In between Cute and Grown

Isn’t it funny how we sometimes think that if we didn’t take professional photos of our kids when they were little, we’ve missed out?

Lately, I’ve had a few people reach out and ask me the same question:
Is it too late to photograph my child?
They usually mean that their kids are past the “cute” toddler years and that life got busy, photography slipped down the list, and now they’re wondering if they missed their chance.

I find this so interesting, because I’ve never really thought about there being a perfect age for photography.

The question got stuck in my mind and I started paying attention. My social feeds were full of newborns and toddlers, tiny hands, round cheeks, first steps. But I didn’t see many tweens or teens. Somewhere along the way, it seems we collectively decided that once kids grow out of “cute,” their stories become less worth documenting.

As a photographer, I honestly don’t feel that way at all.

This week, a client asked me if I had a favorite stage to photograph. I laughed and said, “Toddlers are fun,” because they are — unpredictable, expressive, full of motion. But the truth is, I find every stage meaningful. As kids grow, something else happens: their personalities start to surface more clearly. Their opinions, their humor, their resistance, their tenderness. And I love photographing that.

Especially within the context of family dynamics.
Who better to show you what’s really going on than a teen? HA!

I’ve said this before, but one of the things I love most is studying a photograph, looking closely at expressions, body language, small details, and quietly reconstructing the moment. There is no “right age” for that kind of looking. A photograph of a teenager slouched on the couch, half-smiling, half-guarded, can carry just as much meaning as a photograph of a toddler mid-giggle.

The thing is, we don’t really take these photographs for now.
We take them for a future day when memories blur, when details soften, when we want to remember how it felt.

And I promise you, when that day comes, it won’t matter how old your child was. What will matter is that you can see them. That you can remember who they were in that season. That you can remember your relationship with them.

I want to gently invite you to think about photographing your opinionated, growing, sometimes awkward tweens and teens with the same intention we give to newborns and toddlers. Their stories are not over. They’re just changing.

And one more thing: life is busy, especially in those early years. Photography should never be another pressure point, another thing to feel guilty about before time passes too quickly.

There is no deadline. There is no moment you’ve missed.