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Letting Kids Lead: Personality-Focused Children’s Portraits

Jul 14, 2025 | By: Mars and Cranberry Township Photographer

Welcome to Week 4 of my Storytelling Series!

This week’s theme is all about building portraits around a child’s personality. To bring this idea to life, I’m sharing one outdoor session from start to finish—one child, one afternoon, and five different stories told.

In my opinion, the most powerful children’s portraits are more than pretty pictures—they tell a story through light, play, and imagination.

It Starts with What They Love

When I begin planning a session for a child, I always ask the parents one simple question:
“What does your child love to do?”

For this session, his mother answered:
“Explore, play with toys, run outdoors, and animals.”

That’s where the story began. I designed a session he would genuinely enjoy—one that would showcase who he is right now, at this age.

The Tire Swing 

As we walked toward our first location, he spotted the tire swing hanging near the woods.
His eyes lit up. “Can I play on the swing?” he asked.

The light wasn’t quite right yet, so I promised we’d save it for last—something to look forward to.

A tire swing hanging from a large tree waiting for a little boy to come and play on it as part of a photo session for children near Mars and Cranberry Township.

Story One: The Chicken

We began the session at the edge of the woods, where I offered him a choice:
“Would you like to feed a chicken or a duck?”

He chose the chicken. I handed him a small bucket of food and showed him where to stand, picturing a scene with him tossing feed beside the bird.

But he had his own plan.

He knelt down quietly, poured some feed into his hand, and patiently waited. The chicken wandered over, and the moment unfolded.  No barnyard—just a peaceful stretch of woods, one curious chicken, and a little boy who loves animals, (and chickens.)

Fine Art children’s portrait of a young boy gently crouching to feed a chicken at the edge of the woods, captured near Mars and Cranberry Township, PA.

CHOICES

I always offer two options—two props or two ideas for what we should do next. This gives the child a sense of control, and they become more engaged in the process. It’s a gentle invitation to play—and that’s when their personality truly shines.

Story Two: The Kite

When it was time for the next scene, I gave him a choice:
“Would you like to run while flying an airplane or a kite?”

He picked the kite with a big smile.

I walked him to the edge of the path, handed him the bright blue kite, and simply said,
“Run toward me and let’s see if it catches the wind.”

And just like that, the session took flight and it all unfolded naturally in that one simple moment.

Outdoor children’s portrait of a boy running with a blue kite along a sunlit path, full of motion and joy—photographed near Cranberry Township, PA.

Story Three: The Airplane

As we walked over to a second location that was close by I asked is he would like to play with my wooden airplane or my blue metal airplane.

He reached for the airplane he wanted with both hands, then paused—just holding it.

He didn’t rush. He studied it quietly, lost in thought. That still moment said everything and in that pause before play, was the perfect moment for a candid portrait!

Note: When moving from one location to the next keep them close by as children can lose interest very easily. I always try to keep these sessions 1 hour or less!

Golden-hour Fine Art portrait of a child holding a vintage metal airplane in a quiet moment of imagination near Mars, PA.

Story Four: The Bubbles

Later in the session, I offered him a moment to rest:
“Want to blow bubbles while you sit in the grass?”

He nodded, then settled right into a patch of tall grass.

One by one, he sent bubbles into the breeze, watching them float and drift away. It was a gentle pause in our afternoon adventure—and a beautiful window into his quiet side.

Child sitting in tall grass blowing bubbles.

Story Five: The Tire Swing (The Full Circle Moment)

And finally—it was time.

The light had softened, and the tire swing was waiting. He hopped onto the swing and with a little push I was able to get the last story of his session.  All of these portraits you see on this page were chosen by his mother as her favorite moments from this day!  

 

Children’s portrait of a boy on a tire swing under a large tree.

Final Thought

This is what storytelling portraits are all about—giving children the freedom to play, choose, and be themselves.

When I slow down, follow their lead, and photograph what lights them up, I am not just creating beautiful images. I am capturing who they are.

And that’s something families will treasure forever.

A little boy sitting in tall grass at the edge of the woods blowing bubbles.

Want to catch up on the first three posts in this series?
Here’s a look at the story so far:

Each post builds toward the full picture of how I create meaningful Fine Art children’s portraits—designed with heart, light, and imagination.

📩 Have questions or want to plan your own custom session?
Contact me here and let’s create something magical for your child.

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