Tips For Working With High Schoolers

by Kirk Voclain

 

Photographing teenagers is a whole different ballgame than photographing adults. Teen portraits are usually commissioned by parents, which means your subject might need some convincing in order to get enthused about the task at hand. The best way to get teens pumped about their portrait session is by keeping up with trends, gauging their interests and staying current.

As a long-time player in the senior portrait session game, I have a few go-to tips on playing it cool while working with high school students. Check them out!

Listen & Ask

High schoolers tend to be opinionated (that’s putting it mildly), so listen carefully to their wishes. Chances are they’ll tell you exactly what they want if you ask them, so pose key questions like “What would your ideal self-portrait look like?” and “What parts of your personality do you want to come through in these pictures?” It’s also a good idea to ask your clients about their personal style, interests –– even their favorite music and movies. The more relatable they think you are, the easier they’ll be to work with.

Check Out Teen Magazines

Buying Seventeen Magazine and Teen Vogue might be slightly out of your comfort zone (unless you’re a huge fan of Justin Bieber…), but familiarizing yourself with the interests of a typical teen is pretty helpful when it comes to photographing them. Not only will you be able to chat about their favorite movies, albums and trends, you’ll better understand the current teen aesthetic, and what they might want from their own photos.

Hang Where They Hang

Take a field trip to the local stomping ground of teens in your area (yep, the joys of the mall await you!) and advertise your brand. Get a mall display, pass out business cards, trick your car out with a vinyl wrap advertisement –– do whatever it takes for your young clientele to get excited about your services. The same goes for social media. Teens spend huge amounts of time networking, so establish a Facebook and Twitter presence and encourage clients to friend / follow you.

For more tips on working with teens, as well as advice on how to streamline your workflow, check out my CreativeLIVE course that’s happening live right now.

 

Kirk Voclain is an American award-winning photographer. A former owner of a camera store, Kirk has been involved in the photography business for decades. In 1988, he became a member of the PPA and has hung photographs in national, state, and regional competitions every year since. recently, Kirk has taken to teaching young photographers how to grow in the competitive world of senior portrait photography.