A portrait series, the Young Fathers project examines the relationship of young fathers to their children.

The topic of young mothers – often dealt with as an issue or problem – receives plenty of public attention. However, there is generally no awareness of the mothers’ partners: the often equally young fathers. It is much harder to perceive or pinpoint them in societal discourse. Moreover, in discussions about young parents these are often dismissed as “cases of social hardship” and framed as a characteristic of the so-called lower classes.

This project aims at bringing these almost invisible young fathers into the limelight. How do these young men deal with their new fatherhood? What sort of relationship do they have to their children? How self-confident, insecure or curious are they about their new role?

The intention of the portrait series Young Fathers is to study the emotional and physical ties between young fathers and their children. In order not to shift the photographic emphasis to the social background of the subjects, this series is purposely photographed in a studio on a white background. This simple, neutral setting works to concentrate the focus on the father-child relationship.