40 Children Photos Ideas: Cute & Creative Examples

Photographing kids is a challenge, but if you are armed with creative and interesting children photos ideas – your chances of success will increase.

40 Children Photography Ideas to Try

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I’ve compiled a list of impactful ideas that will immediately stand out amidst a sea of regular children photos with boring poses. Even if the kids are scared of a camera, these ideas will make them interested in the shoot.

1. Incorporate Pets

children photos ideas with pets

If you are interested in meaningful photos ideas for kids, that will be admired for years to come – shoot kids with their pets. Their bond is truly unique and it will make the photos emotional.

children photos ideas with pets

Capture their genuine interactions: a dog licking the child across the face, snuggling with a kitty, feeding them their favorite snack, or playing catch-up.

2. On a Swing

children photos ideas swing

Rather than using boring poses, give the kids a fun activity to do. Swinging on a swing will turn your photoshoot into a game, and serve as a distraction from your camera. The youngsters will be so full of excitement that they will definitely lose any feeling of being camera-shy.

children photos ideas swing

You can also decorate the swing with flowers to add a more feminine touch. Make sure to use fast shutter speed and the Burst Mode to capture their infectious smiles.

3. Picking Flowers

children photos ideas picking flowers

There isn’t a more feminine children photos idea than picking flowers. Advise the subject to wear pastel colors, and complete the look with a flower crown.

You can also use a basket as a prop, and ask the young model to collect the flowers in it.

4. Engrossed in a Book

children photos ideas reading a book

If the kid is a bookworm, ask the parents to prepare their favorite books for a shoot. Capture them immersed in a book at a picturesque location.

children photos ideas reading a book

Incorporate the rule of thirds to make your composition more attractive.

5. Twirl

children photos ideas twirl

If the girl is wearing a flowy dress, ask her to spin, or flick the dress towards the camera. This will make photos much more dynamic by adding movement.

children photos ideas twirl

This simple pose will make your subject more relaxed. You can also throw around confetti or glitter for a fancier shot.

6. Blowing Bubbles

children photos ideas bubbles

Not only bubbles are cheap photography props, but also they are also sure to fascinate a kid of any age. You can either have kids blow bubbles, or if they are too young, ask their parent to do it, and let the kids chase the bubbles.

7. Blowing Dandelions

children photos ideas blowing dandelions

Ask the child to pick dandelions, make a wish, and blow the seeds into the wind. You’re bound to capture some adorable shots during this summertime shoot.

8. Spring Blossom

children photos ideas spring blossom

This is a great option if you are looking for cute spring photo ideas. Throw some petals in the air, while asking the child to get closer to the branch with blossom.

children photos ideas spring blossom

9. Sitting Down

children photos ideas sitting down pose

Sitting down is one of the easiest portrait photography poses to recreate and a good place to start the photoshoot. It looks even better if your little model is barefoot.

10. Tire Swing

children photos ideas on a tire swing

Children usually have a hard time sitting still for photos, so why not make the most out of it, and take photos while they are swinging on a tire It will give them something fun to do and provides you with priceless expressions to capture. Just make sure you know how to handle high-speed photography.

11. Glitter

Add sparkle to your images by incorporating glitter. You can cover their faces in glitter, ask them to gently blow it towards the camera, or throw it up in the air. Mind, that this children photos idea requires an extensive clean-up, so avoid this idea if you don’t have much time.

12. Falling Leaves

children photos ideas falling leaves in autumn

Portraits with falling leaves belong to classic fall photoshoot ideas. Simply ask the kid to toss some leaves in the air, or ask their parents to do it if they are too young. Since you’ll have to shoot with a fast shutter speed, make sure there’s a lot of light to compensate for it.

If you want to make your leaves photo more unique, try the composite editing technique. It will allow you to combine several photos, and manipulate the number of leaves or their position.

13. Gift Unwrapping

children photos ideas gift unwrapping

This one belongs to Christmas photo ideas that are essential for every child. Capture their excitement as their unwrapping the gifts from their close ones.

14. A Yawn

children photos ideas yawn

If you’re shooting newborn photography, catch the baby yawning. Infants are always yawning, so you should have ample opportunity to capture this.

children photos ideas yawn

15. Taking a Nap

children photos ideas taking a nap

Lifestyle photography is the best way to capture little kids. Don’t pose them formally; just follow the natural flow of their day. If they want to take a nap-let them and capture the result!

16. Focus on the Eyes

children photos ideas focus on the eyes

Set your focus metering point on the kids’ eyes. An emphasis on the eyes can make your portraits much more impactful and will draw the viewers into the image.

17. Camera Hug

children photos ideas camera hug

Ask the child to pose as if they are about to hug the camera. You are bound to get fun results with joyful expressions. Use a wide-angle lens for a more interesting composition.

18. Water Splash

children photos ideas water splashing

If you’re into action photos ideas for kids and would like to get some fun expressions from the youngsters, try this water splashing idea. Have one sibling throw a bucket of water at the other, and use fast shutter speed to freeze the motion. Make sure your camera is stabilized on a monopod produced by these tripod brands to avoid blur.

children photos ideas water splashing

19. Bed Surfing

children photos ideas surfing

Children have a vivid imagination, which can be used to create impressive shots. Take this bed surfing as an example, and fabricate a new world out of ordinary objects. Incorporate their hobbies and interests.

20. Levitating

children photos ideas levitation

Make your little models float in the air with the help of the composite editing technique. There are tons of levitation photography ideas you can choose from. It’s better to shoot this type of photography inside since outside lighting will create inconsistent shadows in the photos.

21. Surreal

children photos ideas surreal

If you are looking for something extraordinary, try realizing surreal photography ideas. Mind, that you’ll need powerful photo editing software for these types of photos. Make sure the lighting is consistent across all the photos you are compositing in order so that the final result looks as true to life as possible.

22. Milk Bath

children photos ideas milk bath

Try milk bath photography if you are aiming for dreamy and atmospheric portraits. A plain milk bath will make the kid the main focal point of your photo. However, if you want your images to have more colors and texture, add fruit, flowers, and greenery. The kids will also have something that will keep them busy.

23. Fashion Shoot

children photos ideas fashion

Mix children and fashion photography together for breathtaking results. Collaborate with stylists and make-up artists to create a trendy look, and encourage the kids to use model poses.

children photos ideas fashion

24. Renovation

children photos ideas renovation

Since kids love experimenting, they will love this renovation idea. Just give them several colorful paint cans and a paint roller. Give them complete creative freedom and let them paint the walls however they like.

25. Forced Perspective

children photos ideas forced perspective

Holding up flowers, fruit, and vegetables at the right angle and distance will create an optical illusion of the kids wearing them. Play around with some forced perspective photography ideas for creative and unique shots.

children photos ideas forced perspective

26. Fishing

children photos ideas fishing

Youngsters like to imitate adults, and another activity that can interest them is fishing. Make sure to use a kids fishing set, since a regular pole will be too big for kids.

27. Little Chefs

children photos ideas cooking

Seizing moments while kids are engaged in recreating a recipe can result in some great shots. This is also one of the cutest Mother’s Day photo ideas. They won’t even be aware that they are being photographed. This will result in genuine emotions and relaxed poses.

28. Playing With Ducks

children photos ideas ducks

Incorporate baby ducks into your children photos ideas to get adorable shots. Make sure there’s adult supervision at all times, and there’s someone to step in and take the animal away if they are being handled harshly.

children photos ideas ducks

29. Recreate Favorite Fairytale or Cartoon

children photos ideas recreating fairytale

Kids love playing dress-up, so why not suggest recreating their favorite fairytale in photos? Think through the wardrobe and appropriate props beforehand to create a magical photoshoot. Use photography strobe lights to create ambiance and mood.

children photos ideas toy story

This also belongs to fun first Birthday photo shoot ideas. Just create a shoot around the characters your child enjoys the most.

30. Incorporate Flowers

children photos ideas flowers

A great way to add bursts of color into photos is by incorporating flowers. They can enhance any portrait, and turn any image into fine art photography. Flowers serve as great foregrounds, backgrounds, and accessories. You don’t even have to buy fresh flowers, there are high-quality artificial flowers that you’ll be able to reuse in future shoots.

children photos ideas flowers

31. Fairy Lights

children photos ideas with fairy lights

Fairy lights is a trendy prop, since it not only provides extra lights but also produces a creative effect. I recommend going for string lights that allow you to adjust the brightness. This will help when you shoot in darker locations. 

children photos ideas with fairy lights

You can also create amazing bokeh photography with the help of fairy lights. Just make sure to keep your aperture low to achieve a shallow depth of field.

32. At the Beach

children photos ideas listening to a seashell

A trip to the beach is always a fun experience for kids, and there are lots of thematic props that you can use there. Seashell, for example, is a sweet prop for beach photo ideas. Ask the kid to press an ear to a shell to listen to the sound of the ocean.

children photos ideas lantern

A lantern is another great prop idea. Its warm light, in combination with the sunset colors being reflected in the water, makes a very cozy image. It’s also a perfect place to realize mother and daughter photography ideas.

33. At the Train Station

children photos ideas train station

For vintage photos ideas for kids - organize a shoot at a train station. Railroad tracks and trains look incredible in photos and will help you create a mysterious atmosphere. Don’t forget to bring luggage to use as a prop.

34. In a Lavender Field

children photos ideas lavender field

Lavender fields create a gorgeous backdrop in photos. Make sure to plan this shoot in advance, as the flowering season spans from mid-June to mid-August. Ask the child to sit in the rows of lavender, or run through them.

children photos ideas lavender field

Pick a bouquet of fresh lavender for your little subjects to hold in photos.

35. On a Sunflower Farm

children photos ideas with sunflowers

Opt for a shoot on a sunflower farm if you want photos full of warmth. Vast fields of golden flowers create an eye-catching composition, which makes this location very popular with the Instagram photographers.

36. Countryside

children photos ideas countryside

Capture kids enjoying the rural life and fooling around with farm animals in a barn. It’s important to have a trained animal handler at the shoot to teach the child how to interact with farm animals and to ensure their safety.

children photos ideas countryside

Sometimes, kids can be afraid to touch animals or get close to them. If you are shooting with large animals, like a horse, for example, you can increase the distance between them, and let them get closer as they get more comfortable. If you are shooting with small animals, try placing them in a basket and posing the child near it.

37. Sibling Love

children photos ideas siblings

Gather all of the siblings or cousins in one photo. The results will be especially cute if they look alike, or have the same hair color, like in the picture above. As for family photo outfits ideas, make sure they are wearing casual, color-coordinated clothes, and avoid matching clothes.

38. A Hug

children photos ideas siblingshug

A simple hug is one of the cutest sisters photo ideas. Position them away from the camera, gazing at a beautiful sunset. Ask them to have their hair down, as this will create a more impressive shot.

children photos ideas hug

You can also shoot their hug from the front to capture their joyful expressions.

39. Snowball Fight

children photos ideas snowball fight

Having a snowball fight is one of the most fun winter photoshoot ideas for siblings. It also lets the youngsters show off their playful side, and engage in an interesting activity.

40. Supermen

children photos ideas brothers

Always choose children photos ideas that focus on the kids’ interests. For example, since children are obsessed with superheroes, capture 2 brothers opening their shirts to reveal the spider man suits underneath.

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