It was a treat when this family with three teens reached out for summer family photos! 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!

These parents were clearly so proud of their daughter!

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!

These teens absolutely rocked their individual portraits!! I really enjoy working with this age group; they often go into the session feeling a little awkward, 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!

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 for the 2022-2023 year! 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 experience!

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, family, and engagement photographer. She occasionally photographs in San Diego, CA, Tucson, AZ, and Seattle, WA. You can inquire about your own photoshoot here!