Mother and Teenage Sons posing question

msgbmd2001 · Nov 14, 2014

Not sure if this is the right section, but I was looking for some information/advice on photographing and posing a mother and her 2 teenage boys. I've been looking online for some inspiration and ideas but most everything I find is a mother with her young son(s).

I would like to capture them in a natural, emotional way. Real smiles and genuine laughter. With kids, I can have them do small things and capture them in the moment. So with teenage boys and their mom - what can I tell them to do? I can't exactly tell mom to sit and have the boys run up and surprise her with a sneak attack!!

I know she wants a few posed shots for holiday cards. Can anyone give me advice on how to pose them? Should I stick to a classic triangle composition? Stagger them? Squeeze them together? I want their love for each other to show in the photos, but teenage boys can be challenging

The boys are dreading the shoot - I just want to be prepared and direct them fluidly.

Any advice or ideas is appreciated!

dennybeall · Nov 14, 2014

I would ask them if there is any activity that they all three enjoy and participate in? Or, perhaps are both boys in a sport or activity and Mom could be watching them.

Designer · Nov 14, 2014

In addition to dennybeall's suggestion, make another more traditional shot with them arranged in a casual group. And OF COURSE triangulate their faces.

Yzerwing · Nov 15, 2014

If the boys and Mom have a mutually favorite sports team maybe a shot of all of them wearing that teams jersey would be of interest to the boys. Otherwise, tell them to show some teeth or they will be taking them home in a bag. LOL! Believe it or not that line actually worked for me once.

JoeW · Nov 16, 2014

All good ideas. I'd also be willing to try some humorous poses as well (b/c even if they don't work out, they can get people to relax and pose more naturally for the more serious ones). You know, something that looks like she's lecturing them and they're tuning her out...or they're trying to explain an iPhone to her and she's looking confused or the boys are pretending to fight and she's separating them by standing in the middle. Or pose with a prop (or pseudo prop) from younger days....on a wall or seamless white paper, put a series of lower markings with the names of the boys next to them (you know, the growth charts on the wall that many houses have) with her holding a pencil and ruler looking at how much taller they are (dwarfing the marks when they were 5 or 7).