We'll hang out and have fun. We won't be bossy, and no one has to smile if they don't feel like it. We'll let the children take some pictures on our big cameras so they're not intimidated. Don't worry about making it perfect: when all the babies are grown and having babies of their own, the real-life shots will mean more than the posed ones. Your shoot will be really easy – well, as easy as normal life with normal kiddos can be. And the end result will be true-to-life, natural family portraits with no dodgy matching outfits or weird cheesy posing (unless you're big Awkward Family Photo fans and want dodgy matching outfits and weird cheesy posing).
 

One of the major thing we've learned on our London baby photographer adventures is that adults tend to think that children are the difficult ones to photograph. It's not true at all. They consequently spend the entire shoot distracted by that, thereby ensuring that they become the "difficult" ones themselves.

So, a big part of being a family photographer is getting the grown ups to relax; the kiddos are easy. Now that we have one ourselves, we know relaxing is easier said than done. But, honestly, don't worry about it. If your toddler's temporarily gone demonic, it'll just make for more memorable pictures.
 

A FEW MORE TIPS:

include a favourite toy/blanket/kitchen utensil that'll keep the little 'un reasonably happy

be somewhere familiar: home is ideal

pick your photographer wisely (ie, if you want a staged studio shot, don't pick us)

newborns look super wrinkly and usually quite weird: totally worth documenting, but not necessarily… pretty

schedule your shoot around naptime and lunchtime, because exhausted hangry children are unnecessarily tricky subjects…

…and then let your photographer schedule for the light; between the two of you, you'll create the best possible setting

remember to print your pictures afterwards; don't let them languish on a hard drive