Photographing Tweens and Teens in Sevenoaks – Just one

When photographing children of any age I’m always on the lookout for a picture that really sums them up. Sometimes this picture will be a portrait with a child looking to the camera wearing an expression that is ‘so them’ capturing their personality in a fraction of a second. Other times it’s an action shot, a moment from within the day where, in a fleeting moment, we have a picture that tells a story, that sums up a child’s personality at this time. I feel that today’s just one is this kind of image.

This was my second shoot with Stephanie and her beautiful daughters down in Sevenoaks in Kent and I was really looking forward to it. We had a brilliant time before and I knew we’d have a brilliant time again – we did. It was an incredible day, one of these bright warm days we have been so lucky to have recently and we headed to the incredibly picturesque Knole Park for the first part of our photo shoot.

All three girls were so amazing to photograph and it was so lovely to chat to them all too – it was lovely to hear about their new ponies and their fledgling careers as young show jumpers – it’s wonderful when children have hobbies they love so passionately. All three girls were so incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic on the subject, I found myself learning a lot. The ponies came later in the shoot though; it was a shot from Knole Park that I have chosen today.

The park is incredible as it has so many amazing fallen trees which are fantastic to play on, perfect for climbing, running along, swinging off and the girls were clearly used to this amazing natural playground. Katie has a natural athleticism and amazing balance and so when she started to do cartwheels along the top of a log I was mesmerized. Add in the amazing back lighting which gave her an illuminated halo and I knew I was taking something special.

I love the shot and feel it really captures something of Katie’s personality at this time – so full of energy and also so full of grace. It also feels, to me, to capture that mix of an activity loved from childhood but performed with an adult’s skill, a cartwheel but balanced along the beam of the fallen tree. It seems to sum up the tween years, no longer a young child but not yet a teenager. It’s a wonderful age and I’m sure all three girls have a bright and exciting future ahead of them.

I have so many lovely shots of all the girls and I’m really looking forward to sharing some more soon. In the meantime I hope you like this one, today’s Just One from my recent family photo shoot in Sevenoaks in Kent.