Skip to main content

8 Unique Portrait Ideas for your Teenager


Teen portraits are becoming a thing. Much like Prom has reached this side of the water, the ever popular teenage portrait industry that has swept across North America is coming to the UK too. And why not? This is an important milestone in our children's lives. I for one want to capture this time in my child's life and I suspect I'm not alone here. They have strong personalities, they have hobbies and interests worth documenting and they might not be living at home for much longer.

In this blog post I am sharing some of the teen portraits I've created in recent years to hopefully inspire families with kids of this age to come in and have some done for themselves. The possibilities with this age group are so vast I can't help get a little excited for each shoot I do.

1. Dance

Lots of people are involved in dance or performing arts of some sort and for those involved, creating something that relates to their interests will provide a lasting memory and valuable keepsake for later in life.  And with something such as dance or performing arts, there is so much scope to truly creative. 





2. Musical Instrument

Musical instruments make for great props in a portrait and often the teen posing with their instrument is more comfortable than if simply asked to smile for the camera. Here they can be preoccupied with something they feel at home with making a great chance for some truly natural expressions and again a wonderful memory of who they are at this stage of their lives. What a great memory to be able to look back on and share with their own children one day.




3. Sports

Any sport is a great thing to include.. Again, much like dance and a musical instrument, these are portraits about them rather than just of them which to me makes them so much more valuable. And just like dance and music, this gives them something to do making them less self conscious and helps them to enjoy their session.  


4. Prom

Prom is becoming quite the thing in this country now. Where it was once something only the American's participated in it is now something we see getting bigger and bigger over here too. Whether they are 14, 16 or 18, teens are participating in an end of year party that is becoming quite an elaborate affair. With hair, makeup, expensive dresses and suits it makes the perfect opportunity for some special portraits. And you'd be surprised how excited these teens are to have another opportunity to wear their special outfits. For the girls, if they have arranged a hair or makeup trial prior to the event its a great idea to book their session on the same day to make use of being all done up.


5. Classic Portraits

During each session I also always create a few classic portraits so we can capture a more simple image. 


6. A Fashion Portrait

When working with teens its really quite easy to create something like looks quite fashion like. With such young and fresh faces and often a strong interest in makeup and clothes they love the opportunity to play model for the day. And this isn't limited to just girls either. Boys have been loving the chance to wear their suit and have quite sophisticated portraits created. I've used Vanity Fair for my inspiration in some and its proving quite popular. 


7. Editorial

In some cases teens aren't into anything specific that would make for a great portrait. This is when I can be a little creative to come up with something that suits them. I personally love the idea of including a phone in shots like these since I hardly ever see my daughter without hers and I know I'm not the only one with a child like this. In years to come I'll enjoy reminding her of this. 




8. Outdoor

I have recently started using my garden for shoots, still incorporating my studio lights so the quality and overall feel remains the same. However this does give a whole new look and style to my portraits. This is proving popular which is giving me great incentive to cultivate our garden with shoots in mind. This year already I've planted camillias, roses and hydranga. It will of course take a a little while for these plants to become useful backdrops. I'm really looking forward to that though. 


In America these shoots are called Seniors sessions and they are called that because they take place in the senior year of a student's life. Its the year the graduate and the year before they head off to college or university. I'd like to see that happen here, which typically happens either at 16 or 18.

If this is of interest to you please get in touch. We can arrange a consultation so we can meet in person and discuss ideas. There is no obligation to book at this point but its a good opportunity to see the products I offer and come up with some possible ideas of what we can create.

If you wish to get in touch please do so using any of the following contact details:

Email: christina@christinalauderportraits.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/christinalauderportraits
Instagram: www.instagram.com/christinalauderportraits
Website: www.christinalauderportraits.com
Phone: 01455 233247

I am so looking forward to the wonderful portraits I will create.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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 ...
3 comments
Read more

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 ...
11 comments
Read more

Family Photos with Flair - Vanity Fair Style Family Portraits

This style of portrait continues to be the eye catching success I had always hoped it would be. Once again I created a beautiful family portrait that I am really proud of and I know this family loves too. Over the years I have developed this style through influences such as Vanity Fair and the many photographers I follow, though I hope that there is something in here that is entirely my own. Having my work easily identified as my own was a goal of mine from the start. Getting to the point where people will want not just a portrait but a Christina Lauder portrait is where I've always wanted to be and I'm hoping I'm on way. These portraits were created for the family of two professional photographers who wanted some portraits of their own. Family portraits isn't really something one can do of oneself, at least not easily. So they needed the services of another and I was honoured to be chosen for the job. They chose me not just for my style but also for my ab...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wellies, Wellies and More Wellies

Over the past couple of years I've been photographing Jileon Ltd's wellies for their website. And over the last couple of months I have had quite a bit to do for them. Jileon is a great client of ours, giving us regular work that I can undertake in my own time and in my own way. It makes for such a relaxing change from having to make small children smile in a short span of time. Particularly since they can't get up and walk away just at the moment when all elements of the perfect image come together. The only real challenge in photographing wellies for me seems to be the dreaded reflection that is unavoidable when photographing shiny objects using flash. But without this challenge where would be the fun? Jileon Ltd is a Hinckley based distributor of mainly wellington boots. They do also distribute other things but typically it is just their wellies that I photograph. If you wish to order a pair please vi...
1 comment
Read more

Limited Edition Storybook Portrait Sessions

Well in the end I didn't take this promotion as seriously as was required in so much as I didn't allocate any budget for advertising.  I relied only on the few posts on Facebook and as such I only did 2 sessions, which to be perfectly honest, was all I could handle this year given that I'd not properly planned for these sessions in an already busy time of year.  However, what I did do proved to me that this is something that deserves proper attention and a concerted effort to push this promotion forward.  I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it, from shopping for props, to the sessions and then the editing.  I really love the fun that these sessions provide and the look of the finished images.  Spring will see a second go at this special collection with plenty of advertising in the run up to our event.  I will get another chance at shopping for additional props and tools to run this limited edition promotion and I can't w...
Post a Comment
Read more