It was a treat when this family reached out for their family photos with teens! They wanted to celebrate their eldest who just graduated high school, to take advantage of the warm summer weather, to get their family photos taken when everyone was at home, and to get their photoshoot for their holiday card done ahead of time!
With a graduating senior I like to put a little emphasis on them during the photoshoot, images with both Mom and Dad to get a bit of an emotional response! I love this sweet shot of Mom and daughter!
Family Photos with Teens Ideas
One option with a shy teen is to take them a few steps away from their family to take photos. I find that they often grow more self-confident when they don’t have their family in their face!
Another option for teen buy-in is to show them the back of the camera so they feel assured that they look good!
Above all, treat each teen like an adult. Talk to them like an adult, ask them what they’re interested in and ask follow up questions. There’s nothing worse than being talked down to (and the second worst thing is being asked what you’re going to major in at college).
For individual poses during your family photos with teens, one great idea is to study what’s popular in the advertising of businesses that market to teens. What do those images look like? How can you incorporate that style into your work? I like to do a few poses with each teen – some that look cool and fresh that they will enjoy, while also some poses that are a little more traditional that would appeal to their parents and grandparents.
For group images, most teens just want to be done as quickly as possible! I like to do a combination of poses – starting with a smile at the camera, then moving on to walking. This tends to get people laughing and relieves some tension, making it easier to lead into individual portraits.
These parents were clearly so proud of their daughter!
Family Photos with Older Siblings
With teens, I prefer to pull them away from the rest of their family for individual portraits. It’s often much more comfortable for them to not have their other family members watching them while they’re photographed, and the image results from a more comfortable teen are well worth it!
This young lady was so pretty and fun! I hope she has a fantastic time at college this fall!
How gorgeous are their eyes and smiles?! Wow! The image on the left was featured by the editor of Teen Years Magazine.
These teens absolutely rocked their individual portraits!! I really enjoy working with this age group; they often go into the session feeling a little unsure, then feel like absolute rockstars by the end of it! Boosting my clients’ confidence is one of my favorite parts of the photoshoot!
Family Photos with Teens
Aren’t these two beautiful? I love getting shots of Mom and Dad alone if kids permit. One of the perks of family photos with teens is that it’s not hard at all to leave “the kids” unattended for a few photos!
This series of images of these two are some of my favorite from the day! I appreciate the serious, suave side of teens, but enjoy getting some playful shots for variety in my clients’ galleries as well. These two were so good-natured!
In my experience, teens want to know that they’re “doing well” at their photoshoot (who doesn’t?). In addition, they worry that they might look dumb, which results in more tense poses and shots. I start with a more posed image, then prompt my clients, which results in more natural portraits. Don’t be afraid to ask clients to take a deep breath and relax their shoulders! Showing the back of the camera is also a great way to provide reassurance.
This photoshoot took place at beautiful Lindberg Park in Northwest Oak Park! The parks in Oak Park require a photo permit, but I’ve acquired a pass! I’m delighted to offer photoshoots in these parks to my clients without the additional fee of a permit. In mid summer this location offers yellow flowers (this former plant biologist is sorry not to be more descriptive!), pink alliums, pink coneflowers, pink milkweed, and lots of beautiful butterflies!
I love this image of everyone and the fact that we were able to get some golden glow on this mild summer day! This client really wanted green, lush backdrops for their photos, and this location sure delivered.
Ending with a delightful, relaxed shot of Mom and Dad looking at their happy kids!
Here’s what my client had to say about her family photos with teens!
We recently hired Kristen for a family photo shoot before our oldest goes off to college. Kristen was great! Super easy to work with and fantastic communication. Her positive energy made a family shoot with 3 teens seem effortless. We love the pictures—highly recommend!
Kristen Hazelton is an Oak Park, IL (West Chicagoland) and Livermore, CA (San Francisco East Bay Area) senior and family photographer. She occasionally photographs in San Diego, CA, Tucson, AZ, and Seattle, WA. You can inquire about your own photoshoot here!
