Photographing Teenagers in Surrey – Just One
A beautiful day for a photo shoot with teenagers
I photographed Maria’s beautiful daughters back in 2008 at their home in Surrey. It’s a shoot I remember well – a beautiful day and a dolls tea party in the back garden before heading off to explore some picturesque lanes nearby. Two beautiful girls in summer dresses running in the sunlight, pictures that felt completely timeless and have remained favourites ever since.
And so, as you can imagine, I was thrilled when Maria got in touch again early this year to book another shoot. It’s always so much fun to go back to families and see how everyone has grown and the two intelligent, interesting, and beautiful girls who greeted me on arrival were an absolute delight.
It was also wonderful to see my pictures hanging on the wall, that is something that will always bring me great pleasure, to see my pictures in situ and know they have been enjoyed every day for the decade since they were taken, it’s quite something when I think about it.
We spent a wonderful morning together. The girls were absolute naturals in front of the camera with winning smiles that lit up the morning. We went for a walk along the river enjoying the bright sunlight (and feeling grateful we were wearing gloves and hats against the cold). It was so nice to chat about what the girls enjoyed at school and their aspirations for the future, I was very pleased to hear that Beth is planning to do photography for GCSE.
It’s been hard to choose a favourite for a sneak peek here on the blog but I kept finding myself drawn back to this picture. I love the composition – we were so lucky to find this amazing tree which provide the perfect frame. I love how the branches encircle the girls and the wonderful winter light gives it an almost magical feel making me think of Narnia.
I often find it can be helpful to have something that my subjects can lean on for their pictures, it definitely helps everyone to feel less self-conscious. I love how comfortable the girls look, chilled out and relaxed as we discussed contemporary fiction for young people, a subject I love.
It’s such a beautiful and relaxed portrait of these wonderful young ladies and I hope you like it as much as I do, today’s Just One from a recent family photography session with teenagers in Surrey.
