Photographing and posing families with older kids can be a blast! It’s a whole different vibe compared to working with younger children, and it comes with its own set of perks. In this post, we’re diving into some fun tips from our latest YouTube video, “Tips for Posing Families with Older Kids,” to help you capture those perfect shots.

Embracing the Teen Spirit

Older kids, especially teens, bring their own energy and ideas to a photo session. They can follow directions well, but they also love to show off their personalities. This means more creative poses and lots of laughs!

Building on Past Sessions

We love photographing families we’ve worked with before, especially when it started with senior portraits. Once parents see how amazing their teen’s photos are, they’re eager to book a full family session. This familiarity makes everyone more relaxed and ready to have fun.

Posing Fun with Older Kids

Here are some of our go-to poses for families with older kids:

1. Group Hugs: Start off with a big, cozy group hug. It’s a great icebreaker and gets everyone in the mood to smile and snuggle up.
2. Shake It Up: After the initial hug, tell them to loosen up a bit. Maybe have them sway side to side or laugh out loud. These moments are pure gold.
3. Switch It Up: Mix and match the group. Get shots of each kid with each parent, siblings together, and just the parents alone. It’s all about capturing those unique relationships.
4. Fun Prompts: Use playful prompts to get genuine reactions. Ask for a sneak attack hug or an impromptu dance-off. These unexpected moments often turn out to be the best.
5. Back-to-Back: For something different, have family members stand back-to-back. It creates a cool, relaxed look and works great with larger families.

The Petersen Family Fun

Recently, we had a fantastic session with the Peterson family. We’ve been photographing them for years, starting with their older daughter’s senior portraits. Now, it’s time for the younger daughter’s session this summer. The familiarity we have with them made the shoot so much fun and super easy.

We chose Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Egan, which has stunning landscapes and easy trails. From rolling hills to lakeside shots, it was the perfect backdrop for our creative poses.

Why We Love Older Family Sessions

Older family sessions are not just fun; they can be a great boost for your business. Older kids and their parents often want to buy more prints, which means more sales for you. Plus, their ability to understand and follow posing directions opens up endless creative possibilities.

Photographing families with older kids is a fantastic opportunity to capture amazing, dynamic portraits. By understanding their unique dynamics, building on existing relationships, and using fun posing techniques, you’ll create photos that families will treasure forever.

If you want to dive deeper into our posing techniques, check out our full course, “Posing for Purpose.” We cover everything from wedding parties to family sessions and more. You can check out our course HERE!