Let’s face it, most of my clients have small kids. Usually I’m working with families that have kids between the ages of two to seven. But every now and then I get a request for a family session with older kids and I jump for joy!
Maybe this surprises you? Trust me I know it’s hard to convince your teenage boy to have photos with his sister where they have to look like they like each other for two minutes. Or that they have to look and smile at the camera… Or dress in clothes that YOU will be picking out for them.
Maybe all of that means that you won’t bother with the session because it’s too hard?
But if you do decide it is worth it to capture this time in your family, then I am here to help!
Here are my top three tips for booking in for a family session with older kids.
- Tell them they don’t have to look at the camera and smile if they don’t want to, if they don’t want to do that, have them looking at a family member instead. Trust your photographer. It’s their job to make everyone feel comfortable in front of the camera. Including your kiddos.
- Work on a colour palette for the session as a family, give some loose guidelines for everyone and let the kids pick out their own clothes.
- Ask for what you want. Be specific about why you are planning a family session, tell them why it’s important to you. Share the deeper reasons behind recording your family legacy and why that’s important to you. Ask for their cooperation and acknowledge with thanks when they give it.
I hope those tips help you a little, I’d love to share a recent family session with older kids with you too. It took about five to ten minutes for everyone in this family to feel relaxed, but they loosened up quickly and we got some stunning images of them together.