Senior Photo Shoots for Teens in those Milestone Moments

Celebrate a momentous stage in life as exams and school ends with a special photo shoot in surrey or London

If, like me, you have a teen going through exam season now, then I’m sure your household is knowing it! First day of exams had me screamed at a few times for ‘misplacing a lanyard’ (I didn’t, it was in her bag); driving her to college later than I said (one minute later), and generally not being as supportive as I should have been (‘Where was the exam Good Luck basket that everyone else was receiving?). OK, so perhaps that was an epic fail in this day and age, but we did write a card straight from the heart, mentioning pride, hard work and our fatalistic attitude – no pressure here.

It had me back in my room, xx years ago, studying intensely for four A Levels, all of which were full on and heavily essay- or project-work based. (Yes, I did question the fourth A Level when my friends had free periods and a subject’s-worth more hours in their week to study!). Mum would feed me cheese and biscuits and I would be chained to my desk about 12 hours a day. Luckily, it coincided with a boy-free period, so there were minimal distractions!

But, oh, the relief when mid-June came and I’d finished the exams. We celebrated with a picnic on Box Hill in Surrey and thus begun a blissful summer of freedom with my girlfriends. I took lots of photos of us – because that is what I have always done. And they are fun and warm and full of life. Capturing the 90s, the fashion; the things we did… a life and era that are truly passed though perhaps wistfully revived by this Generation.

It’s such a milestone moment – the end of school – whether at 16 or 18; the start of university, or travelling or work. And I think it’s the perfect time to mark. Life feels so full of possibility but you are also celebrating all that you have known, and all that has been.

Last year, I helped a teen celebrate her sporting success. She’d run for her county in athletics, and before she hung up her running trainers, she wanted to mark it one last time. So we headed to the track and got some pictures of her. You can see the photo shoot here.

I began offering Milestone Photo Shoots when my niece finished her GCSEs and I wanted to help her mark it in some way. 12 years of school - mostly friends with the same group of girls for that period of time. And they were about to set off – each in a different direction. Since then I have captured Milestone shoots for individuals – life as it is now - at 16, 17, 18… and trying to encompass all that means; or for groups of friends just having fun together.

Milestone photo shoots can be portraits; environmental portraits, or a series. It can be on location, in their home environment or in a studio - or a bit of everything. As a photographer, I can travel to London and across Surrey.

In the US, they have senior shoots, which take place for a similar reason, around this time. This concept has not caught on in the UK but my Milestone shoots, encompass the essence of this.

A Milestone Photo Shoot is such a great way to celebrate the end of exams – GCSEs or A Levels. They make a great 16th or 18th birthday present, too.

If you would like to know more about Milestone Shoots, visit my page here