3 Surprisingly Simple Tips for an Amazing Upsherin Photography Session

In my 10 plus years of photographing 3 year old boys before their Upsherin (first haircut), I’ve learned that the number one thing Moms worry about is whether or not their child will cooperate at his portrait session. These worries are normal and valid, as this can be a challenging age in terms of behavior. It happens to be my favorite age to work with and its really easy to get them to cooperate once you incorporate some simple psychological techniques. Read on for 3 tips to help ensure that your 3 year old is happy and cooperative for these important milestone portraits.

1) Don’t talk about the session a lot beforehand. You don’t want to put pressure on your child to perform or behave because at this age they tend to do the exact opposite if they feel your anxiety (or desperation) about their behavior. The correct way to tell them about the session is to mention it only one or two days before, and in a very calm, no-big-deal kind of way. Phrase it like you’ll be going to visit mommy’s friend to try out her toys and take some pictures, without mentioning ANYTHING about behavior or prizes or how he’ll be expected to perform.

2) Bring a Surprise bribe– but do not tell your son about it! Children at this age have very little patience to wait for things, and if they know about a treat you promised them they’ll be asking for it 5 minutes into the session, I promise. And they won’t stop asking. Instead, wait until you’re at the session and you absolutely need it before mentioning it. He’ll be pleasantly surprised about this special unexpected treat and that can be enough of a motivator to get him to cooperate willingly.

3) Keep a low profile at the session– Let the photographer work their magic and interact with your child so they can form a connection with him. This connection is crucial to enabling the photographer to capture your child’s true personality in his portraits, and if you’re in the way or your son feels like you’re the one in charge, it can disrupt the entire process. And of course, never ever threaten your child during the session- that will only turn the experience negative and it will spiral downward from there. Stay calm, upbeat, and keep your interactions with him to a minimum, and let your photographer capture his adorable little face and long hair for a truly special portrait that you will love forever.