Advice re family photos with teenager

[melaniew2000]

Im looking for some advice/tips re a forthcoming photoshoot.

My boss (in my non-photographic job) has asked me to take some photos of her children - they are boy 5, girl 8 and boy 14 - no pressure then

The 5 and 8yr old I have a few suggestions (although any more ideas would be helpful) on what to do but am trying to come up with some ideas for the 14 yr old 'street cred' boy to include him on some photos. His mother has described him as being reluctant at having his photo taken.

So anyone with any teenage boys or who has photographed boys that age (i normally take photos of babies to under 8's where u can play with them) to give me any tips to try and get a few good pics of him and his siblings.

Only suggestion I have so far is to take another dslr with me and try and break the ice with getting him to help me take some photos of his siblings before I take some of him with them.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated

 

[pjmcbear]

Find out what he likes to do, then try to incorporate said interest into the shoot.

Make his shoot darker, edgy, more gritty. Explain what you want to do with him, get his input on the idea.

Make him look cool. Once that's done he might be more eager to please mum with a "nice" portrait.

If all else fails just ask him to look cool -then, "Nah, cooler than that."

 

[keljbj]

Let him choose his own clothes, and his own props. I have a 14 year old daughter, and she likes to have a say in the creative process whenever she models for me. She will sulk if i try to get her to pose in a certain way or wear certain things. So i normally let her have free reign and try to make anything i take to her taste.