It’s one thing to get one child to smile for a shot, but how do you get three kids to smile?

Pascaline and her cousin Zoe could almost be twins with their blond hair and big brown eyes.

You add Blaze to the equation, and I’m dying with my camera! I wanted to be sure and get some shots of all three kids together so I enlisted Uncle Gregg to help. I had him stand behind me and do crazy, goofy things. While he entertained them, I shot away. It seems that once you get their emotion going, kids will start doing the funniest things. The true nature comes out when you’re not expecting it.

Check out the ones below of Blaze. He never stops reaching for one of the kittens, and then he has a fit in the end. Loved that shot the most! 🙂

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Exercise for “Using Uncle Gregg”

1. This exercise is a fun one to do during the holidays because it takes a goofy relative to help you. Our kids are often bored with us parents trying to get them to hold still for photos, but when you put Uncle Gregg next to you…be ready for the laughs that comes from someone they don’t see every day. It’s great!

2. Have the kids sit down on the sidewalk. I like the sidewalk because it often has a nice reflection of light coming off it, especially on cloudy days. Having the kids sit down also helps them stay put while you’re shooting.

3. Sit right in front of them with your camera (maybe four feet away at the most). Be front and center, ready to shoot, and then have your own Uncle Gregg do his magic.

4. Tell Uncle Gregg to stand behind you and do crazy, goofy stuff. Tell him to make noise because kids don’t seem to be interested without noise (remember, this is only going to work for five minutes so you’re going for crazy, extreme, goofy impact all at once). Wild bird calls, chicken dances or animal noises work great!

5. Shoot away! And be on the watch for those moments when they forget about Uncle Gregg and start doing funny things, like Blaze did in the shots above. 🙂 Sneaky guy!

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To learn more about me visit About Me Ra.

To find out more information on our photography workshops, visit “Documenting a Child’s Life.”

To see our day job, visit our website. 🙂