How to Handle Early Bedtimes and Late Sunsets | Boston Family Photographer

Spring is in the air—can you feel it? With these longer days come more family sessions, but if your kids go to bed on the earlier side it might be difficult to wrap your head around a sunset session.

For those of you who don’t know, my sessions typically take place in the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset. Why? That’s when the light is softest and most flattering. These “golden hours” are the primary way that I’m able to achieve that magical, glowing look that we all love.

Read more: Why Golden Hour?

So if the sun sets at 7 or 8pm, your little ones might be getting close to or past their bedtime. If that’s the case, I have some tips that will help your kids not only avoid meltdowns but have fun:

Make a Day of It

Family photo day is a special day! I like to think of it as being something like the Superbowl or Oscars party for your family. So have some fun getting ready for it.

Have a dance party while you get your outfits together! Think about fun things that your kids might want to document through photos. Have they recently learned how to do cartwheels? Is there a special handshake they’ve been working on? Silly faces?

Get them in on the fun and they’ll see the session more as a treat than a chore.

Take a Full Family Nap

Even if your kids have outgrown naps, they’ll be more excited about taking one if everyone is in on it. And, hey, you probably need a nap too!

This will require some planning ahead and self control, because if you’re anything like me it’s difficult to stop yourself from getting on with that to do list.

But I have seen how much of a difference that naps make for everyone in the family, and that results in a happier photo shoot experience and much better photos!

Plan a Special Treat

Let your kiddos know that good behavior will be rewarded with a special treat at the end of your session! I don’t know about you, but I know that even the adults in my family behave better when they know there’s an ice cream cone at the end of a task.

If your kids can’t handle sugar that late in the day, you might plan something for the next morning. A special diner breakfast is always exciting to wake up to!