A Family Shoot That Couldn’t Have Gone More Perfectly | Cape Town Family Photographer
- Ashley Chapman
- 12 hours ago
- 6 min read
There is one thing I hear from parents before a family photoshoot more than almost anything else:
“I’m just worried the kids are going to be shy.”
Closely followed by:
“What if they cry?” “What if they don’t want to smile?” “What if they refuse to come near you?” “What if they’re in a bad mood?”
And honestly? My answer is always the same: it is absolutely okay.
A family photoshoot does not need perfect children, perfectly coordinated behaviour or everyone looking directly at the camera with matching smiles. In fact, some of my favourite family photographs are the complete opposite. They are the little moments in between. The shy smiles. The cuddles with Mum. The wild giggles when Dad throws someone into the air. The quiet moments. The chaos. The personalities.
And Monicha’s beautiful family shoot was the perfect reminder of why I tell every parent not to stress too much about their children before their photoshoot.
A journey to Cape Town for a family photoshoot
Monicha and her family drove an entire hour to Cape Town for their family shoot, which is already commitment when you have two young children to get dressed, fed, packed into the car and entertained before you even arrive. 😂
Before the shoot, one of their biggest concerns was their son, Charl.
They were worried that he might be too shy.
It is something I completely understand. A family photoshoot means meeting a photographer you may not know very well, going to a new location and being asked to interact with a camera. For a shy child, that can sound like a lot.
But here is the thing:
Children do not need to perform for me.
I don't expect them to arrive and immediately start smiling at the camera like professional models. I don't need them to sit still for an hour. And I definitely don't need them to behave in a way that doesn't feel natural to them.
My job is to photograph them as themselves.
So when Charl arrived, there was no pressure. No jumping straight into formal family photos. No standing in a line and repeatedly hearing, “Say cheese!”
Instead, we let the afternoon unfold.
And oh my goodness… it could not have gone more perfectly. 🥹
When the “shy child” becomes the star of the show
Charl was full of smiles.
Not only did he settle into the shoot beautifully, but he interacted with Mum and Dad so naturally and sweetly. He played. He explored. He joined in. And best of all?
He didn’t cry once.
Not. Once. 😂👏🏻
Honestly, if you had told Monicha and her husband beforehand that their little boy would spend the afternoon smiling, playing with flowers, cuddling his parents and happily joining in with the photographs, I am not sure they would have believed you.
And that is exactly why I always tell parents:
Please don't cancel a shoot because you think your child is too shy.
Children often surprise us.
A child who is shy at home can become curious in a new environment. A child who normally hates photographs might love playing games with their parents. And even if they do remain shy, that does not ruin the session.
Some of the most beautiful photographs come from children holding tightly onto Mum or Dad, hiding their little faces in a parent's shoulder or simply observing everything around them.
Shyness is not something that needs to be fixed before a family photoshoot.
It is simply part of who your child is in that moment.
The magic happens when everyone forgets about the camera
Once everyone relaxed, this beautiful family shoot became exactly what I love most about photographing families.
There were no forced moments.
No constant posing.
Just a family spending time together.
Monicha’s beautiful family spent the afternoon soaking up the sunshine, playing amongst the trees, sharing cuddles and giving me the sweetest little moments to capture.
From tiny hands held tightly by Mum and Dad to being thrown high into the air with the biggest giggles, the entire afternoon was filled with those small, ordinary moments that become extraordinary when you realise how quickly children grow.
Their little girl explored amongst the flowers and grass with the sweetest smile, while Charl showed off his gentle side and his playful personality. There was a particularly beautiful moment where he crouched down beside his little sister, completely focused on sharing a flower with her.
Those are the photographs that get me.
The ones nobody planned.
The ones nobody could recreate.
The ones that happened because we simply gave the children space to be children.
A reminder for parents: your children do not need to be perfect
If you are considering booking a family photoshoot in Cape Town, please hear me when I say this:
Your children do not need to be perfectly behaved for your photographs to be beautiful.
They do not need to smile on command.
They do not need to look at the camera for every photograph.
They do not need to be outgoing.
They don't even need to love having their photo taken.
The most important thing you can do as a parent is simply relax and be present.
Your children take their cues from you. If everyone arrives stressed and worried about whether the children are “behaving”, they can feel that pressure too. But when you let them play, cuddle them when they need comfort and laugh when things get a little chaotic, that is when the real magic happens.
Trust me to guide the session.
I will let you know when I need everyone together for a more traditional family photograph, but the rest of the time? I want you to enjoy your family.
Tickles. Cuddles. Piggybacks. Running. Exploring.
Dad throwing the kids into the air.
Mum soaking up those quiet little moments.
That is the good stuff.
And what if your child cries?
It happens.
And it is okay.
Honestly, I think one of the biggest misconceptions about family photography is that the entire session needs to run perfectly from beginning to end.
It doesn't.
Your child may cry.
They may need a snack.
They may need to be picked up.
They may refuse to participate for ten minutes before suddenly deciding they are ready.
We can take breaks. We can change the plan. We can slow things down.
A little flexibility goes a very long way.
And sometimes, after a child has had a moment to reset, they come back happier than ever.
Charl’s family arrived worried that his shyness might affect the shoot, and instead, we got the happiest little boy who was an absolute pleasure to photograph.
But even if he had been shy?
We still would have captured beautiful photographs.
Because family photography is not about making children fit into a perfect little box.
It is about capturing the family you have.
An afternoon I could have photographed forever
Monicha and her beautiful family were an absolute dream to photograph. The beautiful light, the peaceful setting, the sunshine filtering through the trees and, of course, two gorgeous little personalities made this afternoon something really special.
Honestly, I could have kept them in front of my camera all day.
There were smiles and cuddles. Mum and Dad each had their own special moments with the children. There were tiny hands, big laughs and beautiful family embraces.
And there were photographs that I know will mean something completely different to them as the years pass.
Because one day, those tiny hands won't fit inside Mum and Dad's hands anymore.
One day, being thrown into the air by Dad will become a distant memory.
One day, those little outfits, chubby cheeks, wild hair and contagious giggles will belong to much bigger children.
That is why I believe family photographs are so important.
They are not just pictures of what your family looked like.
They are photographs of what this season of life felt like.
Thinking about booking a family photoshoot?
If you have been putting off a family photoshoot because you are worried your children are too shy, too busy, too wild or simply too unpredictable…
Your children do not need to be ready to become tiny models.
They just need to be themselves.
And I will take care of the rest. 🤍
Because the best family photographs are not always the perfectly posed ones.
Sometimes, they are the beautifully chaotic, joyful, emotional and completely imperfect moments that feel the most like you.
And those are the moments I hope Monicha and her beautiful family never forget. 📸✨
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