Skip to main content

Teen Portrait Shoots, Memories to Last a Lifetime

Teen portraits are a big thing in America. And by big I mean huge. Americans call them seniors shoots, because they are sessions that take place to commemorate the completion of their senior year, the year they graduate high school. It's seen as an important milestone and for this they want to create a valuable keepsake before they head off to college.

(This young lady plays the bass and guitar, which provides wonderful elements to a great portrait) 


Now for the record, for anyone who knows I have an American sounding accent and have believed me to be American I am actually Canadian. I don't think all American traditions should make it across the pond. I for one am not a big fan of Halloween, no offense to those who are. I can see the appeal of Halloween, its just not for me. However I don't understand why shoots for teenagers hasn't become popular over here and I'd really like to see that change.

(This young man wanted portraits in is prom suit but didn't want to pose for them at prom)

Finishing school and leaving for either further education or full time employment is a big milestone. Why not mark the occasion? It's probably the last time a parent will have the opportunity to ask their child to sit for a photographer. And sadly the last time they are still properly a child. To be honest I'm kind of dreading getting there with mine. She turned 14 this summer and I know the next 4 years will go by in a blink of an eye just like the last 14 have. But I will definitely want a portrait session for that last time she is still properly my 'child' for I already know she has big plans to move away and be as independent as I've always been.

(This young man came in for a mother and son shoot but we created so much more at the same time)

Like in America, I want to create both a beautiful portrait that's perhaps a little more formal, as well as a portrait that includes something about them, to include perhaps their hobbies or interests so we not only remember what they looked like at this time but also who they were. Sports, dance, horse riding and music all provide great material for being creative in a shoot. Although I'm up for trying just about anything so if you've got interests outside of that please let me know.

(I was so excited for what I could create when his mother told me her son plays American football at university)

I have products and packages to suit a variety of budgets and needs. This includes fine art print boxes of either 5, 10 or 15 images or wall art that comprises of framed fine art prints and canvases. The print boxes are ideal for this type of shoot and prices start at just £295 which isn't a lot when you consider how valuable these portraits are going to become in 10 or so years time. Not much of what we spend our money on these days goes up in value and very little lasts longer than a mobile phone. I honestly cherish my portraits more and more all the time.


This portrait that follows is of my daughter. I can't tell you how much this means to me now and I can't imagine how much it will mean to us both in 20 years time.


Each of the young adults I've had in the studio have really enjoyed their session and loved the images we produced during it. I'm willing to bet it also boosted their confidence a bit too. This is a great opportunity to capture a wonderful and exciting stage of their life.


If you would like to consider a portrait session of this nature I encourage you to get in touch so we can discuss the possibilities. If you decide to book with me we start the process with an in person consultation to go over your requirements. This is where we all get the chance to meet and get to know each other a little and when we will discuss the unique portraits I can create for you that you can cherish for many years to come.

Links to contact details are all below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Website

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I am Still Me: A Story about a Transgender Boy

  Meet Leo. Leo is 15 and currently going through an epic transformation that has momentarily turned the lives of himself and those around him upside down. A mum who once had the daughter she always longed for is now coping with the realisation that she will be living the rest of her life with a son instead. When your child is born you have certain expectations of the typical life they will lead but most of us know and accept that it won't necessarily end up the way we imagine. Not every person wants to marry, have kids or be involved with the opposite sex. Most of us have come to accept this and can adjust to whatever comes our way relatively easily. But few of us have expected to have to deal with a change in sex. Its not that we've hoped it won't happen, but just that it never occurred to us that it might. This is a new adjustment that we as a society are being presented with today, just like so many others that have come before. When I first heard that Phoebe

5 Reasons you Should Consider Getting a Professional Headshot

Headshots, or profile pictures are becoming a requirement of so many tools we regularly use or reference today. From Facebook to Linked In, Instagram to Twitter and often any website that represents a company for which you work or own will have a place to include a photograph that is meant to show your audience who you are. And how you present yourself there will tell your audience so much about you. 1. A profile picture is your first opportunity for your audience to see you. Its often the first impression you make and we all know you only have one chance at a first impression. A professional photographer has the skills to show you in the best, most suitable way to give a great first impression. (These headshots were created for recruitment firm  Optima UK  who asked to have their logo placed behind them. I think it makes these headshots quite eye catching and they should do their job well.) 2. Using a professional to create your headshot will convey yo

I'm a Portrait Artist and Variety is the Spice of My Life

  I often admire the work of other photographers.  I'm always having a browse or spotting something interesting on Facebook or Pinterest.  Many of them have a very consistent style and subject, as is the case with many newborn photographers especially.  This has made me wonder if perhaps I'm not developing as a portrait artist as well as I could be.  We are taught early on within the realms of the photography world that we are to develop a distinct style and this of course must be clearly evident in any upper level qualifications panels we choose to submit.  However, when I look at my own work over each passing year I fail to see the same consistency.  I don't have a particular subject in which I specialise.  I can photograph anything from newborns to teenagers, toddlers to families and even the occasional male nude.  How can you put these together in an album and form a beautiful collection that I see many other photographers displaying so well.   

My Fellowship in Child Portraiture, Baby Photographer of the Year and All Things Convention Related

Its been a very busy year for me.  Hence the reason I've not been keeping this blog up to date. That's about to change though.  I anticipate this coming year to be even busier but I plan on getting a lot more organised and keeping on top of things like this.  For now though I'd like to tell you all about last week. I keep trying to think of some words to describe this past week and I keep coming back to 'I had the time of my life' and breaking into song in my head.  Apart from when my daughter was born I haven't had a better time in my life. This week was spent at the Societies Convention where in excess of 14 thousand photographers from around the world meet to take part in print competitions, submit qualification panels and join in on various classes and events. The week began as one of the most stressful of my life.  I've never felt nerves like it.  I'd just spent the best part of a year planning and preparing my 20 image panel to present to 5

Never Work With Children or Animals

Or so the saying goes. But I have to say that working with dogs has been so lovely. They have been almost entirely a dream to work with. I say almost entirely because we have had a few moments where a dog has needed to settle. And one moment where the dog had settled but one of my cats decided to have a look through the glass door which, as you can imagine, rather quickly unsettled the dog. Still, that didn't stop us from creating incredible work. In fact it was during that shoot with the cat instance when I created two of my favourite pieces, shown below. (It was while sitting on the couch here when he noticed the cat peering through the curtain) I don't know if I've just been lucky or all dogs are just easy to work with. I photographed a french bull dog puppy and I thought that would be tough as he hadn't had time to be properly trained yet. But he did everything we wanted in no time at all. And this included the props we used here (below), which to me