Teen Makeover Shoot for Leah’s 13th Birthday

Leah has some very photogenic genes (you’ll see where she gets them from in a sec). Before I met her, she had spoken to her mum a couple of times about how much she’d love to be a model.

Of course, you can love something in theory and hate it in practice, so Leah’s mum wisely suggested that a no-pressure, fun photoshoot might be the best way to try it out.

After their most recent chat about modelling, Leah’s mum, Barbara, went quiet on the topic. Time passed and Leah thought nothing might come of it. Secretly, though, Barbara was doing her research, biding her time and putting a plan into place.

She got in contact with me a few weeks before Leah’s birthday and spoke about her intentions to surprise her daughter with a makeover shoot for her 13th. Together we arranged all the details.

I booked in the incredibly talented Kate Walker at Ruby Rouge Makeup to be our makeover artist. Kate is an exceptionally skilled hair and makeup magician, whose skills have seen her whisked abroad to work backstage at Fashion Week. Most of all, though, Kate is a positive addition to the room: warm, friendly and engaged throughout, stepping in to fix hair and adjust makeup to ensure the images are as perfect as possible.

We planned Leah’s hair and makeup around two looks: the first was a subtle, neutral, barely-there look. The second was a slightly more dramatic makeup style that perfectly complemented Leah’s features and age. When Leah arrived, Kate talked her through her options and encouraged her to contribute her own preferences.

Leah has the gift of beautifully curly hair, but personally prefers it to be straight. For the best of both worlds, we included both curly and straight styles in the two halves of the shoot:

Now, models may not have the best reputation for their personalities or other achievements. I think Leah is going to change all that. She is so gentle and sweet that her school friends have nicknamed her Lovely Leah. She’s also outward-focused, recently winning a Sunshine Award at school for the work she did raising money for charity in memory of a member of school staff who sadly passed away. So as you can see, she’s already a cut above your stereotypical model.

So not only is Leah stunning, but she’s likeable, too. How did she get to be beautiful inside and out? Well, both her mum and nan accompanied Leah to the shoot, and they brought the answer into the room with them. They are gentle, good-humoured and delightfully natured people that have clearly had such a positive influence on Leah. This beauty flows right through, and they are just as photogenic, too.

So I guess it was just too good an opportunity to miss.

“As you’re here,” I ventured, “Let’s capture all three of you together.”

Both ladies demurred, as they hadn’t prepared for themselves to be in the photos. Happily, Kate stepped in, offering a quick makeup and hair touchup that helped me convince mum and nan to get in front of the camera.

And I’m so glad they did. Here’s all three generations, passing on a legacy of love and beauty, in one of those images that quickly becomes so precious:

So now you can see where Leah gets her good looks and lovely personality 🙂

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After our shoot, Leah’s mum Barbara said:

“I booked a photo shoot for my beautiful 13 year old, as a gift for her birthday. (Of course, it was/is a gift for me as well!) Sarah took plenty of time to give advice to my daughter on what to bring, in terms of good options for clothing, well in advance of our session. On the day, Sarah made us feel very welcome, and we were very well looked after. I was able to take my Mom as well, (and we got some impromptu shots of her too). Sarah took her time with Leah to ensure she was comfortable,. She had arranged for hair and make-up (thank you Kate!), and we did two very different looks. We got some absolutely breath-taking shots that we can really treasure forever. What a lovely lady, and a wonderful photographer. It’s sometimes difficult to recall the way you felt at a certain point – you know where you were, but not necessarily how you felt. Somehow, Sarah manages to capture the feelings that go with the memory. Sarah comes highly recommended.”

Barbara, teenager and makeover photoshoots client from Newbury, Berkshire

If you’re interested in teenager and makeover photoshoots, please get in contact:

Sarah Plater LMPA is a qualified professional photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.