I have been producing portraits of adults in my studio in Teddington for some years and wanted to launch the same service for teenagers and young people in 2021. The little matter of Covid19 has put paid to that for now but I am very excited to be ready for this when we can start to work again, even at a social distance, to resume shoots.

By the time children get to their teens and most especially in their late teens, they are super aware of the camera and often self-conscious so I find it best to work collaboratively for pictures, taking time and involving them in the session. This can work wonderfully well in the studio. I still do the same things as I do at an on-location shoot - taking time to chat and get them talking about themselves - their hopes and dreams, their opinions on things (teenagers always have strong opinions on things; it’s just a matter of getting them to the subject they most like talking about and they are usually off!). We chat, we choose some favourite tracks from the Spotify list to loosen any nerves and to help them breathe and move and feel more relaxed, confident, in control and uninhibited. I allow them to present themselves to the camera and do their own thing as well as me gently directing them.

These pictures can form a wonderful record of those late teenage years for parents before their children fly the nest, and we can produce images not just for Mum and Dad but for more practical purposes like a spotlight entry, for a modelling agency, their CV, social media profiles or for something more specific.

Here are some highlights from a recent teenage session in the studio. If you are thinking about some portraits of your teenager, I’d love to hear from you. The session usually lasts for about an hour or so and they are welcome to bring several outfits, props or things they would like to be photographed with.