You wanna hear something that might surprise you? As a Bay Area family photographer, one of my absolute favorite age groups to work with is teenagers.
I know, I know. Most people think I’m crazy – even the teens think I’m nuts when I share this with them during my family photo sessions. Teenagers? Really? The eye-rolling, phone-obsessed, “do I have to be here?” crowd?
Here’s the thing – they’ve actually grown on me. Like, A LOT. I used to be terrified of them because, after all, they tower over me. But now that my kid is a full-fledged teen, I’m more engaged with them and their circle of friends. I ask for their fashion advice, including which shoes to wear, and if they’re in the mood to listen, I’ll even share cringy stories from my impressionable teen years. People don’t give them enough credit. If you strike up a conversation with them, you’ll find that they have some pretty incredible ideas and a unique perspective on the world.
One of my favorite things about this age is that I enjoy collaborating with them in the creative process during the photo session. I appreciate what they choose to wear and how they express themself. I often ask them if they have any ideas on where and how we should go about the session. If this is a home session, I ask them if there’s anything special they’d like to capture from this time in their lives. It could be their love of basketball, the trampoline, or sketching.
As a San Francisco family photographer, I’ve learned that the secret ingredient with teenagers isn’t forcing smiles or demanding cooperation – it’s respect. When you treat them like the complex, interesting humans they are instead of difficult obstacles to work around, something magical happens. They open up. They get creative. They actually start having fun.
It’s been an honor to witness these same humans stretch and grow over the years, and it’s one of the most beautiful aspects of what I do.
So if you’re a Bay Area family looking for a photographer who genuinely enjoys working with kids of all ages – especially your eye-rolling, too-cool-for-photos teenager – I’m your person. I promise I’ll make sure your teen actually has fun during our session. Because honestly? Some of my favorite family photos happen when everyone stops trying so hard and just lets their personality shine. Ready to capture this chapter of your family’s story? Let’s chat!
