Scarlett Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 My 16 year old hasn't had a photo shoot since he was 9. I am insisting on one next week and he is resisting it like crazy. Is this normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyOwn Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Teen boy resisting? Very normal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 (edited) Yes it is normal, and they'll also think they need to look cool and not smile. (But we always insisted our ds smile.) ETA: To be fair, my dd's really didn't like having their pictures taken at that age either. Edited May 4, 2016 by J-rap 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 I would have resisted too. I did have to do "senior pictures" at 16 though. Other than that I didn't willingly allow anyone to take my photo the whole time I was a teen and young adult. I don't do photo shoots with my kids. I force them to let me take photos at certain times, like shortly before Christmas. Sometimes I don't end up with any useable photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeWillSoar Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 That last time we got our boys pictures done I had to do some major bribing. They normally won't let me take their picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Normal. My DS refused to have his picture taken for several years. Just recently I was allowed to take his pic. I would not insist that a teen have his picture taken. He may feel self conscious about his appearance or have other reasons, and I would respect that 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 (edited) Normal. DS22's teen school photos are hilarious because he's trying so hard to look cool and flippant. I would post them but he would never forgive me. :zombie: On second thought, I should frame them and put them up in the hallway. Wouldn't that be special? :) Edited May 4, 2016 by trulycrabby 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccolopy Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 DS is willing to stand still for quick photos of the family, and for sports pictures, but there is no way he would participate in a photo shoot or allow anyone to take an individual photo of him. Sounds normal to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 I told him I would not put them on social media without permission. And that our photographer friend would edit out any bad shots. But that I insist on having a nice photo of him. If he doesn't cooperate I don't know what I will do. The bribery idea might work Although he asked me how much it would cost him for me to not make him do it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 I haven't grown out of this yet myself. :laugh: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 I haven't grown out of this yet myself. :laugh: I was thinking the same thing. :laugh: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Not unusual at all. If you wait for the senior photo shoot, he might be more willing to play then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Unfortunately, totally natural. Sigh... Dd was SOOOOOO excited about her senior photos. And then there were the boys.... We managed to survive. We were able to get some shots of eldest with his guitar, outdoors in the autumn leaves and he managed to look good. WHEW, and then we went to the lake and got some decent beach ones mostly because we promised kayaking and ice cream upon cooperation. Middle ds begrudgingly managed two photo shoots, and thankfully decided it wasn't so bad because we took him out with the horse he trained with, our dog whom he loves, and then finally at the ski lodge where we snowboards. I think all my photos are too large to attach here, otherwise I would share one as he said he doesn't mind. (His photo is on the web anyway because the rocket team is used heavily to advertise for 4-H and TARC.) I have no idea what we'll do with the youngest. He's an engineering and astronomy geek. He's got a 10 inch telescope but pitch black night sky does not make for great senior pictures. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Maybe just take some photos yourself and keep it casual? I can't imagine any teens wanting to sit for a formal shoot. Or adults either for that matter. Casual photos capture the person better anyway, IMO. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyx4 Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 I'm a non bribing parent. I bribe teen boys for photos. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateReignRemix Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Normal. DS22's teen school photos are hilarious because he's trying so hard to look cool and flippant. I would post them but he would never forgive me. :zombie: On second thought, I should frame them and put them up in the hallway. Wouldn't that be special? :) Do eeeeeeeeet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 Maybe just take some photos yourself and keep it casual? I can't imagine any teens wanting to sit for a formal shoot. Or adults either for that matter. Casual photos capture the person better anyway, IMO. It will be casual. A family friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 dudeling acts like he thinks a camera steals his soul. for dds reception, I bribed him to be in at least one picture. he really really wanted the bribe - but he still struggled to peak out from behind 1ds. and other times. . . . . no problem. here, there's no mirror, I can take a pic so you can see what the hat looks like. even smiled. I had to lecture him up one side and down the other before taking him for a new passport photo. no one likes their picture, just cooperate. no problem. . . go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 It will be casual. A family friend. Oh yeah, I would have never agreed to pose for someone. Especially if I knew them. No.way. I prefer snapshots, though. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 (edited) I've done photoshoots for teens. Photography is my hobby and I do a pretty good job. I've done a number of senior pictures for my friend's sons. They don't really get into it a lot, but they're ok once they're outside taking pictures. I didn't insist on lots of smiles. Some smile, some don't. One boy who never, ever smiles in real life, smiled a ton in his pictures. His mom was so tickled, "I haven't seen that smile in so long!" Another boy wasn't a smiler, so I let him be serious. The trick is to make it so they're not so serious that they look goofy. A nice trick for that, is to tell the person to slightly open their mouth and slightly pull their muscles into a smile. A close lipped, downward lip looks sulky. A straight across, or slightly upward lip and an open mouth just looks like you're interested in what's going on around you. Sometimes people can't pull off a full smile and that looks goofy, so the open mouth is nice. I tried to start all photoshoots with pictures NOT of people's faces. (These are for outdoor photoshoots that will take a couple of hours and I plan on taking dozens of pictures.). So, I tell the person to bring a prop, like a ball or skateboard. Then, I start by taking pictures of the ball or skateboard by the person's feet. Only their feet are in the shot. Or, I could start with a "walking away from the camera" shot of the back of someone. It gets them relaxed a tiny bit before they have to worry about looking at me. For one girl, we went out with horses and started with shots of her with her forehead pressed against the horse's forehead. She didn't have to worry about looking at me. I also did one with her, where she was sitting in a big armchair in the middle of a field with books piled around her. She didn't have to look at me at all, just sit here in the chair reading a book. I did that to give her a break from staring at the camera, smiling, which was stressful to her. See if your friend has ideas like that so that your son can start out not looking at the camera at all. Also, ask the teen how comfortable they are with mom standing there watching. For some, they want Mom there and for others they don't. For some, having Mom there watching makes them stiff for the camera. Your friend probably knows these things, but just in case not, you could talk to her about these ideas. It's very, very normal for teen boys not to want to. have their pictures taken. They usually give in for senior pictures because everyone they know is having them. I tell them, "Let's get some shots you like (serious face or whatever) and get a few to make mom happy where you smile." So far they all give a sheepish grin and realize, "Yeah, I need to give mom the smile shot," and come through for me. ETA: None of this helps get him there in the first place, does it? But once he's there, the above are ways to make it as un-miserable as possible. Edited May 4, 2016 by Garga 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Unfortunately, totally natural. Sigh... Dd was SOOOOOO excited about her senior photos. And then there were the boys.... We managed to survive. We were able to get some shots of eldest with his guitar, outdoors in the autumn leaves and he managed to look good. WHEW, and then we went to the lake and got some decent beach ones mostly because we promised kayaking and ice cream upon cooperation. Middle ds begrudgingly managed two photo shoots, and thankfully decided it wasn't so bad because we took him out with the horse he trained with, our dog whom he loves, and then finally at the ski lodge where we snowboards. I think all my photos are too large to attach here, otherwise I would share one as he said he doesn't mind. (His photo is on the web anyway because the rocket team is used heavily to advertise for 4-H and TARC.) I have no idea what we'll do with the youngest. He's an engineering and astronomy geek. He's got a 10 inch telescope but pitch black night sky does not make for great senior pictures. Take the telescope picture at the end of the day as the sun is setting as if he's setting it up to use it as night falls. It won't be pitch dark, but will still give the sense of a young astronomer heading out with his telescope to view the skies as soon as he's done with his pesky photoshoot. If your photographer is clever, then there are ways to pull off a shot of a person looking through a telescope at night. The person would need the right lighting equipment and probably be good at editing, but it could be done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Does he have a girlfriend? Invite her along for a few photos with him. Let her deal with him :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 I've done photoshoots for teens. Photography is my hobby and I do a pretty good job. I've done a number of senior pictures for my friend's sons. They don't really get into it a lot, but they're ok once they're outside taking pictures. I didn't insist on lots of smiles. Some smile, some don't. One boy who never, ever smiles in real life, smiled a ton in his pictures. His mom was so tickled, "I haven't seen that smile in so long!" Another boy wasn't a smiler, so I let him be serious. The trick is to make it so they're not so serious that they look goofy. A nice trick for that, is to tell the person to slightly open their mouth and slightly pull their muscles into a smile. A close lipped, downward lip looks sulky. A straight across, or slightly upward lip and an open mouth just looks like you're interested in what's going on around you. Sometimes people can't pull off a full smile and that looks goofy, so the open mouth is nice. I tried to start all photoshoots with pictures NOT of people's faces. (These are for outdoor photoshoots that will take a couple of hours and I plan on taking dozens of pictures.). So, I tell the person to bring a prop, like a ball or skateboard. Then, I start by taking pictures of the ball or skateboard by the person's feet. Only their feet are in the shot. Or, I could start with a "walking away from the camera" shot of the back of someone. It gets them relaxed a tiny bit before they have to worry about looking at me. For one girl, we went out with horses and started with shots of her with her forehead pressed against the horse's forehead. She didn't have to worry about looking at me. I also did one with her, where she was sitting in a big armchair in the middle of a field with books piled around her. She didn't have to look at me at all, just sit here in the chair reading a book. I did that to give her a break from staring at the camera, smiling, which was stressful to her. See if your friend has ideas like that so that your son can start out not looking at the camera at all. Also, ask the teen how comfortable they are with mom standing there watching. For some, they want Mom there and for others they don't. For some, having Mom there watching makes them stiff for the camera. Your friend probably knows these things, but just in case not, you could talk to her about these ideas. It's very, very normal for teen boys not to want to. have their pictures taken. They usually give in for senior pictures because everyone they know is having them. I tell them, "Let's get some shots you like (serious face or whatever) and get a few to make mom happy where you smile." So far they all give a sheepish grin and realize, "Yeah, I need to give mom the smile shot," and come through for me. ETA: None of this helps get him there in the first place, does it? But once he's there, the above are ways to make it as un-miserable as possible. Thanks! Very helpful. She probably does know this stuff.....but I will pass it on anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 No girlfriend....and I told him I would go with them or stay away...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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