Our Top 5 mommy and son photoshoot ideas (And some of our favorites from Amanda's session):

We had the absolute pleasure of photographing Amanda Kloots (actress, NYT Bestselling author, and currently cohost of The Talk) and her adorable son Elvis this summer in Paris, France!

We can truly only say good things about them, how loving they are, and joyful to be around and I think it really comes out in the photo session! Amanda was recommended to us from her sister Anna Kloots who we've photographed for her author portraits for her brilliant new Memoir "My Own Magic", and then again when her sweet parents were in town for her mom's birthday earlier this summer! It's been the ultimate pleasure working with such a loving and tight knit family. The kindness and joy that absolutely radiates through this whole family is a sight to see and it's always humbling to be a small part of documenting someones life. Amanda, thank you for allowing us into these sweet moments during your recent Paris trip! Anna, thanks for joining in to have these special portraits with you in them too!

Who photographed Amanda Kloots in Paris? We did! Katie Donnelly Photography book a session here

Our Top 5 mommy and son photoshoot ideas (And some of our favorites from Amanda's session):

1. Posed (Looking at Camera)

A Posed portrait in a natural setting is a classic yet a great way to start a mother son photo shoot. I love seeing everyone's faces, the smiles, the giggles and it can be a really natural way to lead into candid shots and other creative ideas you might have for your family photography. Here are a few that we love. Remember even if it's posed, you still want to feel the closeness of a mother son bond. This is beautiful if we are photographing a little boy under 10, teen or an adult mom and son. 

2. Interacting:

Starting with the pose is the perfect way to lead into interacting. Showing a mom and son's special bond by them talking, laughing, and being connected in a way that's either physical (while hugging) or by just having them talk or share a moment looking at each other is a great idea. Prompts to make this happen can be as simple as asking them about what they like to do together, or a funny memory they might have of a special occasion. One of the best things about mom and son photo sessions is that you can really dig into their relationship in a deep fantastic way by asking simple questions and LISTENING. While you're listening, wait for the moments and the natural expressions that come with storytelling. A mom will always remember the first moments with her baby boy, another thing you can ask is about when he was a baby, what was his personality like? Was it the same from when he was a newborn child? This is a creative way to get honest real memories and interactions and to also enjoy quality time together during the session. 

3. Action:

A family portrait can be so so many things, it doesn't have to be posed, it can be set up or it simply can be totally spontaneous but the most important is showing a strong bond that makes for beautiful images. This is one of my favorite mom and son photography ideas and it's ACTION. You can ask them to do so many different things: walking, cheersing at a café together, playing ring-around-the-rosie or red light green light, it can be jumping off a bench or a big surprise hug. We are not talking about stock photos, we want real emotions, we want fun and joy and action from different angles. It's not always easy to be in front of the camera and movement can help get those gitters out and allow it to become this special time together. In Paris, surrounded by historic buildings it really is the perfect backdrop for a special moment like this. 

4. Surprising from Behind:

This is a really fun one and always gets some good laughs and adorable photos. Telling one of the people to go behind the other and then surprise them with a hug is one of the CUTEST mom and son poses. For a little boy this is the ultimate because they can either tickle or scare mom and mom can do the same right back. This one is so often one of the favorites that ends up in the photo book and fine art photo album. I love seeing all the faces of a mother throughout this little moment. It really is such a creative way to see the special bond between you two! 

5. Close up details:

Oh gosh, this is one of my favorites whenever we do this in our photo studio session or outdoors with natural lighting, the expressions and details are such an important part of what you remember from your children's childhood. From the moment you first have them in your arms you are studying them, memorising their every detail, the curve of their nose, the feel of them wrapping their whole hand around one finger and the heartbreak yet beauty of the day when they are big enough to grab your whole hand. These details are what make some of the most memorable moments of a mother and son photo session and one of my favorite mama son photoshoot ideas. 

How to hang your beautiful photos in your home:

After your session the job doesn't finish, now to decide how you are going to enjoy your portraits every day. It's a good idea to keep an open mind and let your portraits guide you in how they will look best. Some people love the posed portraits, or only the candid moments, some end up loving the natural backdrops (like a local park), some feel the emotions stand out more with close up portraits, there is no rule on what's right, the most important guide is your emotions and feelings. Family photos and a mother and son relationship is deeply special... it's okay to get a little emotional while looking at them. 

This is also why we help guide you through this part of the process. We don't just dump a gallery on you, we just cannot get behind beautiful memories being lost on a hard drive. We believe in art and in celebrating yourself! After your session we welcome you for a cinematic exprience to view your portraits for the first time and choose your artwork. We like to think in decades and generations (this is your family history!) which is why we offer museum quality wall art and fine art photo albums for you to cherish for years to come. 

Not one of our clients and want some ideas for your own photos? Start with your FAVORITE, the one you cannot live without, boom, that's the one that you want to make for the wall. Remember that it doesn't have to be the most perfect one, but it has to be one that makes you FEEL. Get in touch with a local framer to help you create your masterpiece and then hang it up! Our most popular sizes are 40in, 36in, or 30in on it's longest size. These sizes are so versatile for every space but they also have the right amount of presence to truly enjoy your art and the heartfelt moments of your session. It takes some time when you're doing it on your own but IT'S SO WORTH IT! There's nothing like reliving theses moments every single day. 

Here's a screenshot from Amanda's story, we did a beautiful fine art canvas for her of her, Elvis, and her sister Anna. I love that they get to love and relive this moment and time together every day. Amanda lives in LA and Anna lives here in Paris and this is a really lovely way to "be together" each day when you can't be together. 

Do you have any questions? Are you thinking of doing a mother son or mother daughter photo session in Paris? We'd love to be a part of it. Please reach out HERE. We'd LOVE to hear from you. 

A little bit more about Amanda and Anna Kloots:

Both Amanda and Anna are NYT bestselling authors. They co-wrote Amanda's memoir, "Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero" about losing Nick, her Broadway-star husband during the early stages of the pandemic. Amanda has a truly beautiful children's book called, "Tell Me Your Dreams". You can find out more about Amanda on her website here https://amandakloots.com/. She's truly a light.

Anna released her recent memoir this year called "My Own Magic: A Reappearing Act" about finding herself after her divorce. Anna is the definition of magic. I would absolutely recommend all of their books. You can follow them on social media and see their joy and light here: Anna's IG, Amanda's IG

About us:

Hey guys! I'm Katie, Paris photographer and the owner of Katie Donnelly Photography, a full service family photography studio in Paris, France! We are a team of english speaking photographers in Paris (Voted best Portrait Photographer in Paris)! You're in the right place if you are looking for joyful, natural, and fun mini sessions and photo shoots in Paris and a 5* experience (check out our google reviews!), but it's not all we do!

We are artists and our specialty is wall art and fine art photo albums (you can see Amanda's above!). Book your session or ask for more info if you want to have an amazing experience, gorgeous portraits, and artwork to celebrate and relive your Paris vacation every day. We are definitely one of the top things to do in Paris for families and we would LOVE to have you as part of our family!