Contents
Do you have any of these concerns?
“I want to capture my child’s natural smile and moments that are unique to him/her in photos, but it’s not easy.” “My child always poses the same way…”
Do you have such worries?
I have been photographing many families and children for 17 years, and I often hear people say, “My child is shy and has never been able to take a photo of him smiling,” or, “My child gets nervous in unfamiliar places.” In fact, to get children to show natural expressions, the photographer and the family need to work together to take lots of photos full of smiles.
Play and take pictures
What I practice is “taking pictures while playing.” With the cooperation of the parents, I take pictures while holding the child, walking, and running. As the photographer, I first think of a pose that suits the situation depending on the background of the photo and communicate the movement to the customer. While the child is engrossed in the movement, they forget that they are being photographed, and become engrossed in playing and smile, so I take pictures of that and take the best photos. By doing so, you can bring out natural smiles and gestures without being conscious of the camera.
Also, when taking pictures, I always crouch down or sometimes lie down to match the child’s line of sight. While considering the balance of the background and light, I make it a priority to capture the “expression that only happens now” that arises during the movement. In order to take good expressions while playing, I don’t just let the child play freely on the spot, but I do various games one after another to take good photos and keep the child from getting bored, so the child forgets about the photo and enjoys playing.
In fact, we have received many comments such as, “Even though he is usually shy, he was so engrossed in playing that he was smiling and having fun,” “I’m glad that the whole family looks so natural in the photos,” and “Is it over already? Let’s play some more.”
How to take photos of your child yourself
Customer reviews
What a fun family photoshoot
YauRu_C, Jan 2024
Naoko-san is a perfect family photographer. She is friendly, professional and has a great sense of humor and positive energy. Our family with young kids had a lot of fun during our photoshoot. Appreciated her and her husband who helped out as assistant meeting us on New Year’s Day for photos.
Professional Photos with a Personal Touch…
DJ_M, Jun 2023
Naoko-san provided a 1st Class experience from booking to the backdrop. She is able to photograph to your imagination and elevate the finished product. If you’re a visitor to Japan, I’d recommend her for family or business events to document your journey through her lens.
Summary
A child’s “normal expression” will appear the moment you take your mind off the photo.
It is important not to be too rigid about the ideal photo image you want to take.
Decide the direction you want to take the photo, but don’t get too hung up on poses or situations, and try to have the leeway to be satisfied with what you capture at that moment.
The feelings of adults are always conveyed to children.
If adults enjoy the photo shoot as a time to create memories with their children,
children will also truly enjoy playing with their parents.
As a result, you will be able to keep natural and wonderful photos of your parents and children.
The important thing is to enjoy the time together, rather than taking photos. If you want to “keep a natural smile,” please feel free to contact us. I would be happy to help you capture the precious moments of your family.
Ready to book your own session in Tokyo?
→ See Packages & Booking
Have more questions?
→ See FAQ
Explore other locations → Asakusa / Shibuya / Tokyo Tower & Zojo-ji Temple /Ueno / Parks
→ Read reviews on Google
(Google page name: Natural Kids Photo Komunoki)
