How do you get good photos of older kids?
Honestly? Stop making the photo session about taking pictures.
Make it about them.
As our kids get older, photographing them can start to feel harder. The little-kid tricks don't work the same way anymore. They may not want to run around, pose, or smile on command. And the older they get, the more aware they become of the camera.
But maybe the answer isn't finding a better way to make your teenager cooperate for pictures.
Maybe it's finding a better reason for them to want to be there.
Notice what matters to them.
This young lady had just gotten her first puppy.
And if you only looked at the photographs, you might think this was simply a session about a girl and her new dog.
But it wasn't.
It was about responsibility.
It was about having something that was hers to care for.
It was about independence.
It was about the little bit of growing up that happens when a child realizes, I'm responsible for someone else now.
That puppy represented something bigger than a puppy.
And that's exactly the kind of thing I want to notice when I'm photographing older kids.
Because sometimes the things that matter most to them aren't the things we would think to photograph.
Maybe it's their first car.
Their favorite sport.
A horse.
A musical instrument.
A new hobby.
Their art.
A collection they've spent years building.
Their best friend.
A job.
A bedroom they've made completely their own.
Or maybe it's something as simple as the dog who follows them everywhere.
Start there.
Your teenager doesn't need to know how to "model".
They just need something they care about.
When a session is built around something meaningful to your child, the pressure changes.
Instead of:
"Okay, stand here and smile."
It's:
"Show me what you love about this."
And suddenly there's something to talk about.
Something to do.
Something to notice.
Something that belongs to them.
That's when I can step back and photograph the moments that happen naturally.
The way they hold the puppy.
The way they look at her.
The little habits that have already developed between them.
The concentration on their face.
The laugh that comes when the puppy does something ridiculous.
The quiet moments, too.
Those are the photographs that tell us who they were at this particular point in their lives.
So, how do you get good photos of older kids?
Make the session about what matters to them.
Don't start with, "How do I get my teenager to smile?"
Start with:
What does my child love right now?
What are they proud of?
What are they learning?
What has recently changed for them?
What makes them feel independent?
What would they want me to remember about this season of their life?
That is where the photographs are.
And sometimes, the best session isn't a traditional family photo session at all.
Sometimes it's a girl and her first puppy.
Because years from now, that puppy may remind you of so much more than the dog itself.
It will remind you of the girl who was learning responsibility.
The girl who was becoming independent.
The girl who was growing up right in front of you.
And that is worth remembering.
So, take a moment to notice what matters to your preteen or teen right now. What are they excited about? What are they learning, creating, caring for, or becoming independent in? Maybe it's a new puppy, a sport, a hobby, a friendship, or something you wouldn't have thought to photograph before. Make a picture of it yourself, or if you'd rather be in the moment with them, invite a photographer to document it for you. The session doesn't have to be about posing or getting the perfect smile. It can be about giving your child space to be themselves and capturing the things that make this season of their life uniquely theirs. Because someday, you'll want to remember not just what they looked like, but what mattered to them.
Say hello. Let's work together.
I'd love to hear what's happening in your kid's world right now. What are they into? What are they learning, loving, or becoming a little more independent in? Tell me about it.
Maybe you have a story like this one—a new puppy, a first job, a favorite hobby, a sport they can't get enough of, or simply a season of life you don't want to let slip by.
Send me a note and tell me their story. We can dream up a session that feels like them and gives you photographs that remember more than what they looked like that year.
You don't need to have it all figured out. Just start with what's important to them, and we'll go from there.
