photo by Kelly Garvey
Facing a male of any age for a photo session can be a bit like wrestling a giant.
Whether you’re wrangling a little guy climbing trees or waiting on a teen busy checking his phone, these often contrary subjects are frequently dragged to their sessions by a well-intentioned mother.
They come with their own agenda on their minds and almost a predetermined dare for the photographer — Game on. We rounded up three photographers who gallantly take on this daunting task and asked them to share their tried-and-true secrets for capturing their client’s true character from boyhood to manhood.
The tike
Ahhh, the endless activity of a pre-schooler. This is the busy age with the kind of energy we wish we could bottle up for ourselves. While certainly fun and full of life, wrangling a tike can be anything but easy. That’s why it’s essential to do your homework before each session.
Kelly Garvey, a Houston-based family photographer, suggests asking mom and dad in detail about what the child is like, including what his interests are and what personality you’re working with. This valuable insight will pay off in dividends when you show up at the session with a game plan in mind. To combat his resistance to a new face, Kelly likes to bring a small toy or treat to the session to break the ice and to let the little guy see you as a “friend.”
Bearing gifts is nice, but what’s an even bigger asset? Knowing that a positive attitude breeds a positive attitude. Approach each session with enthusiasm and try to “think like a three-year-old,” she says. Keep your time together fun and carefree, creating plenty of opportunities to jump, wiggle, explore and play.
Creating a fun experience
Simplicity is best. Look for safe, isolated locations with plenty of room to roam yet that are free from distracting elements that can creep into your background. Novelty often creates excitement, so appeal to the natural bent of this young adventurer to explore and conquer.
Solicit Mom and Dad’s help by having them do silly things like dance behind you. Rubber duck squeaky toys, colorful balls, even a feather duster to tickle young children can elicit big, bright smiles. Remember that these photo sessions — especially when parent expectations are high — can be stressful on the young child, so they need lots of breaks, love, and patience.
The big brother
If your toddler client happens also to be a new big brother, chances are pretty high you’ll be asked to photograph the siblings together. This can be a tall order if the pre-schooler is still wondering, “Who is this and when is it going back to the hospital?”
Try swaddling the baby in a blanket, laying him on a bed or other large surface, and then call brother to come close to look on. You can say something silly such as, “How many eyes does Baby have?” or “See if his forehead smells like applesauce!” to capture an authentic reaction from him instead of the dreaded disinterested expression. Photographing the pair lying side-by-side from overhead is another highly successful option.
The school boy
A wonderful blend of curiosity and maturity, the school-age boy is often witty, clever and, honestly, quite funny. In her sessions, Lisa Tichané, a family photographer in Marseille, France, capitalizes on a young boy’s love of a winsome challenge. She confesses, “You won’t believe all the things you can make them do for you with just a simple, ‘I bet you can’t…’”
For Lisa, it all comes down to the fun factor. “Think about your shooting time not as a moment to take photographs but as a fun moment for the kid,” she says. Since imagination is such a huge part of this phase of development, Lisa suggests embracing it. “If they want to be a pirate, let them be a pirate!” Look for faraway ships, jump over a river full of piranhas, and send the captives to walk the plank. Pretending to be someone else is an endless joy for this age group. Embrace their imagination and boundless energy to catch them naturally and unguarded, and let a boy be a boy.
Think on your feet
After her son lost his two front teeth, Lisa wanted to capture his quintessential toothless grin. However, he had other plans any time she pulled out her camera.
Undaunted, Lisa launched a funny faces contest. Her son would make a weird face, and then she had to guess what it was. She says the key was to guess really crazy things to make him laugh, like, “Ohhh, yes, I know you are a fierce cannibal monkey! No! You are a two-headed squirrel who fell out of a tree!” Score! This hilarious series not only produced that perfect toothless smile but also plenty of entertaining outtakes that show the silliness of this age.
Tech tip: Use a fast shutter speed (1/500 to 1/1000) to freeze the action and achieve perfect clarity.
The teen
Boys of this season are full of passion and zeal for life. Sarah Lane of Studio Twelve in California’s Napa Valley embraces her opportunity to work with these often impressionable young men by taking the opportunity to build confidence in them and encourage them to use their voice in positive ways.
She finds that while personalities at this age vary so widely, something she sees across the board is a genuine desire to be seen. To work with this natural bent, Sarah stresses that taking the time to get to know your client, to break past their walls and to validate them is really an investment on your part in the outcome of their photos.
Let’s face it, though they might hide behind a disinterested facade, even the most reluctant teen ultimately wants to look like a guy straight from the pages of a magazine. But since an eye for fashion and detail isn’t often at the forefront of their activity-loving minds, they look to you as the expert on both how to make them stylish and how to keep them from looking cheesy.
Sitting down with them for a pre-session consultation weeks before their shoot gives them a plan of attack when pulling together their wardrobe. Here, you can give them an authoritative but gentle push outside their comfort box. Since visual examples are key, Pinterest boards are Sarah’s secret weapon for selling a client on a particular look. She urges them not to overlook the power of accessories to styling. A simple hat, a watch or a jacket can provide a polished finishing touch.
Locations for boys are endless, and looking for locations that feel masculine will create a bit of edginess and grit reflective of this transition to manhood. Metal structures, overhead hangings where they can stretch their arms, and rusty stairwells are all ideal backdrops. Perfect posing shouldn’t be your goal; guiding a guy into a pose and then letting him settle into his own natural variation of it is Sarah’s approach. “We tend to get so focused on posing one exact way that we miss that amazing natural shots are right in front of us!” she says.
6 tips to capture teen spirit:
- You set the tone; settle in, relax and be yourself.
- Don’t be afraid to offer your styling advice. He wants to hear it!
- Keep him moving. Get your subject walking, running, or even riding a skateboard. It helps him relax and will give you some fantastic shots in the process.
- Keep the poses natural; give him guidance, but let him take on his natural stance.
- Dress modestly. Watch out for low-cut shirts and V-necks that may gape as you lean over.
- Remember to bring a step stool. It’s likely a guy this age will be taller than you, and you’ll want to be able to get eye level with him.
