Steal my favourite prompts for a family photoshoot with young kids to capture candid and genuinely fun moments.

If you’ve ever worried that a family session in Karratha with young kids might turn into chaos… you’re not wrong!

That’s exactly why I don’t rely on stiff posing or asking children to “stand still and smile.” Instead, I use prompts.

Simple, playful directions that feel like a game.

They keep kids engaged, give parents something to focus on, and create natural movement so the photos feel alive rather than staged.

I must fore warn to always read your client's and their vibes- sometimes people find talk of of poop and farts, well... rude!

So make sure you know your clients.

Here are a few of my go to prompts you can absolutely steal for you next session:

“Run to your parents and squish them till they fart.”

It sounds ridiculous and that’s the point. Kids explode with laughter, parents drop the pressure, and suddenly everyone is genuinely connected instead of thinking about the camera.

“Play tag”

Another favourite thata so simple. It lets me step back and capture mum and dad mid-chase, then pause the action to grab those frames of them watching their little ones with that soft, proud look they don’t even realise they’re giving.

"Show me your dance moves"

I bring my UE Boom to all my sessions, ask the kids for their favourite song, and let them loose. Movement equals expression. Expression = real photos. At the end I call out, “Strike a pose!” and you get the perfect mix of wild and proud.

“Look at the person who…”

My all time favourite one to get those looks of love and longing! Look at the person who laughs the loudest. Look at the best cook. This one gets everyone staring at each other and cracking up with genuine reactions.

For this family photoshoot in karratha^ I asked to look at the person who has the smelliest poo.

Yes they all looked at the baby.

"Lets do a foot race"

Never underestimate races. A quick sprint toward me or back to mum and dad brings energy up fast and as a bonus, it gently wears them out before bedtime- you’re welcome mum and dad! 

Another fun one is getting the kids to stand next to mum and dad and “try to spin them around.” It creates closeness, movement, and usually a bit of playful chaos.

At most of my photography sessions that involve young kids, i will include most if not all of these! Prompts work because they remove pressure and everyone usually forgets i am there with the camera.

If the kids are having a good time then so are mum and dad. Through use of prompts everyone can relax a bit so parents don’t need to manage every second.

Try these prompts at your next session and see how the session flows, everyone relaxes, and the photos end up genuine and candid.

xoxo Benee