The teenage years are a transitional period on the threshold of adulthood. This is an exciting time in their life and you will want to capture it photographically. They are learning who they will become in life. A teenage photo shoot will give them confidence in their journey towards adulthood.

I am not only a photographer, but also mother of three: a ten, a twelve and an almost 15 year old girl. Thankfully, I have a great record of these important years in their life. Personally, I believe every parent should be careful to record the amazing changes in their children during these years of their lives before they are off to live their own life away from us.

My approach

I approach my young models with tact and grace. Occasionally I know them, because they are daughters/sons of friends of mine and there is no need to break the ice with them. If this is not the case comfortable conversation helps to get started and make them feel at ease. My goal is to encourage them to be themselves, and not worry about the camera. Not ready to smile yet? No problem, look at the intensity of this image. You don’t have to smile in order for me to capture a great image.

No need to try to come down to their level, but instead I refrain from treating them like children by respecting them and explaining that I would like to capture them at this moment in their life. Teenagers quickly become comfortable in my studio and less self-aware.

Chatting about their interests, their favourite clothes and their friends always relaxes every slightly tense start of a photo session. It really all comes down to effective communication. It is the key to working with anyone, especially with teenagers.

Once a mutual respect is developed teenagers start to pose with greater ease. Occasionally I show them an image I took on my camera. It raises their confidence and often they come up with some great suggestions.

The photo shoot should be fun, a positive experience in a relaxing environment. During my last teenage photo shoot I captured a quantity of images like never before in my 15+ years of experience. Needless to say we had such a fabulous time together in the studio and my model has been an absolute natural.

My style

In my photo studio in Richmond I am able to shoot teenagers in simple settings that enables me to focus on them and their youthful energy and flair. There is a range of solid coloured background options available to choose from as well as some props. My aim is to avoid having distracting elements in the photo. The focus is on the model, his/her natural actions and behaviour.

I shoot a mix of poses, nothing forced. Some teenagers prefer not to smile, or at least not with their teeth showing. I totally respect this and soon they relax. When I allow them to simply be themselves they will sure give me their most natural smile. Every child has a strong personality, sometimes more obvious than other times. Showing their personality in my images in one of my main aims.

I love them all: the intense, serious look straight in the camera, the natural smile as well as the more thoughtful look sideways.

Changing outfits adds to the opportunity to get an amazing verity of images your child will love. I encourage my models to bring a selection of their favourite clothes. Together we will choose what is most suitable for each background.

Who has read some of my previous articles already knows my love for black&white photography. This is why I present the edited images after the photo shoot not just in colour, but also the black&white version of them.

Often teenagers are not aware of the inherent beauty of their youth. So it is important to capture some stunning and fabulous portraits in a young person’s life. Do you have a teenager in your life right now? Give him/her the gift of beautiful, esteem-boosting portraits to treasure now and forever.

If you are looking for a photographer in Richmond for your teenage photo shoot we can discuss it together. Please, do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!