If you have young children, and are planning your dreamy Nantucket photos… you may also be wondering, Will they actually cooperate? This is why I want to introduce you to a child-led family photo session. 

If you’re wondering what that means, I promise it’ll make sense by the end of this post. It might just be exactly the kind of photo session you’ve been dreaming out.

A child-led family photo session is a way of approaching the actual session that takes the pressure off.

Instead of asking your children to sit still, smile, and look at the camera: we let them be exactly who they are.

As a Nantucket family photographer, I work with a LOT of little ones. I know that children rarely want to follow an strict itinerary. Especially when there is an entire island to explore! (And honestly, I get it!! 

So, we follow their lead.

Maybe your kiddos want to stop and smell the flowers along Old North Wharf.

Or explore until they find the perfect seashell on the beach. Or, maybe, they want to run through the dunes, climb onto a paddle board, or dig their hands into the sand.

For a child-led family photo session, we slow down and let them explore.

A few things you can expect during your session:

• Plenty of movement and play
• Time to explore the surroundings
• Games that encourage natural smiles
• Candid moments mixed with beautiful portraits
• A photographer who is very comfortable getting down on the ground

Here’s What I Want You To Know: Your Kids Don’t Have to Perform

The goal isn’t to make your children perform for the camera. It’s to capture their childhood.

That means photographing the way they interact with their siblings. And the way they reach for Mom or Dad. The serious concentration of collecting seashells. The giggles that happen when everyone starts running down the beach together.

And, a child-led family photo session also doesn’t mean we skip the classic family portraits.

In fact, I’ve found that children are much more willing to participate in those photos once they feel included and comfortable.

After some games, laughter, and a little bit of silliness, I’ll gently guide everyone into those beautiful portraits you’ll want to send to grandparents and include in your annual Christmas card too.

Let’s Make Your Nantucket Vacation Part of the Story

Your family photos should feel like a memory of your Nantucket vacation, not an interruption to it. You don’t need to wrangle the kids and cross your fingers they are calm & “behaved”. They are completely free to be themselves with me. I’ll be there with my camera each step of the way. 

Whether we’re wandering through the charming streets, exploring the beach, admiring the hydrangeas, or watching the boats come into the harbor, I want your children to experience the island while I document it all.

After more than five years and hundreds of families, I know how to find those fleeting smiles and meaningful little moments.

A child-led family photo session gives your children room to be themselves while giving you photographs that bring you right back to this season of your family’s life.