We love photographing teens and tweens, and here’s why: From birth through about age six or seven, kids are photographed religiously. There are so many milestones during early life: first steps, first birthday, first day of school, first lost tooth, first sport. As kids age, there are fewer and fewer firsts in their lives, but that doesn’t mean their lives aren’t worthy of documenting!
Generally, after early childhood, the next big portrait session they’ll have is Senior Pictures. But all those years in between, throughout middle school and high school, is when their interests really emerge and their personalities become set. Yet these become “the lost years” in our photo albums. Why not document who they are, right now?
Mari-Katherine is a 15 year old sophomore at Hoggard. She loves fashion, and is considered the fashion expert amongst her girlfriends. She’d spend all day on Pinterest looking up hair, makeup, and outfit ideas if she could. She is funny and self-deprecating. If there’s a meme, she’s seen it.
But on top of her love of fashion, she has a genuine interest in both modeling and photography. And here’s the thing — she’s really good! Anyone who watches America’s Next Top Model knows that modeling is not just being pretty. It’s knowing how to move your body and create facial expressions that are interesting and invoke curiosity. Mari-Katherine’s favorite images are those in which the model looks edgy and sophisticated.
We could’ve gone to the beach or the park like any average teenage photography session. Instead, we wanted to create something truly unique, just for her. We decided to do a very high-fashion conceptual shoot for Mari-Katherine. We began looking into conceptual makeup ideas on Pinterest and Instagram, and ultimately the vision started centering around rhinestones. We teamed up with hair and makeup expert Tyler Kent of Tyler Kent Salon, and gave her free reign to create a look centered around our inspiration board.
These images are the result: a conceptual, outside-the-box, unique, different, sophisticated, anything-but-average shoot for a girl who’s into fashion and modeling and dreams of being anything but average.
Who does your teen or tween want to be? Who is she now? Contact us to learn about how we can customize photography just around him or her.
Teen Model: Mari-Katherine
Hair, Makeup, and Rhinestone design: Tyler Kent of Tyler Kent Salon
Dress: vintage
Shoes provided by Tyler Kent
