CHAPTER TWELVE

Posing Teens

When working with teens, you’ll quickly find that they have more of a vested interest in the outcome of their session than do your younger subjects. It’s a no-brainer: teens want to look good. Most also want a more cutting edge look and want their portraits to reflect their unique personalities. When you look through the photos in this chapter, you’ll find more inventive poses and more props than we’ve seen in other chapters.

In the images below, we have a teen whose interest and involvement in sports is a point of pride. Though the session was conducted in the studio, the props seem to suggest an equipment room. The pose is well suited to the concept. The body language is open, friendly, and casual. In the left-hand image, we have the front knee slightly bent, the weight on the back foot, a slant to the shoulders, and space between the torso and the arms. The golf clubs are visible but do not overwhelm and distract.

The two images below were made during a single session at a single location. The difference in the posing, lighting, and composition makes for two very different yet equally saleable portrait looks.

Here we have three portrait lengths—a full-length pose, a head-and-shoulders portrait, and a three-quarter-length image. Each pose flatters the teen’s trim figure. The two-thirds head position was used repeatedly to show the beautiful, graceful line of the subject’s face.

Posing Three Ways

These three images show a young, beautiful, and confident woman. The poses have a fashion-inspired feel that is anything but uninteresting. In the top photo, we have a beautiful reclining full-length pose. The teen’s face is positioned in the upper-left third of the frame. The line of her body draws the gaze across the frame to the lower-right edge of the frame. By having her pull her left knee in front of her right knee, we emphasized the curve of her hip and accentuated her narrow waist. In the photo above, the shoulder presentation is strong, we have a nice view of her slim torso, and a very pretty two-thirds view of the face. The edgy feel in the three-quarter portrait on the facing page shows the left hand in a non-standard pose, but with the expression, the overall pose seems to work.

Teens like images with an edge. Consider employing interesting camera angles to introduce a unique look in the portrait.

Camera Angle

One of the easiest ways to create a tradition-defying pose is to take the portrait from an unconventional camera angle. In each of these portraits, the arm thrown over the subject’s head leads the gaze to the focal point of the image-the face. In the image above, there’s an implied line between the left hand and the right hand, which is delicately posed beneath the chin. Note the graceful posing of the hands. We see the edge of the hand, and the fingers are delicately bent and slightly spread. It’s a traditional presentation of the hands, but even in this cutting-edge portrait context, it looks great.

Urban backdrops and casual, seemingly candid portraits are popular with teens. Note that in the images above and on the facing page, the pose is somewhat aloof and very casual. A formal pose would not suit the environment or the clothing.

Popular magazines that cater to teens-fashion, or music publications, for example-can be a great resource that can help you create poses that will appeal to teens. Consider creating a scrapbook that you or your subject (if you’re a photographer who likes to give up a little creative control) can look through prior to the start of the session. By keeping on top of the current looks that are popular with teens, you can remain competitive and win referrals from satisfied clients.

Something Old, Something New

The images chosen for this chapter were selected to show the type of posing and portraiture that appeals to most teens. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that the teens aren’t usually the ones who will be footing the bill for your services. Create an array of poses, and make sure that you include some more traditional poses for the parents, too. Keep in mind that your “cooler” shots will be a hit with the teen, but his or her grandparents are probably looking for something a little more classic-a standard pose and a nice smile. When you create a range of looks, everyone wins.

Note the way the pose, clothing, expressions, and dark tones in each of these five images work together to create a serious, edgy look.

Establishing the Desired Mood

The subject’s expression is an extension of the pose. It helps to create the overall mood in the portrait and helps to give meaning to the pose. Look at the portrait of the young woman above. Her serious expression works with the casual pose and dark tones of the clothing and background to create a somber mood. Imagine the same image with a white background and the model with a wide smile. The pose would still appear casual, but the overall image would have a friendlier, warmer tone.

When photographing the male subject shown on these pages, I wanted to create some parent-pleasing shots as well as some edgier portraits that would appeal to the teen. I decided to produce some smiling portraits while the guy was wearing a t-shirt. With his shirt removed, we have a better view of his tattoos, a great opportunity to show off his physique, and a little more attitude. Note the careful, traditional posing of the fingers in the individual portraits and the photograph of the couple. In the couple’s portrait, the back of the young woman’s right hand is visible. Though this is something we typically try to avoid, it works in this image, as her body language suggests loyalty and a sense of protectiveness.

Left—The low camera angle used to capture the image on the left visually lengthens the subject’s body and creates an unconventional look that’s popular with teens. Facing page—This image has a more contemplative, softer feel. The more compact, “closed” pose creates a reserved body language that works beautifully with the expression and lighting.

A New Perspective

When posing teens, shooting from far below their head level or, conversely, from above, can help add a little bit of an edge. Note the difference the change in perspective allows in the images above and on the facing page. In the image above, the low shooting angle visually lengthens the body, making the subject appear taller. Shooting from above head height can have the opposite effect.

Mixing It Up

Digital photography and image editing provide us with countless opportunities to enhance our images. We can use Photoshop’s Liquify tool to slightly slim the arms, for example, and can use the Healing Brush to stamp out imperfections. All will help to enhance your well-posed subject’s appearance in their portraits.

Many photographers overlook another creative option that Photoshop offers: the ability to produce creative composite images. The poster below features images of my son; two of the images were captured during a game, and the others were made during practice.

Facing page—Urban backgrounds and interesting architectural elements add a little interest to teen poses. Below—Nik Software offers a variety of interesting plug-in filters that can help you render a single pose in a variety of ways. Right—An artistic composite is a great way to show off a variety of poses.