If I have to share a fail-proof tip to get the best smile for your kids, it has to be this running exercise that I’d like to call “run toward me”. This is what I have learned from photographing my own kids and hundreds of other families and kids in the past.

1 - For older kids (like a 5 yo in this example)

I’d ask them to "run to mommy" or "let's race and see how fast you are”.  Depending on the running speed, you might need to use a shutter speed of 1/500sec or even faster.

See below 9 images taken within seconds apart in this running exercise in Santiago, Chile.

2 - For toddlers

You might get away with slower shutter speed, eg. 1/320 sec. They might look at the ground or stumble but will enjoy the running just as much as older kids.

3 - For those toddlers who barely walk

The best way is to have them walk between the parents, holding one hand of each parent, have the parents swing their arms and throw them in the air while walking toward the camera. You are almost guaranteed to get the perfect smiles for everyone.

Sometimes you might need to ask your kid to run several times and achieve the best result. Good news is that they usually like it and might want to repeat more times than you want.

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