Family Photography in Muncie, Indiana: Meet My Family Flow Method

If the thought of family photos immediately makes you think, How am I going to get my kids to cooperate? you're not alone.

The good news is, your kids don't have to sit still and smile for an entire family photography session.

After 12 years of photographing families and working with kids of all different ages, personalities and needs, I've developed a process I use for just about every family session.

I call it Family Flow: The Pose & Play Method.

It's pretty simple: pose, prompt and play.

Pose

Yes, we are absolutely getting the picture where everyone is looking at the camera.

The Christmas card photo. The one for Grandma. The one where everyone is clean, together and smiling.

I'll guide you through it so you don't have to worry about how to stand, where to put your hands or what your kids are supposed to be doing.

Then we move on.

Prompt

This is where we start creating the photographs that feel more like your family.

Instead of asking everyone to "act natural," I give you something to do.

Maybe you snuggle together.

Maybe the kids whisper something silly to Dad.

Maybe everyone walks toward me.

Maybe we see who can give Mom the biggest hug.

These little prompts give everyone something to focus on besides the camera, which creates genuine interaction without me standing around hoping a candid moment happens.

Play

Kids aren't designed to sit still for a photo shoot.

Especially little ones.

So we play.

Games give kids a chance to move, laugh and reset when they've had enough of sitting still. I also sometimes use small rewards for good listening, including mini marshmallows. Yes, there is a reason for the marshmallows. They're tiny and dissolve clear. Twelve years of working with kids has taught me a few things. 😂

I always check with parents first, of course.

And sometimes the game itself becomes the photograph.

What if my child won't cooperate?

This is probably one of the biggest concerns I hear from parents before a family photography session in Muncie.

My answer is usually: that's okay.

Your child doesn't have to perform for me.

Some kids are shy. Some are energetic. Some need time to warm up. Some want to know exactly what is going to happen next. Some are going to enthusiastically participate right up until I ask them to do the one thing I actually need them to do.

I've worked with all of them.

My job isn't to make every child behave exactly the same way. It's to figure out what works for the child who is actually standing in front of me.

That's why I don't expect every family session to follow a rigid shot list.

You get both the classic portraits and the real moments

Family Flow isn't about replacing posed family photography with candid photography.

I want both.

We'll get the beautiful portrait where everyone is looking at the camera.

We'll also get the picture where your toddler is laughing because Dad said something ridiculous.

We'll get the sibling hug.

The little hand reaching for Mom.

The belly laughs.

The quiet moments.

The chaos.

Those are the photographs that tell the story of your family right now.

And sometimes the best photograph happens five seconds after everyone stops doing what I asked them to do.

And yes, I have tricks for dads too.

After 12 years of photographing families, I've learned quite a few ways to get kids engaged.

Dads are still a work in progress.

😂

Luckily, the same basic rule applies: give people something to do.

You don't have to know how to pose.

You don't have to know how to make your kids smile.

You don't have to spend the morning threatening your toddler with the loss of screen time if they don't behave for pictures.

Just show up.

I'll take it from there.

That's Family Flow.

Pose. Prompt. Play.

And somewhere in the middle, we'll create the family photographs you're going to love.