3-6 year olds are the TOUGHEST! i've found engaging them in some sort of game helps. if you make it "fun" they're more apt to listen and/or play along. have you taken a look at willette's bag o tricks? great tips & games in there.

i've also found getting them to talk, if they're not shy, works great too. stuff they like to do, favorite toys, etc.

another thing i've tried is getting them BEHIND the camera. not taking shots, but showing them how it works since at this age they're so curious.

hope that helps some! sounds like the marketing campaign helped with biz, although it sounds like it's a little CRAZY for you...especially with it being holiday season!

good luck!

PLAY is the key word. Bring them toys, a clown, anything that coul be borrowed, rent, or not-so-expensive. Why not, dress yourself funny or playing a favorite character. Give them cameras(tourists or wanna be cameras) and take pictures of "each other". Not necesarilly standing still You 'll always find in parents good resources to be convinced, with some good words, that children in motion are the definition itself of gchildhood, so no need to want staring- at- the camera kids. Take tons of photos, you'll use it. r U good with expreSsion(PORTRAITURE) of the face? Take close shoots, gross-plan(franch) and it will be fantastic
And, THE MAGIC RULE: DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE KIDS. THEY'LL KNOW IT.

thanks for the advice so far, its been super helpful! I do get a lot of 'action' shots with the tots and parents but it leaves me wondering if this is good enough? My portrait shots of little ones (without being too full of myself) are really good and I have a gift for capturing those split second moments of perfection. Whilst those shots are great the parents come to me for family meaning I need more of them as a family.

Buying some toys is a good idea though, I tend to find if I leave it to the parents they turn out to be these unsightly things! Thanks for the idea of bag o tricks, I have soooo many resources and such little time to go through them all and find whats relevant and really worth the read.

As for showing a kiddie behind the camera I tried it once and had to spend the rest of the shoot with a kid who ran up to me after every shot saying "my turn, my turn" to look at the photo LOL. No amount of reprimand or negotiation helped, so I'm definitely not trying that one again :P However getting a camera for them to play with while I take shots is a nice idea

glad to help! anytime!

I found this post by chance, I forgot about threads, sorry.
Besides what our friends said so well, I've learned that better rise ISO to gain a faster shutter speed. Gross-plan is a must, even I exagerate usually.
They are like cats... jumping after a laser beam. Try new stuff for them, cause they know their toys too well.
All the best!

gozu said:

They are like cats... jumping after a laser beam.

so true gozu! my 2 year old is exactly like that! lol

Thanks so much for all the advice, I feel a little better already having read the comments I had a 5 year old with her parents for a location shoot this past weekend and this time after saying hello to the parents etc I spent the time walking to the area fully focused on the child and chatting, "what school do you go to?" "Do you have many friends?" "What are their names?" "What is your teacher like?" etc.

I found by the time I was ready to start with the family she already viewed me as a friendly safe person whom she could chat to and encountered no resistance or difficulty, she listened to me and was involved Later on when she started to 'glaze over' and look bored I took her aside with her favourite doll and did some special photo's for her, needless to say I gained her attention and enthusiasm all over again. I guess all I needed was time to think it over and some clever people to chat to on Asta. I can't wait to try the other idea's as I know that some techniques will work better than others depending on the child!

Thank you for this, it also helped me. THANKS