When photographing toddlers, I find that parents are often worried that their child will misbehave or not smile at the camera. For kids this young, going on an adventure is a good way to warm everyone up, lower the stakes, and let the child and parents relax into the shoot without the pressure to perform. Check out these toddler photo ideas for your next shoot with a tiny person!

Go adventuring: toddler photo ideas for a lifestyle family photoshoot

This prompt is also an excellent way to capture detail shots: chubby fingers, little toes in the grass, focused gazes. These photos are a great way to round out a gallery and give the parents plenty of sweet memories to look back on.

How to use this photo pose prompt

As I said, this is a great prompt to get a toddler used to you—and your camera—so it’s a great one to use at the beginning of a shoot. Firstly, ask the toddler if he wants to go on an adventure. As you wander around, find simple props like sticks, flowers, leaves, and feathers to attract his attention. Finally, use the ideas below to work through the session.

Other prompts that work well with these toddler photo ideas are Let Them Play, Get Silly and Bubbles and Dandelions. There are more prompts tagged for toddlers here, too, or check out this series of toddler photo prompts on Photofocus.

Prompt: Go Adventuring

• Point out bugs, rocks, sticks: “What can you see there? What colour is your leaf? Wow, how does this feather feel on your skin?”
• At random times, call him to look at the camera: “Look at me!” Make suggestions like running, jumping, spinning, lying down to look at the clouds, on belly peering into the grass to see the insects.
• Be silly together: pull faces, make funny noises, pretend to be a superhero, truck, ballerina, unicorn.
• Play with selective focus: have parents stand behind, and hold hands or hug, then capture toddler in focus and parents blurred behind. Switch so you are closer to the parents with him in the background.
• Once you’ve captured him on his own, get parents involved: “Can you show Mummy?” Have the parent point out birds, plants, etc. Capture the shared gaze and smiles.
• Get close and capture details: fingers, toes, holding hands, concentrating gazes.

Toddler photo ideas: creative extension

• Take a bunch of little friends on an adventure together and capture the interactions between them. Works well for Easter, Christmas, birthday parties, twins, older siblings or cousins.