now booking outdoor sessions for september & october

Family photos are something that should continue throughout the years, not stop or taper off when your kids become teenagers or beyond. As a Saratoga Springs family photographer, I know the importance of documenting your family at all stages and seasons of life, but sometimes, as kids enter the teenage years, family photos don’t seem to happen as often as they did when they were little. However, I don’t think it’s because parents care any less about having those photos. I think it’s more because it can be really hard to find a time when everyone is free! Here’s why family photos still matter when your kids are teenagers.

Why Family Photos Still Matter When Your Kids Are Teenagers

When kids are little, we photograph them constantly. There are newborn photos, milestone portraits, birthdays, first-day-of-school pictures, and all the moments in between. Then over time and as kids get older, parents start to realize there are fewer photos of everyone together. Somehow, life gets busy, and let’s face it, most teenagers are not begging to get their photo taken. Some teenagers might not be thrilled about a family photo session, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t document this stage or that it isn’t worthy of being captured.

This sweet family scheduled their family session outdoors. We had the most beautiful weather. Mom and Dad have three teenagers, and I loved getting to know each of them during the session. One thing is certain: at this stage, they definitely have their own personalities and styles, which is exactly what makes family sessions with teenagers so important. Just like there is a major change from toddlerhood to the school-age years, and from the school-age years to the teenage years, this stage represents another important transition from childhood to adolescence, and on to adulthood.

Capturing Who They Are Right Now

Teenagers’ personalities, relationships, interests, and confidence are becoming more defined. Parents may look at their teenagers and suddenly realize how close they are to graduation, college, or leaving home, which is why family portraits are even more important. Photos at each stage of life create a beautiful story of your family for you to look at for years to come and remember all the little moments.

In the same way that you look at a family photo from the toddler years and suddenly all those sweet memories surface, like their first words, bedtime stories, and laughter at the playground, when you look back on your family photos from the teenage years, you’ll be brought back to all the milestones happening during that season, like them entering high school, sports games, or even getting their first car. It will also remind you of all the little moments of this season, like late-night conversations with your teen, shopping for a homecoming dress, or the laughter that filled your car as you drove them to and from school or sporting events. Those everyday moments may feel ordinary now, but one day, they will be the memories you treasure most.

Schedule your Family Session Today

If it’s been a few years since your last family portrait, or you’re looking at your photos and realizing the last professional photos you have are from when your teenagers were still little, then now is the time to update them. Time moves by all too quickly. Don’t let this moment pass you by.

I photograph families throughout Saratoga Springs and the Capital Region and will guide you through everything from wardrobe and location planning to creating finished artwork for your home.

Contact me today to schedule your family portraits!