Most of my photoshoots are with families with little kids. So I´ve been thinking about family sessions with teenagers before they spread their wings and fly.
If you are like me, a parent of teenagers, you are probably realizing that time is passing faster than you would like. And in a blink of an eye, they are off to University and we find ourselves with an empty room, a very silent house and lots of nostalgic memories.
My firstborn left only a few months ago and apart from feeling very sad, I spent many hours looking at old photos, mostly captured by me. And suddenly, I noticed that I barely appear in those images.
All their lives, I was so focused on documenting my kids’ milestones and their world, that I didn´t think about finding a space and instead, I left myself out of those stories.
I can´t change that but I can certainly encourage other parents, particularly mothers, to get in front of the camera with their adolescents before they fly.
Teenagers live in their own world, but when they decide to share theirs with ours, they can be funny, goofy, sarcastic and real, very real.
This session was done in the desert of Dubai and is the perfect example of how wonderful, it can be to capture the relationship with our teens. Definitely a keepsake for years to come!
If you enjoyed this session and would like to see more about the “Before they fly” series, head over to https://isabelposadas.com/before-they-fly/ or more of my recent work at https://www.instagram.com/isabelposadasphotography/
Lesley, thank you so much for your kind words! I feel you, my son left in August and can´t wait to see him! I hope you are enjoying the time with your son and hopefully, you´ll get a beautiful photoshoot together!
We usually don´t appreciate the photos until time passes by. I got some photos taken by a fellow photographer and is the best thing I have done in years!
Thank you very much for your lovely words, Jacqueline! I also feel so related to what you said. My oldest turned 18 in May and as much as I miss him when he was little I love to see how beautifully is turning into a good adult and sensible Human Being. I hope you will get the opportunity to get some photos taken this Holiday Season, not only you, but I can assure you your son will cherish them in the future.
We all have been affected by Covid in one or another Tansy. Hopefully this Christmas you´ll have the opportunity to get some beautiful photos taken!
I completely understand how you feel Reem! It is tough, we spent their lives preparing them to leave us, but no one prepared us to see them go.
I love the idea! My daughter is a senior and i really can’t get my head around the idea that she’s leaving, it’s very tough seeing the years go by so fast..i wish they stayed young 🙂
Photos are so beautiful, my son left for uni in September – I desperately wanted
To capture ‘us’ before he left but Covid robbed us of that, he is back at Christmas and nothing would make me happier than to capture ‘us’ Before he really leaves for good xxx
Your photos don’t merely capture people who clearly love each other, they somehow show the years of meaningful getting to know each other, as time passes, and family members grow and change. Across generations, we take a little bit of each other to become who we are as individuals and as a family. And it’s so beautiful.
Our son turns 18 at the end of this year, The-let-go-to-let-them-soar process continues to be tough so I feel for all the moms especially in this phase of life.
While our relationship has changed most significantly, it’s also been great to see his relationship change with others. He loves his grandma so much and is even more patient with her since his grandfather passed away recently. They helped me raise him and I would do anything to go back and capture photos with him as a teenager with my dad. It’s a great idea and when the remaining members of my tiny family are here, together for Christmas, I’d love to try to do this. It would mean so much to everyone – but the teenager is likely to only realize its true value when he is much older 😁😁
Would love to do this shoot haven’t done one with me in ever. I usually hate having my photo taken but with everything that has gone on in the last 6 months in the world and in my family it would be so noice to actually have some nice pictures of me with the kids ❤️
Your pictures capture family moments so eloquently! I would love to have this shoot – my son has been away at university for 10 weeks and I miss him so much! He is due to land back in dubai this evening to escape the UK lockdown – tough decision made by him…I cannot wait to hug him later on this evening!