How to make teenage boys feel comfy?

[35mm]

My next door neighbour would love me to get a few shots of her two children. Her eldest is around 15/16 I believe and not a bad looking bloke.

How do I make him feel comfy enough to take pictures that are half decent? I know most teenage boys are really self consious and would like to make him feel as comfy as possible.

Any hints?

[Potts]

A dog or a really hot girl

[liza]

Nah, talking about girls just gets them all flustered. I take senior photos and absolutely hate photographing boys. They're much more difficult to capture in natural poses than girls. Have them talk about sports, cars, skateboarding, video games, music, or whatever else they they might be into at the moment. That helps make them a bit more comfortable.

[Black Ricco]

Nah, talking about girls just gets them all flustered.

Yup, the last thing you want to do if you're trying to take decent pictures of a 16 year-old boy is to talk about girls.

Have them talk about sports, cars, skateboarding, video games, music, or whatever else they they might be into at the moment.

Absolutely! Great advice.

[DunnoWhen]

Have them talk about sports, cars, skateboarding, video games, music
But how do you stop yourself from falling asleep?

[liza]

I'm a teacher, so these things don't really bore me. I'm accustomed to hearing it.

[saravrose]

Okay, y'all will probably hate this but... I tend to let folks take a couple of photos with my camera.. I sometimes feel that the formality of 'being photographed' puts folks in a strange mood.. so, I try to break down that.. big camera, big deal mentality that subjects, especially young subjects can have... just my two cents... I also 'forget about my lens cap'

sari

[Halliday]

Put on some music that they like.
Have them do something that intrests them (guitar, baseball, video games...)

[dave13]

If you think casuals are hard, try getting them to smile for Senior Formals without faking it or breaking the pose.

[GerryDavid]

Hehe, I love my rubber ducky. A few quacks from it usaully gets people to smile. Kids or adults. But sometimes its to much. Perhaps get them to say "mom has stinky feet". That usually gets a smirk or a smile out of them. And getting them to cheer for thier favourite team loudly usually gets a smile, to bad its unpleasant for the ears, hehe.

And just take alot of pictures. After a few they tend to relax. But after to many they start to get bored with it all.

[Thornfield]

Isn't that a contradiction? Teenagers and comfy?
Best way to get good shots is to give them a camera and have them take pictures of each other.

[Tom W]

Put on some music that they like....

But that would make ME feel uncomfortable. :)

[Rumjungle]

I know most teenage boys are really self consious and would like to make him feel as comfy as possible.

Sedate them. I hear ketamine works good.;)

I agree with Liza. Distract them by getting them to talk about something that interests them. GerryDavid's "stinky feet" technique sounds interesting as well...I'll have to give that a try next time.:)

[BLANKphotog]

You cant!! LOL

easy play some music that they like and let them do what ever they want!

Now im a teenager it trust me it works!

Benny

[Steve Parr]

My next door neighbour would love me to get a few shots of her two children. Her eldest is around 15/16 I believe and not a bad looking bloke.

How do I make him feel comfy enough to take pictures that are half decent? I know most teenage boys are really self consious and would like to make him feel as comfy as possible.

Any hints?

Do you know for a fact that he would be uncomfortable?

[35mm]

Do you know for a fact that he would be uncomfortable?
No, I don't. but I just want to be prepared incase it turns arkward :D

[JustmeinTennessee]

Isn't that a contradiction? Teenagers and comfy?
Best way to get good shots is to give them a camera and have them take pictures of each other.

bw!

How true!! I teach, too, and I see that all the time.

[Jubilee32]

I can usually get a good attitude with "Pretend you like your parents!" It's even better if a parent is there. Both usually loosen up.

With couples, I use "Pretend you are in love". One or the other will snort . . .

[stsva]

Wow - another thread revived from the dead, this time 2 1/2 years later (nowhere close to the record, however). ;)