Whether they’re our own children or someone else’s, kids make great photography subjects. These award-winning photos from our 2022 Photography competition showcase that no matter the age, there’s something about youth that’s incredibly photogenic.
What happens when a school provides a self-described “child at heart” with the opportunity to capture the world through a child’s eyes? Michael Schoenfeld takes complete creative freedom in his photo “Recess at Private School” (above) to embrace the space between art and play.
Schoenfeld frequently captures more serious subjects, working for clients in healthcare, humanitarian efforts, and everything in between. Over anything else, however, he labels his local private school, Challenger School, as his “dream client,” often collaborating with them to create both perfect advertisement material and works of art all in one shot. This photo from Schoenfeld’s series centers on a young student in bright red clothing who sits inside a contrastingly-colored blue tunnel (presumably a component of school play equipment). Light pokes through holes in the tunnel, reflecting off the shiny metal and dotting the subject with an odd pattern. The subject smiles slightly, although the filtered lighting obscures the details of their facial features.
Schoenfeld wields bright colors and playful lighting to evoke warmth and nostalgia. Viewers might glimpse their own fond memories of childhood through this snapshot of a child at play. With this photo and the many others he captures for his ongoing work with Challenger School, Schoenfeld provides a photo that inspires and delights: a component for the school to use practically and a standalone piece that endorses Schoenfeld’s own artistic merit.
