How many photos did you take of your kids when they were babies?
You likely have hundreds, even thousands, of pics on your camera roll of your squishy newborn or adorable toddler, and maybe you even had some professional photos taken along the way.
But as your kids grew, did your documentation of their phases and stages taper off?
That’s totally common, and also unfortunate, says Stacy Hammen, an Appleton-based photographer who specializes in emotive portrait work. She feels that tweens and tweens are “underestimated and undercelebrated” when it comes to both personal and professional photography.
“We snap photos of our babies like crazy,” she says. “We take pictures of their first steps, when they lose their first tooth, that first day of kindergarten. But once they start school, we stop taking photographs of our children. There’s a huge gap between toddlers and high school seniors that seems to be missing in photography.”
Part of the problem, Stacy says, is we’re all conditioned to photograph the “perfect moments,” and when our kids enter the season of braces, acne, mood swings and more, those moments can seem less frequent.
But by avoiding this stage of childhood, we’re sending the message that it’s not worthy of attention.
“People don’t celebrate it because it’s really, really hard,” she says. “You’re just trying to trudge through it — but that’s why we should celebrate it.”
While Stacy has been photographing her son and two daughters since they were babies, it wasn’t until they hit the teen years that she launched her business.
“When my own kids became teenagers and didn’t want me photographing them anymore, I looked to other families,” she says. “I found myself drawn to teens.”
Stacy loves their uniqueness, quirks and the eagerness with which they approach the world, and how they’re each navigating the tricky transition from childhood to adulthood.
“It’s such a fragile time for them, yet they seem fearless in so many ways,” she says.
In addition to taking senior photos, Stacy has created teams of teens, and more recently tweens, to bring them together and document lifestyle moments. She strives to create a safe, empowering and uplifting experience for them.
“They spend so much time scrolling and comparing,” she says, adding that it’s crucial for tweens to be validated and celebrated for their individuality.
Capturing this season of life through photography sends a strong message of worthiness to them.
“Growing is hard, and they’re changing so much — even faster than when they were toddlers,” she says. “Documenting that change is so valuable.”
And there’s a beautiful honesty to honoring these years — the last stages of childhood — in all their complexity, Stacy says.
“If you have tweens or teenagers, I encourage you to document their awkward phases, the not-so-pleasant moments even. It’s all part of the story.”
– Katie Vaughn
Photos by Stacy Hammen.
Katie Vaughn is the editor and co-founder of Northerly. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford University-trained journalist with experience as a writer, reporter, editor, blogger and author. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughter and son, and is always up for an adventure.