What’s the Best Age to Photograph Kids? | San Diego Family Photographer

Parents often ask me, “What’s the best age to photograph my kids?” My answer is always, “The age they are!” 

I believe there is no “best age” to photograph kids. Every age is a memorable one that should be documented with photographs. Here are some of my favorite details about each stage of childhood.

Newborns: 0-6 Months Old
Traditional newborn photos typically take place in the first ten days after birth. Babies change so quickly during the first weeks and months of life. Newborn photos focus on capturing all of a baby’s special details: mini fingers and toes, sweet sleepy facial expressions, wispy hair curls and impossibly tiny eyelashes. 

I specialize in photographing newborns in a “lifestyle” style, which means I keep the babies natural and unposed with no props. We focus on the newborn in their home environment and their parents’ arms. Even if you’ve missed the traditional “newborn photo” window, we can still capture lovely photos of you and your sweet new baby.

Infants: 6 Months - 1 Year Old
This is the age I like to call the “potted plant” phase. They’re big enough to sit up steadily, but not quite independent or mobile enough to get away. Babies this age are starting to become more social, engaged, and showing more personality. They’ve grown a lot since their newborn days, and are typically adorably chubby. Most babies are starting to cut their first teeth, which makes for adorable, happy smiles.

Toddlers: 1-2 Years Old
While this can be a challenging age to photograph, it’s also a ton of fun. Toddlers have a TON of personality, and often a mind of their own. They are active, busy, and on the go. They love to explore and play with mom and dad. This is a fantastically fun age to get lots of playful action photos - tossing up high, spinning and twirling around, playing peek-a-boo, and swinging in the air.

Preschool: 3-5 Years Old
Preschoolers are learning how to follow simple directions. They are exploring their independence, but also love to snuggle, play, and be goofy with mom and dad. They LOVE to be silly, and I love capturing their authentic belly laughs. This is a great age to get a last photo of baby smiles, before they start losing their teeth. 

Elementary School: 6-12 Years Old
Kids grow quickly. One minute they’re tiny toddlers, and the next minute they’re teenagers. That’s one reason that I love capturing the transitional years of elementary school kids. While they might seem like such a big kid to you now, in a few years this same age will feel SO little. 

Something I love to do with older kids is to get their input on how they’d like to be photographed. What activities do they like? What part of the location do they want to explore? What ideas do they have? Getting and using their ideas can help really capture their unique selves.

Teenagers
Don’t forget about your older kids! I think a lot of families fall out of the habit of getting photos done consistently as their kids get older - but please don’t! The teen years are ones you’ll want to capture too, especially if your kids will be leaving home soon. You’ll always want to remember what they were like on the cusp of adulthood. 

Besides, teens are an absolute delight to photograph! In my experience, teenagers are pretty open to laughing with and showing love to their parents. And as a bonus, they follow directions really well!

Thinking about updating your family photos this year? You’ll be glad you did it, whatever stage of life your family is in.