Take Better Photos of Your Teen: Top 15 Tips

Parenting teens can be challenging and heart-meltingly rewarding all in the same day. You will want to remember every moment, and photos are a great way to do that. However, any parent knows how difficult it can be to capture pictures of kids who are often on the go or who want to avoid the camera altogether. The teen years are often some of the least photographed during childhood. Check out these top tips for how to take better photos of your teen (or children) more often.

1. Take Advantage of Natural Light. 

When taking photos in your home, look for places with plenty of window light. Observe it during different times of the day. Watch to see how the light accents your kids’ features. Hold up the back of your hand in different kinds of light and watch how it changes. Is it soft or harsh and dramatic?

Soft, natural light will help eliminate harsh shadows and give your photos a fresh, even appearance. Harsh shadows will give it a more dramatic, moody look. Plus, what better way to capture images of your children than in the home you share?

2. Go Explore.

Candid photos are a great way to capture your kiddos’ personalities, and getting outside to explore lets your children release some energy and allows you to take images of them being their genuine selves. Check out your local park or hunt for some hiking trails nearby. They might even forget that you’re trailing behind them, watching for epic shots to unfold!

3. Include Them.

Your teens have probably formed some opinions about images taken of them. Talk with them ahead of time to find out what they like. What would they be comfortable wearing and doing? Include them in the planning phase, if they’re interested.

Talk about perspective, mood boards, and color schemes. Communicate with them about the importance of images at this age and why it’s meaningful to you and could be to them. Ask your teens to share their opinions. Photography is an art and a creative outlet. It might even spark an interest for them! 

4. It’s Up to You, Not the Gear.

Having expensive camera gear isn’t what makes a person take better photos. I’ve seen some pretty fantastic shots that were taken with a cell phone. A little research, whether it’s from a photography book or reading online, can go a long way.

You can learn so much and draw so much inspiration from learning some basics in photography. If interested in pursuing further, an introductory photography course can be a great place to start and many are cost-friendly and available locally or online.

5. Have a Camera on Hand.

You never know when the moment and the light will be perfect for snapping a few photos of your teen. It could be just a simple day at the park or a visit to a friend, but you’ll value every memory you manage to capture in the future. Candids are my absolute favorites!

6. Pay Attention to Everyday Moments.

You don’t have to plan a grand photoshoot to create memories of your children. You will want to remember the everyday moments too, like ball practice or relaxing and reading a book. Be sure to capture candid photos of your kids just living life, whether it is playing a game or even just eating breakfast. Remember, you do not need a fancy camera to do it. A cell phone will work exceptionally well!

7. Patience is Key

Sometimes what you envision doesn’t pan out. That’s okay! Take a breath and move on. More opportunities and moments will present themselves. You want to enjoy the process and so do your subjects. Let the pressure go!

8. Stay Connected While Taking Better Photos

While having that camera or cell phone in hand, remember to stay connected to your teen or kiddo. Inspiration comes in many forms. Most of my moments seem to stem from connection, whether it’s between me and my subject or between the subjects in front of me.

9. Prompts for Authentic Emotion

Staying connected yields authentic emotion. Capturing real moments, whether it’s joy, sadness, love, or elation, can give you some pretty fantastic candids. Sometimes it occurs naturally, but having prompts focused around those key feelings will help you capture them.

What can you say to your teen to make them react with joy or show their love? I have found journaling to be a fantastic way to gather my thoughts about prompts ahead of time.

10. Look for the Details.

Pay attention to the details that help to tell their story. Zoom in on what they’re doing, whether it’s laughing with a friend or playing a game on their cell phone. Capture the way their hair moves in the light or on a paintbrush as they work. Here, I focused on her hand movements while playing the guitar, while she focused on her song.

11. Framing

This is a great way to set your teen apart in an image. When photographing your teen, think about what you want to surround them with. Maybe they’re standing under an archway or doorway, or along a fence. Tree branches may be surrounding them. This will lead the viewer’s eye to your teen.

12. Golden Hour

Ahh, my favorite kind of light. I like to encourage my kids to go outside as much as possible, but especially during the last hour of the day before sunset. You can capture them doing their thing while surrounded by some of the most magical light. It’s a wonderful recipe for taking better photos of your teen!

13. Consistency

You don’t need to pick up that camera for long, but doing so every day or a handful of times a week will really give you some good practice, especially as you’re developing your confidence. Put these tips to practice as often as possible! Not all at the same time, of course. Don’t overwhelm yourself! Just work for consistency. Then be excited as you watch your growth!

14. Editing Those Images

First, don’t spend too much time on it, if any. It’s easy for me to get lost in “artistic editing bliss” as I call it, but it’s a time-killer. My favorite apps right now for editing cell phone images are Lightroom mobile, Photoshop Express, and Snapseed. I love using Lightroom and Photoshop for images I take with my Nikon D750.

15. Break the Rules

That’s right. Sometimes you’ve just got to break the rules to capture the perfect shot. Maybe the image isn’t framed correctly or a hand is cut off, but you caught his jaw-dropping, amazing smile you can never seem to capture as you see it! That’s a keeper and top-notch in my book.

Wrapping It Up | How To Take Better Photos of Your Teen

When it comes to taking photos of your teens, the important thing is capturing their personalities, so you can have images to cherish for years to come. Hopefully, these tips can help you make the most of your photos!