Need young girl p-folio samples

[fastw]

Shooting a 12 year old girl this weekend for a portfolio. Very awkward age, too young for "sexy" look, too old for "child" look.
Need advice and samples/links.
Cheers, WK.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

i'd go for the child look.yes, awkward, but better than the too young for the sexy look, unless you want to end up on the list of banned photographers.

 

[Felinik]

I have no experience of this situation, but I googled "photographing teenagers", as I'd treat a 12 yo as a teenager.

First hit:
http://www.exposureguide.com/photographing-teenagers.htm

 

[polyglot]

From my dim memory of being 12 (but not a girl), they liked at that time to be portrayed as adult and/or sophisticated. You can pull that off without being age-inappropriate.

 

[Rom]

to be portrayed as adult and/or sophisticated.

yeah i think it's a good way.

My son of 14 years old:

• wants to be like an adult
• thinks he is an adult
• wants that i treat him like an adult

But at least he has still body/mentality of a boy.

This style Dead Link Removed perhaps could match in some point.

 

[Rick A]

Find out what she thinks she is and go from there
Try a couple looks-- keep it as natural as possible. Photo her slightly more adult than she is and maybe as the teen next door. Possibly as a young sophisticate and maybe even as a tom-boy. Have her bring a couple of her own props to get an idea.

 

[dpurdy]

Ages 9, 11,13. When I take photos of kids I like to let them wear what they want and be as goofy as they want but I like to also take photos of them just standing there being photographed. I personally think a photo of a kid looking like she/he is being photographed is the most honest photo.

 

[BrianShaw]

dpurdy has some nice examples. I'd post some of mine but they are boys primarily. The reccomendations to let the child guide the shoot is a great one... it works. In terms of other examples, one good source I've noticed are advertisement for clothing. Here in the US I think that would be considered somewhere between "childrens" and "juniors". The advertizing folks seems to have mastered the balance you seek. That pre-teen age is a difficult because, like the early teen years, there is still a whole lot of variability in maturity... both physical, emotional, and intellectual.

 

[smieglitz]

Very nice portraits. I can't even decide if I have a favorite of the three.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Lovely portraits

Ages 9, 11,13. When I take photos of kids I like to let them wear what they want and be as goofy as they want but I like to also take photos of them just standing there being photographed. I personally think a photo of a kid looking like she/he is being photographed is the most honest photo.

 

[MattKing]

dpurdy's choice of 3/4 length portraits for young people is a good idea. That choice means you can work close enough to connect and get lots of detail, but not so close as to be intimidating.

 

[dpurdy]

It also means you can use a Rolleiflex without the close up attachment. Except that the one with the cat is shot on 8x10.
Dennis

 

[Vaughn]

Well, here are three teenage boys (15 yrs). Not really much help -- just a chance to show off the kids. Taken this year. These guys are all over the map -- very different from each other. Someone would have some trouble on their hands making the mistake of thinking one size fits all! Something to remember when dealing with a set of two or more closely aged teenagers/pre-teens siblings.

Scanned 11x14 contact print. Taken with a 270mm lens -- exposure was about a second, maybe two, using the lens cap, so the boys' heads are not sharp, but sharp enough!

 

[Bob Carnie]

The guy on the left looks very happy with you.

Well, here are three teenage boys (15 yrs). Not really much help -- just a chance to show off the kids. Taken this year. These guys are all over the map -- very different from each other. Someone would have some trouble on their hands making the mistake of thinking one size fits all! Something to remember when dealing with a set of two or more closely aged teenagers/pre-teens siblings.

Scanned 11x14 contact print. Taken with a 270mm lens -- exposure was about a second, maybe two, using the lens cap, so the boys' heads are not sharp, but sharp enough!

 

[Vaughn]

The guy on the left looks very happy with you.

He is even happier in this one! LOL! (actually I have trained them not to smile for long exposures -- typically 30 seconds to one minute long,

Scanned 8x10 pt/pd print.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Hey Vaughn
My father in law would love that image, his name is Al Paterson, google him, he has one of the largest collections of steam train images in Canada.
He was a Bell Telephone technician and would place him on phone lines as the trains came in and out of Toronto Station.

He is even happier in this one! LOL! (actually I have trained them not to smile for long exposures -- typically 30 seconds to one minute long,

Scanned 8x10 pt/pd print.