Being Seen: Photography and the Formation of Self in Childhood

The Power of Being Truly Seen

Children grow up surrounded by images – phones in hand, likes measuring the worth of a moment. Advertising, social media, endless short videos, a constant flood of imagery. Amid it all, something vital can go missing: the quiet sense of being truly seen. To be truly seen is the most powerful gift a photograph can give.

As a school photographer, and a mother, I’ve watched how a single photograph can ripple through a child’s sense of self. Fifteen years behind the lens taught me the craft, the light, the composition. But it is through my ongoing studies in Therapeutic Photography and Expressive Arts Therapy that I’ve come to see something deeper: the possibility that images can quietly nurture a child’s inner world, rather than shape it to the world’s expectations.

Childhood photography isn’t just about capturing a smile, it’s about creating a space where children feel seen and safe. The best portraits come when children are allowed time to settle, explore, and express themselves naturally, without prompts, tricks, or forced gestures. This approach supports healthy identity formation, teaching children that their natural self – playful, shy, curious or free – is enough as it is.

Images can quietly nurture a child’s inner world, rather than shape it to the world’s expectations.

Children today grow up immersed in overly curated images. On social media, the constant exposure to edited, filtered, or idealised imagery can quietly shape how they see themselves. Comparison creeps in. Self-doubt can follow. The natural confidence of childhood can be eroded before it fully has a chance to bloom.

We are raising children in an age governed by algorithms, feeds, and endless streams of images. But childhood itself is anything but predictable. It is raw, emotional, fleeting, and full of nuance. At Der Moment, each portrait is more than a picture. It is an invitation: to pause, to connect, and to witness a child’s world as it truly is. Photography can become a mirror for self-awareness, a space for confidence to take root, and a reminder that children are not measured by likes, filters, or expectations – they are valued simply for who they are.

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