Happy Friday, y’all! Fall is here, it’s cold outside, the holidays are coming up, and I’ve been in my cozy editing hole all week. This is my favorite time of year. And today I’ve compiled this list of 10 tips to help you (and me!) successfully get through your family photo session with your older kids or teenagers. Let me know in the comments if I’ve missed anything, and check out my post from a few weeks ago titled “10 Tips for Successful Family Photos with Young Kids“.
Ten Tips for A Family Photo Session with Older Kids or Teenagers
1. Involve your teen with the planning of the session.
In my experience, teenagers love to be involved with planning things. And if they’re more involved with the planning, they’ll be more invested in having a positive outcome (awesome photos). So if they want to include a hobby or show off their new (to them) car in a few photos, let them! Consider their opinion on where the session should take place. Let them bring the family dog. Anything that will help their personality shine through in the final product, because that’s what we’re trying to capture during our session. It’s what you will want to remember when you look back on these photos in 20 years.
2. Choose a location that is special to your family.
This doesn’t necessarily mean we have to go somewhere you’ve been to as a family before. If your kids are really into mountain biking, we can choose a location that has mountain biking trails (and get a few shots on their bikes). If you as a family love exploring state or national parks, we can choose a location on public lands (with the proper permits of course). If y’all spend every weekend skiing or wakeboarding during the summer months, let’s go to a lake. If fishing is more their thing, let’s find a creek to splash around in. If camping is a favorite pastime, let’s have a campfire and make s’mores. I have hundreds of ideas for family sessions that I’d love to share with you!
3. Allow a compromise with outfit selection.
If your older kid hates the outfit you picked out for them, we’ll be able to see it in the photos. If this is an issue in your house, propose a compromise: they must wear an outfit you approve of for half the session, then they can change into an outfit they pick out. We’ll be able to get a photo for you to hang on the wall in your house, and we also might just end up with some really fun photos of your teen expressing themselves creatively as well.
And by the way, don’t be afraid to ask them for advice on your own outfit, you might be (pleasantly) surprised by what they come up with!
4. Manage your expectations.
You know your teen better than anyone. And sometimes the best we can hope for is a neutral expression. And it’s okay! I’ve said this already (and I’m sure I’ll say it again before this post is over), the whole point of getting family photos is to be able to remember them as they are. And in a year or two they might feel differently about family photos, but right now this is who they are. And we love them this way.
5. Don’t be above bribery.
I’m not talking about expensive gifts or cash prizes. But giving them something to look forward to – eating at their favorite restaurant after the session, choosing the activity for family night, you making them their favorite meal or dessert, etc. – can work wonders for gaining their cooperation during the session.
6. Include your pet in the session.
This goes for all sessions, but especially for your teenagers, including the family pet in the session can help to ease anxiety and bring out real smiles. Plus, the photos always turn out extra cute when a furry friend is involved.
7. Use your splurge wisely.
I understand that hiring a photographer is already a splurge, and I don’t even recommend splurging on a whole new outfit (it’s true, my style guide is designed to help you put together a killer outfit from clothes you already own), but if you’re going to splurge on anything, let it be on beauty. For your son this may look like getting his hair professionally cut and styled (no back porch haircut with the clippers from dad lol). For your daughter this may look like hiring a hair and makeup artist, or getting a manicure. Anything to make this event seem special and help them feel confident in photos.
8. Plan to be extra early to your session.
Teens, even more than toddlers, can have trouble getting out the door on time. So if you set your goal as getting to the session location extra extra early (I always like my clients to be there at least 15 minutes ahead of time, so aim for even earlier than that!) you’ll be much more likely to be on time. Missing out on even 15 minutes of our session can impact the lighting dramatically as well as the amount of photos I’m able to capture.
9. Collaborate with your photographer.
You may get family photos once a year, and you definitely know your teen better than anyone, but your photographer has photographed dozens if not hundreds of families and, I can’t stress this enough, they are the professional! A good photographer will always take your input into consideration, and if they aren’t listening to you, you may need to find a different photographer. That being said, listen to what they have to say and ask them why they are giving you the advice that they are because I’d be willing to bet they have a very specific reason that they only schedule sessions at the local art museum on Mondays now.
Ten. Don’t stress!
Stress shows up in your photos as stiff shoulders and fake smiles. You’ve done the research on your photographer and you trust her implicitly. You’ve planned your session for the perfect location and the perfect time of day. And now you just have to trust the process. The best photos come from everyone being as relaxed and comfortable and authentic as possible, so that’s your only remaining job. If you are relaxed, everyone else will be too.
Final Thoughts
The family photos of your dreams are completely possible, and that’s why I love writing blog posts like this. So that you will have as many resources as possible to achieve the photos of your dreams. But the bottom line is that I can give you all the advice in the world, but only you know what will work for you and your family. So take what works and leave the rest. And, I can’t stress this enough, your photos will be a representation of your family as it is right now – that’s what you’ll want to remember and that’s what I will prioritize during our session.
*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a portraits/elopements/branding photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!
*If you’d like to subscribe to my blog so that you won’t miss any future posts, enter your email and click the button below!