Tweens might not be children anymore but they’re not teenagers yet either. More and more tweens are interested in having their photos taken by a professional, whether it’s alone, with a family member or their best friend.

If your tween is considering a photo session, they may start feeling nervous about it in the days leading up to the shoot.

Naturally, you want your child to feel secure and have fun, which is why we’ve put together these helpful tips to ensure their photoshoot is a great success.

-        Make getting ready a big deal. You want your tween to look and feel good before their session so have fun while getting ready. Get in a friend to take care of hair and makeup, or better yet, have it done professionally.  Put on their favorite music, and make your child the star of the show.

-        Dress them in their favorite outfit. Your tween’s photo session is not the time to wear a new outfit for the first time, unless they really want to. If there’s already an outfit at home that they feel confident in, use that. You may also want to bring at least one outfit change to the session and any accessories that complement those outfits.

-        Encourage your child to showcase their interests. What is it that makes your tween unique? What do they love to do? To add something extra to the photos, get your child to bring along a few props that will help them showcase their interests. They don’t need to use props in all of their photos; it will just help change things up a bit. Speak to your photographer if you need some inspiration or if you’re not sure whether a specific prop will work for the shoot.

-        Communicate with your photographer. Your photographer wants your tween to be happy with the results of the photo session, which is why communication is key. If at any point your child feels uncomfortable or would like to try a specific shot, encourage them to speak up. Parents should do the same.

-        Have some fun. The more relaxed your tween is, the more fun they will have, which will immediately shine through in their photos. Encourage your child to let loose and have a little fun – this is their shoot after all.

By following these basic tips, your tween can expect to have a wonderful experience in front of the camera.