Hello hello! Thank you for being here! If you’re new here - welcome!

I’m Tabitha and I am a lifestyle family and newborn photographer in the Washington DC area. I offer sessions in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia!

Sessions with Tabitha Maegan Photography are laid back, child led, and full of movement and emotion. I want you to have a gallery of special images that represents your family! We can play some games, cuddle, and document your family.

We don’t want to spend the session forcing unnatural expressions from kids and adults - because we know no one likes that! I’ve found that it’s better to anticipate that kids want to move a little bit, and they will likely have better and more natural expressions when engaging with family members.

Here are a few ways to get natural expressions from kids at your Washington DC family session:

Let them follow prompts with their ideas.
Here, I wanted to capture the siblings and I talked a little bit with the kids through my camera and then asked them to hug each other. I love their expressions, especially the one of brother and sister hugging!
Parents you all can step away for a few minutes!
I have a little one and know it can be work to earn trust from a kid! I like to sing songs, ask questions, and make silly sounds to get the children to relax. I’ve found that when the kids are comfortable with me, it’s easier to get natural expressions.
When the kids need a break for a couple of minutes, I continue taking photos. I love the image below of the little girl and her curly hair! I don’t think we would have gotten that collection of images if we had been forcing the little one to look at the camera and smile!
Engage with your kids and try to pretend I’m not there
Typically once we get portraits of the kids they tend to relax and it’s easier to get images of family connection. Some ideas that will keep your child engaged with you can include - telling them a story, singing a song, and tickles!
go with the flow and let go of expectations
Being a lifestyle family photographer to me means not forcing stiff poses and not making kids pretend they are happy when they are not! I like documenting this stage of life, meaning your child’s interests, silly faces, games, and bringing out your child’s personality. Portraits are important, photos matter. Even if your daughter is running around and her curly hair is covering her face. Or when your little one has a tiny bit if dirt on their pants but it means they had fun running around their session! There are so many ways during your lifestyle family session to get the photos that you will ultimately love. I’m looking forward to photographing your next family session!
Are there any other tips you would include that would help get natural expressions from kids? Let me know!