EXPLORING THE MARKET PLACE AND PRODUCTS
PHOTOGRAPHY AS A WAY FOR TEENS TO
EXPLORE THEMSELVES AND THEIR WORLD
By Anita Horan
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receive a special deal with
Captured Emotion.
Contact Anita at
Captured Emotion
www.capturedemotion.com
Over the fifteen years that I have been a professional photographer, it has become clear that teens are
searching for a sense of identity, and are struggling to believe in themselves, because they don’t really
know who they are. Photography is a perfect way to help teens explore themselves and the world
around them through observation and creativity.
When photographing a teen, I make sure they know that I ‘truly see and respect them’. I take a wide
range of photos to explore different aspects of their personality. I once tested this concept by hiring a
stylist and letting a teen choose her look, then I photographed her with different outfits and varied lighting.
She was shocked at how amazing and different she looked in all the images. Afterwards, she voluntarily
washed her make-up off and put her house clothes on. It was enough for her to have explored her
potential; it lifted her self-esteem and allowed her to feel comfortable being whomever she chose to be.
When I run photography workshops, I discuss this and discourage teens from taking repetitive selfies
or sexualized images. Instead, I encourage them to take photos of themselves ‘being interesting’ or to
photograph something they have created or admire. I assure them that none of us is ‘just one thing’. We
are not just our appearance or emotions or our interests and opinions, or a reflection of our peer group.
We are ALL of these things and we are constantly changing as we each explore our individuality.
Photography is a wonderful creative outlet that almost anyone can become good at, and with digital
cameras, it is so easy to get immediate feedback for learning and improving skills. Creating art is a
great way for teens to fill that empty place inside them as they search for their identity.
WHAT CAN THEY USE?
BrydgeMini - an award-winning,
high quality aluminium keyboard
for iPad Minis. It has a sleek
Apple-inspired design and is
lightweight, practical, and offers
the user functionality, productivity,
portability and power. No more
fiddling with the fussy on-screen
keypad anymore. Available at
Harvey Norman and Tech2Go
(airport stores) or online at
www.brydgekeyboards.com.au
(RRP $179)
These products/services caught our attention, so we
thought we’d share them with you.
Cloud Light: If you are looking to
create ambiance in a space, our
dreamy battery operated cloud lights
are your answer. These are sure
to be loved by most teenage girls.
A finalist in this year's Etsy design
awards, each and every light is hand
sculpted from eco friendly 100%
natural fibre. www.lilspaces.com/
collections/lighting/products/cloudlight?variant=1177612999
Kick Scooter. KOSTKA is the
European producer of a wide
variety of top quality scooters
with inflatable (pneumatic) tyres.
These scooters are excellent for
many activities such as leisure,
sport, beach cruising, riding in
urban areas, parks or travelling to
work. Your teens will love them,
and there’s no risk of causing
fires! www.kickscootersydney.
com.au/?q=homepage
Unique Solar System Space
Theme Lollipops for budding
Big Bang fans or a geek
themed or outer space
themed party! This set of 10
lollipops each depicts a unique
planet. Test your guests on
what planet they're eating!
Each lollipop measures
approximately 13cm high
x 3cm in diameter. www.
myweddingdecor.com.au/
collections/all/products/uniquesolar-system-space-themelollipops
The descriptions of these products are based on
information provided by the manufacturers.
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