Letting go of your fears about family portrait sessions for young children

Family of four with two young daughter at Harlinsdale Farms by Crrystal Freemon Photography

Photographing toddlers and preschoolers will always be my favorite. I am always excited when I know I am about to photograph a family session with 1.5 to four-year-olds. I love photographing families of all ages, but this age group will always be the one that brings me the most joy.

A lot of parents put off scheduling family portrait sessions because they don’t think their little ones will cooperate. I want to put that myth to rest because I promise you, the kids will do just fine. In fact, most of your fears are the exact reasons why I love photographing toddlers and preschoolers so much.

The only thing I expect from little ones at a family portrait session is that they be themselves. That’s easy for the under-five crowd because they don’t know how else to be. (It gets harder actually as they get older because then they try to pose for the camera and start to not be themselves). Little ones are nothing if not authentic and that’s the reason I love them.


Here are some fears parents have about how their little ones will behave at a portrait session and why these are not a concern to me:

Fear: The children won’t be still and pose.

Reality: Yeah, probably not. But I don’t really need them to be still. I take lots and lots of photos. In many of them, maybe your toddler is looking away or running in the opposite direction. But enough of the photos will be of her doing what I want. As far as posing goes, we move quickly and try different things. It’s more gentle guiding than posing really. There are lots of family hugs, tickle fights, etc. This isn’t the Sears portrait studio. No one has to stand on a dot. I adore how this age group is in awe of the world around them. Letting them explore makes for great photos.

Fear: My toddler wants to be held all the time and doesn’t want me to put her down.

Reality: That’s fine. I’ve shot entire sessions where the little one was in mom’s arms the entire time, including some close-up individual shots of the child. My youngest was a velcro baby and now that she’s 14, I miss that, so I got a velcro puppy.

Fear: My child doesn’t want to be held and wants to run around the entire time.

Reality: Kids are great at extremes, aren’t they? This is a little more difficult than the child who wants to be held, but it’s not unusual and we can make it work. Individual portraits are easy enough to capture. We just have to get creative about group shots. Sometimes letting the toddler “fly” back and forth from one parent to another allow for quick moments of the family all together. Tickle fights, and “hand mommy a flower”, etc are all things I try to do to get everyone in the frame.

Fear: My toddler will throw a tantrum.

Reality: First of all, they might surprise you. I try to keep sessions moving. If a child starts to get bored or lose interest, we walk to a different place and do something different. If they are tired of the more guided family shots, I’ll let them run around and play chase while I get candids.

But if they do throw a tantrum, that’s not a big deal at all. I raised two babies into teens myself and I can tell you that one of them was the queen of epic tantrums. Eventually, those fierce little girls turn into fierce young women who make you very proud with their strength and willingness to speak their truth. I have no concerns about waiting out a tantrum. Or photographing it. Just know I’ve been there.

Fear: My toddler won’t listen and do what the photographer asks

Reality: I would never expect a child in this age group to consistently do what I ask. That’s why I’m flexible and try different things. The best thing for parents to do is just to relax and have fun. I might ask a child to hold their sister’s hand or sit down next to her. If that doesn’t happen, it is completely fine. I’ll try something else. Whatever happens, we will have fun and capture some beautiful memories.


So really, please let go of your fears about booking a family photo session for very young children. There are really only two things you need to do to have a great session.

First, let go of any very specific expectations. Maybe we won’t get a photo of everyone perfectly posed and looking directly at the camera. We usually do, but honestly, those aren’t my favorites anyway. I adore the connection in photos of families interacting with each other, and we always get plenty of those.

Second, and most importantly, just relax and have fun. The best sessions are ones like this one where mom and dad have let go of their fears and are having fun interacting with their little ones.


Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you considered following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Senior Girl Photo Session at Harlinsdale Farms

Senior Girl Photo Session at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms

OK, I know I am sharing way too many photos from Zoe’s Senior Portrait Session at Harlinsdale Farms, but I can’t help it. It’s harder to be selective when I know them.

Zoe’s mom is a friend of mine, and their family was one of my first “clients” back before I really had clients. And here we are already time to shoot senior portraits. Where does the time go?

Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Large Family Photo Session in Franklin, TN

Large family photo session in Franklin, TN

When I photograph large family photo sessions, I can’t help but get a little jealous of all the fun that big families seem to have. It’s like a party anytime they get together. I adored this family before I had even met them, thanks to the beautiful things that their dad and grandpa said about them in my client questionnaire.

One of my favorite things is reading what my clients write about their families in that questionnaire. The simple question of “Tell me a little about each of you” can reveal so much. It’s an oddly personal job to capture someone’s portrait, and in a way I can’t quite explain, I like to know something about them before I begin. For example, I knew that the older granddaughter was very serious about taking care of her baby doll. So I definitely wanted to include the doll in photos. And when I saw her squeezing the doll and her cousin at the same time, giving them both all her love, I had to capture that.

The only challenge with such a large group is balancing getting all the different combinations of shots you need and still trying to capture a little of that personality simultaneously. I often leave wishing I could have gotten to know them even better.

Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Maternity Photo Session at Harlinsdale Farms

Parents-to-be in front of old building at maternity session

Is there anything more exciting than awaiting the arrival of a new baby? I am so happy for this beautiful couple, who are clearly so ready to meet their baby girl.

It was a freezing, cold session but you can’t tell from how beautiful and radiant mama looks. I want to make it clear that I never force clients to do a session when it’s as cold as it was on Friday. I keep my schedule pretty open this time of year so we can reschedule as needed. After all, it is Tennessee. If the weather doesn’t work, we can just wait a few days for a different season. But this session had already been rescheduled a few times. If we waited any longer, it may have turned from a maternity portrait session to a newborn session, so the clients wanted to brave the cold weather.

Mama-to-be looks stunning in this beautiful dress. This is a perfect choice for a maternity session or any portrait session for that matter.

Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Family of Four Portrait Session at Harlinsdale Farms

Family Portrait Session at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms

I don’t ever remember photographing a summer family portrait session in such pleasant weather as this one. I was in shock that it wasn’t suffocatingly hot. It was especially nice because I felt like I had botched the first scheduled date for this photo session by rescheduling it prematurely. The forecast was calling for rain for most of the day on our originally scheduled date. I texted the client to decide what to do. We discussed whether we should wait and see or just go ahead and reschedule. I suggested we reschedule because every time I take the “wait and see” approach, we end up having to reschedule anyway. But of course, this time it ended up being clear and sunny that evening after we had already rescheduled. So I felt vindicated when the weather was so perfect on our make-up date.

Everyone knows that 2-3-year-olds are my favorite age of kids to photograph at family portrait sessions. One thing that makes this age group even more fun to photograph is when they are still getting to know a new brother or sister. It’s so much fun watching that new relationship and capturing the changes happening in the family.

When I am prepping for a family portrait session, I often think about my own family, and what it was like when my girls were the ages of my little clients. For this session, I thought back to how my oldest reacted when we brought home her little sister. We weren’t sure how she would react, but he was so enamored with this new human. If I put Kayla in her crib and walked to another room, Megan would say, “Mommy…you forgot your baby!” She was very protective. I remember the sweet way her little than would pat Kayla when she cried.

These were the things I was thinking about when I met this beautiful family. Hopefully, I was able to capture some of those special memories for them.

Contact me today if you’d like to book a session to capture your families precious memories.

I am a photographer serving families in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee. I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Maternity Photos in Franklin TN

Maternity Photos at Park of Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin, TN

I loved shooting maternity photos for this beautiful couple who is awaiting the arrival of their first baby. That time in my own life seems both millions of years ago and just like yesterday all at the same time. Being pregnant is such a magical time that doesn’t really compare to anything else. How lucky I am to be able to experience a little of that magic through my clients.

Maternity photos are a great way for me to get the chance to know a couple before baby arrives. I’ll be photographing lifestyle newborn portraits for this sweet family soon and I cannot wait to meet their new little one.

I am a photographer serving families in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee. I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Family of Five Portraits at Harlinsdale Farms

Family of 5 Portrait Session in Franklin TN

One of my favorite parts of photographing family portraits is getting to see the same beautiful families year after year. I always love hanging out with these girls. As I was shooting this session, I thought about the first time I photographed this family, back in 2017. Before that first session, mom had let me know that one of the girls was shy and may take a while to warm up to me. That portrait session seems so long ago. There was not a hint of shyness at this session…just lots of giggling, sunshine, and dandelions. Three of my favorite things.

This is the first time that I have photographed this family at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms, which is one of my favorite portrait session spots. Just in case you don’t know, you can browse my session blog posts by location by clicking “More Blog Posts” and then “Session Locations” at the top of my blog. This is a great way to help you decide where you would like to have your family portrait session.

I am a photographer serving families in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee. I photograph families at all stages, from newborn to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Spring Mini Sessions – March 28 at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin

Spring Mini Sessions - Franklin TN by Crystal Freemon Photography

I am offering a Spring Mini Session date for Family Portraits because the Fall Mini Sessions were so much fun! Only four spots are available, so if you are interested, don’t wait to book! The sessions will be 25 minutes long and will include your choice of 30 full-size digital images from the session gallery, with the option to purchase more digital images and/or print products. The cost of the mini-session is $300.

The sessions will be at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin. Before you decide to book, please read about whether or not mini-sessions are right for you. If you have a large family or a little one who may take some time to warm up, I ask that you consider booking a full family portrait session instead.

And while you are planning and scheduling your Spring Mini Sessions, be sure to read my post from last week on how to document last year’s beautiful memories. I show you a quick and easy way to create a photo book of your 2020 highlights using Google photos.

See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.