5 Tips for an Easy Sunset Portrait Session with Young Kids

As a family photographer, summertime means one thing: SUNSET SESSIONS GALORE!

I absolutely love capturing family portraits in the golden hour when the last rays of sunlight make the whole world glow. This is usually in the hour or so before sunset, and as you know, the sun goes down awfully late in the summer time! This can be so tricky with little ones, and I completely understand. My 3 year old has had a firm 7pm bedtime since he was an infant, and I know what those meltdowns look like when he gets overtired, and how quickly those meltdowns can come on, too! So I get it. I’ve been there with planning my own family portraits, and I absolutely understand your hesitation when it comes to booking a family portrait session at that coincides with your normal dinner & bedtime routine.

But I’m also here to share a few tips with you that will make it soooooo much easier for everyone, and I can promise you we’ll still capture so many smiles, laughs, and adorable moments shared between everyone in your family. Read on for more tips for an easy sunset portrait session with young children!

1. Plan on a late nap.

For the longest time, my son was religious about napping. We couldn’t skip a nap because he needed that time midday to rest and recharge. When you know you’re going to be going to bed a little later than normal, plan to bump your nap a little later in the afternoon, or if your baby is young enough, do an early nap and then a catnap later in the day, too. If you know your child will inevitably fall asleep in the car, leave a little earlier than necessary for your session and drive around while your little one sleeps in the backseat. They’ll wake up and be refreshed and ready to play!

2. Pack snacks.

Have snacks handy, because hungry kids are grumpy kids and we want to avoid that. ;o) I recommend everyone eat dinner before the session, and bring a little snack for the car in case they need it. Avoid messy foods like chocolate and juice, and opt for cheese, crackers, dry cereal, fruit, a pouch, etc. Be sure it’s a food that won’t stain their teeth and tongue. Basically, gummies and oreos are a bad idea because they will be stuck in their teeth in every. single. photo.

3. Bring their PJs and change into them when we’re all done.

This will make bedtime even easier when you get back home. Toss those pajamas in the car and they’ll be ready when we finish photographing your family.

4. Don’t underestimate the power of a bribe.

And don’t feel like you need to apologize for it, either! I know from photographing my own son just how well a bribe can work to get him to listen and smile for a short period of time, and I fully support whatever you choose and I will help get the kids excited about it during their session, too! I can’t even begin to count how many sessions we’ve talked about “So, what kind of ice cream will you have when you’re all done?” to get a little one to smile and excitedly tell me their favorite flavors, and it makes them happy to chat, smile, and interact when they have something to look forward to afterwards.

5. The most important one: relax and have fun.

This is key. If you’re stressed, the kids will sense it and they will feed off of the vibes and be unwilling to cooperate and enjoy themselves. Relax. Take a deep breath. Maybe have a glass of wine before heading out the door. Let me coax the smiles out of your children, and you just worry about loving on them and making some memories together. And you can guarantee that those cuddles and memories will be oh-so-beautifully documented for you to enjoy for many, many years!

Check out more tips for a meltdown-free session with young children!

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