The Preteen Project

The preteen ages from 9-12 can be a challenging time filled with change as children begin to explore new interests and form independent identities. During these years children can develop and change at different speeds and may start to struggle socially and emotionally if they feel out-of-sync from their friends.

With so many physical, emotional, social, and cognitive changes, children can struggle with confidence as they try to find their place in the world. Building and maintaining confidence is particularly key at this stage, as it provides a strong sense of security when a child is self-assured and appreciative of their own abilities and qualities. This is why GAP Studios has put together the Preteen Project!

According to psychologists, photography can have a positive benefit for a child’s self-esteem and can be a confidence-boosting experience. Individual portraits allow a child to feel important and worthy of professional documentation. The tactile experience of being able to touch a physical print also stimulates the brain and allows a child to better engage with their image and appreciate themselves as a part of the artwork!

The Preteen Project provides a nourishing and positive experience in a gentle environment that can help a child appreciate themselves for who they are. Being viewed with kindness and provided with affirmation can have a wonderous effect in elevating a child’s self-belief, at this age when self-doubt can be strong.

The Psychological Benefits of Family Portraits

On social media, photos may be relevant for a day or two. By comparison, a carefully placed family portrait can be an artful display of timeless familial love that will age with beautiful nostalgic quality. Studies have shown that printed family photographs can have both immediate emotional and long-term psychological benefits.

Placed in the heart of the home, portraits are a daily reminder of the deep and everlasting connections of a family. As psychological studies have proven, displayed family photographs can convey true love, giving children a sense of belonging and producing more secure, happier, and more confident children.

Proudly placed wall art elevates the importance and significance of the image, boosting children’s self-esteem and sense of identity by reaffirming a child’s place in the home in a way that provides daily reassurance and comfort.

“I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit. A photographer’s job is to create and make the image look like a safe holding space for kids where they are safe and protected. Kids get it on a really simple level.”

~ Psychologist David Krauss Ph.D. from Cleveland, Ohio, one of the early pioneers of phototherapy.

Even for children who have grown up and left the home, displayed printed portraits can strengthen emotional connections and feelings of closeness in a family much better than digital photographs. Additionally, an overwhelming majority of both adults and children prefer looking at printed rather than digital photographs of themselves. Printed photographs also prompt more positive emotions as compared to digital photographs.

The shared experience of printed photographs can bring families closer together, making all members feel love and belonging. Family portraits can truly be deeply meaningful.

The Teen Project

The teenage years from 12-17 are a time when many teens feel too shy or embarrassed to fully appreciate and enjoy their own images. Yet, this is also the time when we see the greatest growth of personality as a child matures into a young adult and begins to find their place in the world.

Many teens struggle with low confidence and low self-esteem at some point. At this stage, as teens undergo intensive growth and development, they can also feel strong and even overwhelming emotions which they may have trouble recognising. This can affect teens’ thinking and behaviour, making positive emotional development so important for helping children become healthy and well-adjusted young adults.

That’s why we have put together the Teen Project at GAP Studios! This confidence boosting photography experience takes all the awkwardness out of the awkward ages! Experiencing a professional portrait experience can provide positive reinforcement, as we work to remind teens of how important and special they are and how much their presence matters within the family unit.

 

The Teen Project provides a kind and affirming view, elevating a teen’s self-esteem and self-belief. Especially for self-conscious teens, our carefully planned professional portrait sessions can take away the stress and anxiety of being photographer.

Encouraging teens to take pride in their passions, personalised portrait sessions can instil self-worth and strengthen sense of identity. We love creating memories that your teen and family can look back on and cherish for years to come!

How Family Portraits Boost Your Child’s Self Esteem

SIBLINGS—- one of the hidden but powerful aspects of family photography that mums and most photographers rarely consider is how it can help us raise our children with stronger confidence in their own worth and abilities in life.

A revealing study was conducted in 1975 with a group of fourth graders at a Tennessee school by Tulane University. During a five week period, the children took Polaroid instant photos of themselves with provided cameras in a variety of assigned poses, compositions and expressing various emotions. The children worked with the printed images of themselves and created scrapbooks once a week over those five weeks. Testing of the students and teachers at the conclusion of study revealed a significant increase of 37 percent in the students’ average self-esteem behaviors. This Murfreesboro Study shows some evidence personal photography of children seen and enjoyed in a specific way can help boost a child’s self-esteem.

“I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit. A photographer’s job is to create and make the image look like a safe holding space for kids where they are safe and protected. Kids get it on a really simple level.”

David Krauss - Psychologist - Ohio

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But how can family photography, specifically family portraits, help boost a child’s self-esteem?



Judy Weiser, a psychologist, art therapist and author says, “Family portraiture lets children learn who they are and where they fit…”

How so?

“They learn their genealogy and the the uniqueness of their own family and its story. When a child sees a family portrait with them included in the photograph they say to themselves: ‘These people have me as part of what they are, that’s why I belong here. This is where I come from.’”

Weiser has spent more than 20 years using all manner of personal photography to assist in the treatment process of her clients. She is considered by many to be the foremost authority on these treatment techniques, called PhotoTherapy.

When It Comes To Having The Greatest Positive Impact For Your Child, Which is Better, Digital Images or Paper Prints?

 
“Stop and think about this answer -

How would you feel looking at a family artwork at home of yourself & your children/parents/siblings…

Now ask yourself again with a phone image…

What is more powerful?

What will mean more?

What has more of an impact on the feelings attached to seeing your family happy together?”


Obviously this day and age we live in a rapidly growing digital world and rather than print and display family photographs, families are increasingly enjoying their images in a digital form, be it a mobile device, a laptop, or simply on social media. But does an image on a tablet, computer screen or social media site have the same impact for helping families boost a child’s self-esteem?

Another Psychologist named David Krauss says:

“My bias is very simple. I think they (family photographs) should be on the wall,”

“I am very conservative about self-esteem and I think placing a family photo someplace in the home where the child can see it every day without having to turn on a device or click around on a computer to find it really hits home for that child this sense of reassurance and comfort. They have a certainty about them and a protecting quality that nurtures a child. It let’s them know where they are in the pecking order and that they are loved and cared for,” says Krauss.

The importance of printed photographs displayed in your living space was echoed by other experts.

“My personal and clinical bias is there is something very powerful in touching your fingers to an actual print,” says Craig Steinberg, a licensed psychologist who works with children ages five through 13 near Eugene, Ore. “Touching the photograph where a face is smiling or the shoulders, it is the same thing as touching a book when you read it. There’s a lot of stimulation of the brain when you have that sensory experience. That is a bit lost in the move to digital. You are touching a keyboard, mouse or a touchscreen but you are not touching the image.”

“Displaying photos prominently in the home sends the message that our family and those in it are important to one another, and we honor the memories we have experienced,“ says Cathy Lander-Goldberg, a licensed clinical social worker and a professional photographer in St. Louis, Missouri and the director of Photo Explorations, which offers workshops to girls and women using portrait and journaling for self-reflection.

Additionally, Krauss recommends having photographs of that child with their family placed in the child’s bedroom so it can be among the last things they see before sleep and the first thing they may see before beginning their day.

“It says we love you and care about you. You’re important.”

VORTEX OF BEAUTY

 

Vortex of Beauty

It’s this time again that we have chosen our image of the month, or in this case, collection of the month. This beautiful selection is more than you can possible bargain for should you look down the rabbit hole. Yes, if Alice in Wonderland doesn’t come to mind, then I don’t know what would. This gorgeous dancer, not only shows off her amazing skill and enthusiasm, but also her mischievous aura of playing with life. Sugar and spice, and all things nice, seems to be the recipe that has brought her to life!

You can do so much more with marshmallows than just eat them, as we can see from the center piece. This collection projects a pure sense of fantasy; a wonderful vortex of beauty and style with a huge passion for dancing. This is one of our wonderful dancers who will be part of our upcoming dancer’s exhibition this coming November.  We are so excited to bring talent par excellence together under one roof; to boost confidence, hope and gratitude for all the parents who equally support their sons and daughters in their plight for an everlasting bright future.

It’s always difficult choosing just one image, or collection of the month, because everyone who is lucky enough to get into GAP’s exhibition is talented and unique in their own way. This collection has been chosen, not only for its beauty and talent, but for its obvious representation of fun, freedom and fulfillment. The flow of movement mixed with the beautiful colour palette and postures makes this piece an outstanding storyboard that any parent would be proud to hang.