There’s a moment most parents know well: you take a photo of your kid that’s so perfect you want to share it everywhere you possibly can, and then you pause. Should I?
Photographer Jessie Carlton knows that pause intimately. After years of posting client sessions on her professional Instagram, she made a quiet decision to stop sharing kids’ faces on her public feed. She’d already made that call for her own two children, keeping them off her public platform entirely, and over time, posting other people’s kids started to feel inconsistent with something she believed. So she made it official.
The response from other parents was anything but quiet. Hundreds flooded the comments, relieved to see someone in the industry say it out loud.
What surprised her most, though, was what happened creatively. Going faceless didn’t limit her work; it opened it up. She found new ways to bring an impromptu dance party to life. Or make the parent a focal point of the shot. Angles she might have passed over before became the whole story.
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Whether you’ve already decided to only post your kids’ faces on private platforms like Tinybeans or are just looking for some fresh inspiration, Jessie’s approach is a good reminder that some of the most beautiful photos of our kids show everything except their faces. Here are her favorite angles and how to capture them.
Dance party
Document the moment from the outside perspective, taking in the scene as a whole with the kiddo’s back to the camera.
Airplanes and giggles
Let dad take control and fly the little one around like they’re a superhero or airplane.
Find something cool
Give yourselves a task to find a cool rock, stick, or leaf. Options are endless!
Free to be
Let the kids do their own thing and document the action.
Outdoor activities
Head outside to play and let mom get their attention. Don’t force it; let the scene unfold organically.
Put the focus on mom
Find ways for mom to engage with the family and photograph them looking up at her.
A moment of calm
Get your crew to look out a window or door and photograph them from behind.
A hug with little
Focus on body language instead of facial expressions to make the most of cuddly moments.
Make new memories
Try something new with the kids and capture moments when their faces are hidden.
