Help! Unphotogenic Kids!

[Macduffy]

I'm a picture taking junkie! I've been taking pics of my boys non stop since they were born HOWEVER they both are extremely unphotogenic - they both HATE the camera, refuse to look at it and even with the bribing of a full size chocolate bar won't smile for it.

I'm scared my Disney pics are going to be horrible. Any tips? Would the Photopass be worth it?

 

[princess momma]

I wouldn't push it then. Maybe you're just being a little too aggressive. Take some candids when they're busy. They're some of my favorite shots anyway.

You know, they may be in such a great mood at Disney that the smiles will come, but in my experience the more you push a child the more they push back.

 

[Hannathy]

Ever hear the expression too much of a good thing or overkill? I think you have just overdone it and they are sick of it. Back off like the PP said take a few candids and work out an agreement like say 3 posed pics a day or 1 family shot taken by someone else per day. Or maybe agree to taking the camera 1 day and they have to cooperate but the rest of the days you won't bother them.

 

[tinkmom2]

I understand your frustration. My Claire NEVER looks directly in the camera or her eyes are always looking somewhere else. I agree candids are the best thing. Eventually they will settle down. (I hope lol)

 

[mom2val]

My dd is 8 now but was 5 her first trip to Disney. We have a whole scrapbook of dirty looks and tongue sticking out pictures. Yes I hated them then, but now they are some of my favorite pics. The ones I got sneaky and she did not know I was taking may not be centered perfect or shot at the right angle but they are still pretty special too.

 

[kalc12345]

My kids are just like that!! I am wanting to start a photography business in the near future. I have did a few paid shoots here and there already. Anyway, I love to practice and my kids are my little models. They HATE it!!! They run when they see my camera come out. Bribery works sometimes but not all the time. But you know, at Disney they rather enjoy having their picture taken, especially with the characters. I have never had a problem taking their pictures at Disney. Hopefully that will be the case for you too

 

[bumbershoot]

Just take candid shots; don't make them pose. The pictures taken with characters of DS when he's interacting with the characters are so much more fun than the "stand and smile" ones. My FAVE two character pictures are of DS with Jack Sparrow (when he was at Disneyland)...in one pic Jack is inspecting DS's pirate sword, and on another trip when he met Jack, Jack is looking at the LED keychain lightsaber DS wanted to show him. I just love those pictures.

 

[woodkins]

I have the opposite problem, my daughter ham's it up to no end & I get ridiculous silly crazy pictures.

Go for candid shots....my dd (7) loves to kiss the characters on the nose, which is great for a cute picture, high five them, she crawls like a dog with pluto, bounce with Tigger, I also have her pose like the characters pose (ie: crossed arms and a scowl with the stepsisters). They make cute pictures and great memories

 

[tjbaggott]

I agree, Candids are the best. But I have some advice for those times when you want them to look at the camera with those nice angelic smiles every kid has now and then. Use REVERSE psychology!
I use that with my kids. My 6 year old DS hates posing for the camera so when I want a smile looking at me photo, I say with the most SILLY SERIOUS face I can that this is a NO SMILING Picture! "Under NO circumstances are you to smile. With this lighting if you smile, my camera will break". For my son, it always works (so far) at getting that perfect smile.

 

[ScotsMinnie]

I agree that candids are probably your best bet. Take loads while they are busy doing something else and not noticing. You will get some great pics that way.

 

[Best Aunt]

When I've tried to take pictures of kids, I've gotten the best results when:

1) My niece had a make-your-own-sundae bar at her birthday party. As each child sat down, I asked if I could take a picture of his/her sundae. Every single kid smiled happily for the picture. I assume it was because they were proud of their ice cream creations.

2) At work, people bring their kids in on Halloween. As each child came in last year, I asked if I could take a picture. Every single kid happily cooperated. I assume it was because they were proud of their costumes.

To apply this theory to Disney:

3) On our last trip, my nephew got one of those giant turkey legs. And he got a giant cinnamon bun at the bakery in the Magic Kingdom. Every time he got something unusual to eat, I got a picture of him right before he ate it.

I guess what I'm saying is... sometimes a good photo is somewhere between a candid shot and a just-stand-there-and-smile shot. I think it involves finding a prop that honestly makes the kid happy.

 

[DISNEYNV]

I agree...go for the candid shots. They are great. My DD hates getting her pic taken and will do the silly poses too. I love the action or candid shots best. I took some really cool ones of both my kids at the water sprinklers at the Beach Club! Just keep the camera handy and find the perfect moment

 

[pyrxtc]

I agree with all of the above,.....

just for the record though, unphotogenic means that they look horrible in pictures, not that they hate ahving them taken. Photogenic is when you take a great picture no matter what.

 

[theatermouse]

My son looked absolutely miserable in most of my Disney pix, even the ones from Photopass, but he was having a wonderful time! He's in the "say Cheese" mode yet so he literally says "Cheese" and won't look at the camera. He's starting a phase where he'll come to me and want me to take his picture, whether he's wearing his frog "crown" from VBS or just holding a toy. I hope we can do better on the December trip (photo wise) than was done this past March!

 

[*Toadstool*]

I have a photographer that I love. She can take pictures of my DD and have them come out great each time. She was crying in some of the pictures and it looks like she was smiling. Maybe the photopass people are excellent photographers? I doubt it, but ya never know. My DD hates the camera as well. I hope she outgrows it. Her pic is in my siggy. She was screaming and crying in between shots.

 

[tweedlemom]

HAve you thought about giving them the camera and maybe letting them take the pictures this trip? They may be tired of having their own picture taken, but they may really enjoy taking pictures of each other and you with the characters.

 

[dezimber]

I agree with the pp to let them take some pictures. It is interesting seeing things from their point of view. I also vote to snap away at the candids. This is one of my favorites from one of our Disney CA Adventure last summer.

This is at the DLHotel. Yes, that is a steering wheel in his hand that controls one of the miniature Jungle Cruise boats. He would be the one to find a broken one.

This one is a self portrait.

I love the posed pictures for the memories but its the unplanned pictures are the ones that really tell the story. May you be blessed with a wonderful story to tell. Enjoy your trip!

 

[wickywinn]

My youngest is the same way. She poses fine but then dead stares at the camera with the most serious look on her face. Won't budge a smile at all. Well rarely. You have to catch them off guard. I always get at least a smirk when I shriek "Pewwee, STINKY FEET!" It kills her not being able to hold the smile in. But I better get it quick because the girl will physically grab her mouth to try to stop from smiling - the little toot.

So I say, yank the camera out yell something you know will get them smiling or laughing. Works everytime with mine....but you gotta be quick with the picture.

 

[Macduffy]

I agree with all of the above,.....

just for the record though, unphotogenic means that they look horrible in pictures, not that they hate ahving them taken. Photogenic is when you take a great picture no matter what.

Well they look horrible too LOL! I know that sounds horrible but it's true - not a true reflection of their likeness in real like

HAve you thought about giving them the camera and maybe letting them take the pictures this trip? They may be tired of having their own picture taken, but they may really enjoy taking pictures of each other and you with the characters.

Great idea - DS has one of those kid digital cameras maybe I'll start getting him to use it NOW to practice for the trip! Thanks

 

[Tricia1972]

Have you seen the Wolfs Dance Orlando video yet?

It's a pretty big video on the Dis and it really stuck a chord with me. I have three boys and pictures are almost impossible, especially when we're at a fun place. I am forever begging them to look at the camera/me and smile.

When I saw the video and read the thread here, a quote from the dad who made the video stood out to me. He told his kids to "dance harder" when shooting video and taking pictures of the kids by the sign for Nemo.

The kids had fun, the video is amazing, and I bet that the still shots are fun too.

I rely on lots of candid shots for their good pictures of the kids solo, a professional photographer for their formal birthday and Christmas portraits, and will still make a few attempts to get a good shot myself. If that doesn't work, I'll tell them to dance harder and shoot as many pictures as I can.