Absolutely – this is incredibly common.
Most children, if you ask them to smile or say “cheese”, will pull a face that looks nothing like their real, natural smile. For that reason, I don’t usually ask children to “perform” in the studio.
Instead, I focus on helping them relax and have fun. That might mean chatting, playing, moving around, being a bit silly, or saying something unexpected at just the right moment. Natural expressions tend to appear in the gaps — and those are the moments I’m looking for.
There’s no pressure for your child to behave or smile in a particular way. I’ll work at their pace and capture them as they are.