe, thoughtful guidance throughout the planning and session process, and digital images, with the option to add fine art prints and albums. Please contact Kelli Dease Photography today to find out about session availability.
Kelli Dease Photography serves families throughout Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, Canton, West Hartford, Burlington, Granby, and the surrounding Farmington Valley, Hartford County, and central Connecticut areas.
To see more of Kelli’s photos, please follow her on Instagram.
