Why photograph your teen girl or teen boy?
Photos are an important part of our lives. In fact, the act of stopping to document the occasion with a photograph is a key indicator as to which moments we feel are worth remembering.
A simple look through our family photo albums shows what we value most. It is a window into our souls and the moments we keep close to our heart. Births, the baby years, graduations and weddings top the list and will always be documented both personally and professionally. However, as a professional photographer and mom, I have noticed that many families stop taking pictures during the “middle years” (11-14). Those years between the end of elementary school and graduation. The years when we no longer attend class parties and field days but have not moved on to senior photos.
I’ve often wondered why we put our camera’s down in these transitional years and don’t invest in photos of this age. (A simple look at year over year photos and you will see how much your child is changing.) I think there are many reasons but the ones that come to mind first are the following.
Three Reasons Why We Don’t Photograph The Teen Years.
1. Teens want their space.
We try to honour this new phase of life by stepping away and not photographing their daily lives. I know my son went through a stage where he wanted his privacy. He would put his hand up or make some awful face when I even tried to take an iPhone shot. I was lamenting about this to moms of other kids, and they told me that it was normal. It’s a phase but they encouraged me to keep photographing when I can. Don’t give up because they will come around and will want to get in front of the camera sooner rather than later. So glad I didn’t give up!
However, I did have a hard and fast rule that nothing gets published on social media without his permission. He seem were more agreeable to photos knowing he will not be posted anywhere that could embarrass him.
2. Sometimes they just don’t give us a lot to work with.
A teen’s day to day lives is no longer as cute and photographic as their childhood days. No superhero/princess costumes, pillow forts, jumping off the couch or snuggling with a stuffed animal. They now spend a lot of time on their phones or in a dark media room playing Xbox. These moments don’t make for great photographs, and it does require to work harder and pay close attention. Find the few in-betweens that are worth documenting. That goofy smile they give when they have played a joke on their brother, or the bond shared between friends hanging out.
3. We don’t know how to photograph them authentically.
Teen portraits are hard because they don’t photograph as easily as they once did (IE crawling in dad’s lap at a family photo session). Do you photograph them as a kid or as an adult? I see so many families go for long stretches without family photos because they are waiting for braces to come off, acne to clear up, etc. These precious years go by undocumented except the 1000 selfies on the teen’s smartphones.
There is HOPE!
Photographing your teens can be beautiful and fun!
Many photographers and parents aren’t quite sure how to capture this stage and the photos just seem forced. That is why I have taken on a new passion project of teen portraits to fill this gap and bring some joy to our teens!
My hope is to convince all of you parents of teens and tweens to embrace this beautiful stage of life and photograph the heck out of it! Capture the braces, the imperfections of these transitional years and all the details that come with it. Invest in photos that capture the essence of your teen and all that makes them unique. You will be so glad that you did!