I had the pleasure to meet Ava and her peeps this past weekend! we documented her 2nd year in the burbs with a fun filled visit to the park. between a few frowns, we caught lots of laughs. here are a few of my favorite tips for keeping a photo session moving, even when melt downs happen:

1. change the scenery! if a certain photo opp just isn't happening, move on to another & if you can, try first spot again later!

2. sometimes kiddos get overwhelmed. shoot! sometimes even this big kiddo can get overwhelmed. I often ask my littlest clients' managers ( the parents) to step off the scene momentarily or keep directions to a minimal so me and my lil boss can cruise the playground together and keep the fun play date going. this minimizes my lil boss's chances at a meltdown and increases our overall fun factor!

3. ask any lifestyle photographer what's inside their camera bag and I bet 9 out 10 will have some sort of sweet treat. should we need to break out the candy, candy, candy I always ask mom or dad first. but I'll tell ya, a little sweetness goes a long way in the land of happy toddlers!

miss Ava, you gave me a run for my camera money but I think we had fun & even captured lots of great smiles!!

rose photo