It's a question as old as senior portrait photography--maybe as old as parenting teenagers: How do you make both teens and parents happy? For studios specializing in senior portraits, it's a question that must be reconsidered continually as photographers walk the fine line of being edgy enough to attract seniors and respectable enough to appeal to parents.

Get Them Involved
David Mullenix, owner of Through a Lens Photography in Illinois, aims to please parents and seniors by drawing both into the experience of the session. While he photographs the senior, Mullenix asks mom or dad to lend a hand in a variety of ways, including running a video camera, using a leaf blower to blow the teen's hair, or holding a reflector. (Image ©David Mullenix)

"I don't hustle the mom off to the mom room," he says. "I want her to feel like part of the experience. And it works. Later, in the sales room, the moms often tell us they had as much fun as their seniors. They also let us know it was one of the best memories they have of their child's senior year. That's good, because if they like the experience, they will tell others about it."

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