Last month my youngest son turned 13. The baby became a teenager.

He surprised me by wanting to have a birthday party at home. Realising these days of home-grown house parties are fewer and farther between, I happily agreed, even though it would take a bit more planning and work.

We created a hybrid experience for the kids where we spent part of the day at the wave pool, and then moved to the house for a BBQ and free play. Our only request was that the time at home be “screen-free”, meaning all activities were going to be face-to-face without a device.

We actually asked the boys to turn in their phones when they arrived at the house, and they all cooperated willingly. For the next 3 hours, they had some IRL fun, playing basketball in the driveway, shooting dart guns in the yard, and roaming around the house making up games, driving remote controlled cars or just chilling on the sofa listening to the Spotify playlist they put together.

As a gift to the parents, I took each of my son’s friends outside for a quick 90 second photo shoot to capture a portrait from this coming-of-age time in life. There’s something special about 13. Not only is it the start of the teenage years, but the kids begin to grow out of their child-like features into the adolescent and young adult versions of themselves. It’s both captivating and bittersweet for me to behold.

What about you? How does your family navigate this in-between stage — that shift between childhood and the teen years?

As we wrap up 2025, I want to thank you — every family, every young person, every community I’ve had the privilege to photograph. If you’re thinking about a session for your teen or young adult this summer, I’ll be opening a limited number of spots in January and February. You’re welcome to reach out anytime by email to Christine@ChristineTanPhotography.com