Teenagers
© Blend ImagesAdvertisers enthusiastically embrace the youth / teen segment because of the ‘cool’ factor, despite them not having the highest disposable income. Teenagers adopt the latest trends in fashion, technology, music etc and reflect a discerning market that advertisers are eager to impress. From an editorial perspective clients are looking for authentic, realistic depictions and day-in-the-life-of style documentation.
As in all lifestyle situations, having signed model releases maximises the potential for the images to sell in both advertising and editorial sectors. As is emphasized in the tips from our photographers, it's important to explain the full implications of signing a stock photography model release to parents signing on behalf of their teenage children.
Lisa Valder, imagestopshop
- Photographing teenagers is harder than both young children and animals put together. They can be quite awkward, uneasy, embarrassed and uncooperative, therefore it may be preferable to find models amongst friends and family who know you: the more relaxed and natural the better.
- It is best to photograph teenagers in their own social environment, but if that’s not possible and you are shooting in a studio, tell them to bring their own music.
- Fashion statements in terms of clothing, hairstyles and gadgets are not a good idea, because the cooler and hipper something seems at the time, the quicker it will look very dated. It goes without saying that teenagers’ fashions also vary greatly depending on geographic area. Try to go for a fairly neutral look.
- Images of this age group can convey very different messages, therefore when arranging a shoot, try and incorporate different aspects of teenage related social issues like drugs, petty crime, mood swings, as well as the more straightforward positive and cheerful images like vacation, family, friends, school, first love etc.
- Try and combine teenagers with other age groups, i.e. older generation or younger children. There is a great lack of those types of images, and even though teenagers tend to mostly hang out with their own age group, this would add an interesting angle.
Christina Kennedy
- Photograph teenagers with their real life friends / girlfriends / boyfriends or family members rather than alone - ideally in their natural environments doing whatever they normally do. This is definitely the most interesting way to capture the ‘essence’ of a teenager, their energy and emotional make-up.
- Following on from the point above, don’t set up shots, don’t pose teenagers, don’t bring a lot of gear or lighting equipment. Ask if you can hang out for a few hours. If you’re relaxed, they’re more likely to be relaxed.
- If for example your teenage subjects are on the floor playing video games, shoot from the floor. If they’re skateboarding in a skate park, get under the ramps so you can shoot them flying into the air. In my experience, the closer you are, the better shots you get.
- Finally, one very important last point. Parents signing releases on behalf of teenagers often don’t read the fine print on a release form so its up to the photographer to explain clearly the implications of signing the model release for stock photography before the shoot begins. For some teens, appearing on a billboard is a dream come true, but for others it can be terribly embarrassing.
Jackson Smith
- Prepare for the shoot - look at magazines, other stock websites, and the kids around your town to determine what you want to shoot and how you want it to look.
- For stock shooting I usually do not share my ideas with teenagers. That said, often my research goes out the window, but is never for naught. They have a ton of emotion and personality, are very sensitive, and it is best to shoot who they are than try to force them into something they are not. Let them be natural and you will get a meaningful picture.
- Sit with them for a while, I do not always whip out my camera right away and busy myself behind the lens, if you let them, they will talk to you and feel good about you and what they are doing. I have never run into a teenager that was not flattered by having someone want to photograph them, it just takes a little time.
- When it is time to shoot, I just do it. At some point, when I think the time is right, I usually abruptly change from a casual mode to a work mode (after all this is a stock shoot and you need to produce some images for your time and money). While I am shooting I am fairly directed as to where I want the people to be but not so committed to what I want them to do or how I want them to act. "Rachel, over by the glass \ John you are next to her \ no more behind \ I don’t know just do stuff."
- Shots of teenagers can be popular for all kinds of markets, not just stock photography but also for example the fine-art photographic world. It’s worth familiarising yourself with the look and style for fine art and influencing your final edit so you have material for both stock and fine art - quirky teenage behaviour and expressions can do well for the fine art market.
Liz Somerville, Photofusion Picture Library
- First photograph teenagers wearing logo free clothes and then with logos. On the whole our clients prefer no logos to be shown but then every now and again there’ll be something where they specifically ask for a logo e.g. Nike.
- If photographing groups of teenagers make sure there’s an ethnic mix.
- Make sure any accessories like mobile phones, iPods, computers etc are up to date.
- Make sure you get as wide a variety of setups as possible on each shoot.
- Get model releases signed by their parents or guardians. Remember that under 18s cannot sign a model release. So don’t assume that just because a teenager is happy to be photographed that their parents will feel the same. Teenagers have quite big egos so are usually happy to be photographed but do talk to them about how they’ll feel if they appear in print and their friends see the article, especially if the image is used for something negative like hoodies and crime!
David Young-Wolff
- Teens tend to wear clothes that are trendy. Try and have them wear clothes that are true to how they would dress but could still be in style in a few years. Ask them to bring a few different choices of clothing.
- Create and shoot the situation you want, and then let the teens interact on their own. Listen to them about how they would react if they were actually in the situation you have set up. Sometimes the best photos are taken when the teens are relaxed and being creative with their own ideas.
- Try to use a group of teens who interact well together. Placing teens who are total strangers together in a photo shoot may cause the photographs to look stiff. If one of the kids is having trouble being natural, place him facing away from the camera so you use him for framing. A sense of humour can help to relax the models, especially if they do not know one another.
- Have everything ready to go when the models show up. If you spend too long with the setup, they can become bored and ready to do something else before you even start shooting.
- Most important of all, have a goal of exactly what you are trying to communicate before you start. Then try and get models that will fit into what you are trying to do.