Most of the photos and video my mom has of me as a kid have me going through crazy acrobatic feats to get out of the frame. I hated having my picture taken and it didn’t matter how many times I was warned that someday I would want those pictures, I was NOT smiling for the camera. We even have a few professionally done family portraits that I’m frowning in because I didn’t want to be a part of the process.

I was ALSO warned that someday I would have kids who acted just like I did. Fast forward to today. As soon as I pull out my camera, my kids go diving for cover. Some days I wonder if I had smiled more for the camera if my kids would have been genetically predisposed to do the same.

I don’t at all consider myself a professional photographer but I do like to get great pictures of my kids, especially since it isn’t always in the budget to go to a professional. The question is, how in the world do you get great pictures of kids who won’t make eye contact with you when your camera is anywhere within arm’s reach? Take them on a photo date!

I’ve found that by taking my kids out, one at a time, on a special photo date they are much more willing to participating and it becomes something that they can look forward to because they get individual time with mom.

Rules of a Great Photo Date

• Go somewhere exciting. It doesn’t matter if you visit an old favorite or explore some place new as long as you make the outing exciting. We’ve gone to local parks, large fields, the beach, up a canyon, and more.

• Try and think of what type of backgrounds will be available to you for photos wherever you plan to go and dress your child accordingly. My kids are usually more likely to allow me to take their picture if they have some sort of say in what they are wearing so I try to include them in the decision process. If it’s in the budget, you could buy a new outfit for the occasion.

• Never tell your child to smile. That’s an automatic mood killer. You’re day will change from an exciting outing to just another one of mom’s tricks to get a great picture. If your child won’t smile naturally, try and encourage him to make eye contact with the camera by talking to him and drawing attention to yourself in whatever way you need to. Grab some candid shots of your child playing and exploring. You’ll probably get some great shots and you’ll be more likely to capture your child’s personality than you will with posed shots.

• Enjoy the moment. You may or may not get the perfect shot but half of the beauty of a photo is the memory that surrounds it. Focus on creating a memory of a wonderful moment with your child and not just a great shot that reminds you of a hectic morning trying to find the perfect outfit and snapping at your child to smile.

• Initiate conversation. I’ve realized that as my kids have moved out of the preschool stage that I’ve had to learn how to talk to them in a new way. I realized that if I don’t learn how to communicate with them now, the teenage years are going to be just that much harder. Take the opportunity to talk to your child about his interests, his hopes, his fears and you’ll probably find an opportunity to capture a beautiful facial expression at the same time.

•Reward your child after the photo date. It’s no fun to be all work and no play. After your photo shoot, do something that you and your child enjoy. Go to a movie together. Go out for ice cream. Visit a new restaurant you’ve been meaning to try. It’s so rare that life slows down long enough to spend time with each child individually so do it while you’ve got the chance. It will make a photo date something that your child can look forward to