Teen Vogue

Noah Centineo Stars in New Sarah Bahbah Photo Series

To all the Noah Centineo fans who were just minding their own business, prepare to not be OK. Acclaimed artist and Internet darling Sarah Bahbah tapped the young actor, whom she calls "incredibly grounded and wise," as the muse for her latest photo series, titled “Dear Love.” The series came to be as a result of Instagram DM, but according to Sarah, "It's much more serendipitous than that." The two minds met for coffee on Friday, September 14 — and shot the series two days later. The duo released the first few images of the series on September 19 and will be releasing the rest of the series over the course of the next few days.

Sarah’s sixth sense for Instagram virality is no secret, and her latest collaboration makes me wonder if she’s trying to break the Internet for good. (Just 10 minutes after Noah posted about the series on his account, Sarah had already gained 20,000 new followers.) But it should be noted that this isn’t the first time Sarah channeled a young icon (and the Internet’s collective thirst) to pull on our heartstrings with truths about love you didn’t know you needed. She previously worked with Dylan Sprouse on a photo series that continues to pop up all over Tumblr and Instagram.

In an exclusive interview, Sarah talked to Teen Vogue about the DMs that came before she and Noah sent each other, what they talked about over coffee, and more. And after you read the interview, check out Teen Vogue's exclusive look at the next round of images she hasn’t posted online just yet.

Teen Vogue: So, to start: Did Noah slide into your DMs first or did you DM him?

SB: I guess there was a DM from him first, but I wouldn’t say that was our first engagement. I woke up one morning in New York and had remembered seeing Noah in my dream. It sounds intangible, but you can imagine how strong the dream and the feeling was because it manifested itself into this reality. I remembered that I had seen him on Netflix before, so I did some research and found him on Instagram. He was already following me and had already sent a message, but I initiated the shoot.

TV: You said there was a coffee meeting that led to the shoot. What did you talk about at coffee and why did you decide he was the right guy for the job?

SB: My intuition led me to working with Noah. He is incredibly grounded and wise. I was drawn to this, so I followed my instinct, and this trust revealed to me a beautiful soul to collaborate with. Over coffee, Noah and I related on so many levels. We had this intense comfortability; we effortlessly moved through conversations of life, dreaming, and the importance of deep human connection. We were on the same page, it felt right, and the art simply flowed.

TV: The series is called "Dear Love," but Noah’s character seems to be over being in a relationship. Is this a celebration of being single?

SB: This is a series that celebrates the complications of all aspects of human connection — connections [that are] shared and connections within yourself. In this series we watch the protagonist search past surface-level connections. We watch as he turns introspectively and begins to understand himself and his needs. "Dear Love" holds our hands as we come to understand the worth and weight of the reality of solitude, dreaming, and manifestation. It’s better to be alone and love yourself than be with someone and feel lonely.

Read more + see all the exclusive photos

📸: Sarah Bahbah

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📸: Diverse Images / UIG

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Jen Senn (@jenmsenn) has her best friend to thank for kickstarting her love affair with photography. “[She] signed up for a film photography class in high school. I’ve never picked up a camera before, but I signed up to spend time with her,” the 25-year-old says. “I fell in love with shooting on film and processing in the darkroom and I haven’t stopped since!” 

Since then, the New York City resident, who describes her work as “warm, dreamy, and explorative” has honed her craft, but she’s made it a point to keep working with other women. “I am so inspired by capturing each woman’s particular flare, inner beauty, and strength,” Jen says. “Most of the time when I shoot it’s an all-girls team and I’m inspired by the creativity each person brings to set.” 

For Jen, #GirlGaze is about “celebrating the female gaze and creative process. Women are under-represented in the industry, especially when it comes to shooting other women. I love that the Girl Gaze project is fostering a supportive community for women to showcase their work!” 💕 

This story is part of the @girlgazeproject, celebrating the next generation of female photographers. Submit your photos using#GirlGaze and you could be featured in Teen Vogue.

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Photography runs in Paris Helena's (@parishelena) genes. "I grew up sitting as a lighting test subject for my mom, who's been a photographer for 20+ years,” the 21-year-old says. And though that wasn't her last time in front of the camera (she was scouted by@NextModels when she was 14), she followed in her mother's footsteps and found her place behind the lens. But that doesn't mean she hasn't blazed her own path. After studying photography at her arts-focused high school, at the age of 18, Paris moved alone to Manhattan to apprentice for legendary photographer Mark Seliger. 

The now-L.A.-based photog is something of a triple threat, as well. “I’ve been a singer on and off since I was a kid,” she says. “I’m branching out from solely being a shower singer to a studio singer.” If you’re interested in the voice behind the vision, you can hear her featured vocals on a few songs by@StrangersYouKnow. 

To Paris, #GirlGaze is about reclaiming space for women. "Working within an industry that more often than not relies on a female presence but is dominated by men, #GirlGaze gives us a chance to take hold and share our vision through our eyes, behind and before the lens." And she's hoping to spread some of that to some biggest names in the business. "My dream is to bring some girl power to the extraordinary cast of Tim Walker, Mert & Marcus, Steven Klein, and Mario Sorrenti.” - words by@hannamariehoward. 

This Instagram story is part of the@girlgazeproject, celebrating the next generation of female photographers. Submit your photos on Instagram using #GirlGaze and you could be featured in Teen Vogue!

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Even if you’ve never double-tapped one of @carlyfoulkes’s Instagrams, chances are you’re more familiar with the 27-year-old photographer than you think. You might recognize Carly as the former T-Mobile girl — yeah, the one in the pink dress. Nowadays, though, it’s her daring and beautiful photos that have people talking. Photography first piqued the Toronto native’s interest when she was 13. “I loved taking photos of what someone people would call ‘mundane’ moments,” Carly says. “People brushing their teeth, waiting in line at the store.” She’s since moved on to fashion, fine art, and portraits, but people are still her favorite subject and biggest inspiration. 

To Carly, who cites Francesca Woodman, Amanda Charchian, and Harley Weir among her all-time favorite female photogs, #GirlGaze is about effecting change. “As much as we like to think otherwise, it's still very much so a ‘Man’s World.’ There should be as many women shooting campaigns and editorial as men and I truly believe The Girl Gaze Project is going to change that,” she says. Meanwhile, Carly’s doing her part to be the shift she wants to see in the photography world. She recently had her first solo gallery showing, “Gardenia,” in Los Angeles and she’s working toward crossing publications off her list. “My real goal is to spread awareness. A big dream of mine is to be a photojournalist,” she says. “I want to do it all!” - words by@hannamariehoward.

This Instagram story is part of The@girlgazeproject, celebrating the next generation of female photographers. Submit photos using #GirlGaze and you could be featured in Teen Vogue!

We wouldn’t blame you if a quick scroll through Chloe Sheppard’s (@eolhcsheppard) IG made you want to climb through your phone screen and into her world. The London 19-year-old’s feed is filled with two of her favorite subjects: teenagers and roses. And her film photography makes both look equally beautiful, fitting with her ethos of creating an “ideal world” through her art. To Chloe, #GirlGaze means "Taking back what's ours,” and she tells other girls interested in photography to never be afraid to display their work. “Your art is something you should really be proud of,” she says, “So it deserves to get seen by everybody. No matter what anybody else says, as long as you love what you're creating and it means something to you, that's all that is important.” Though she’s born and bred in the U.K., she cites classic Americana as one of her biggest inspirations. And among her favorite female photographers, she shouts out other young women who are taking the world by storm. “Lauren Tepfer takes amazing photos of locations, like the most ordinary situations,” Chloe says. “They evoke such an atmosphere, her work is beautiful.” Though she’s already been tapped to work on projects with brands like Adidas StellaSport, there’s no end in sight to Chloe’s ambition. Her dream publications to shoot for include Vogue, i-D, and Wonderland, and there's no doubt that her photography will take her there… and beyond. - words by @hannamariehoward.

This Instagram story is a part of The @GirlGazeProject, celebrating the next generation of female photographers. Submit photos on Instagram using #GirlGaze and you could be featured in Teen Vogue!

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Haley Morris-Cafiero wasn’t always set on the path toward photography. In fact, in college she was brushing up on the law. The Memphis, TN native admits she was studying to be a lawyer, but hated it after she started working for a law firm. Luckily, a darkroom class convinced her to change her course and get not only her bachelor’s, but also her master’s degree in photography.

And her unconventional past plays into her advice for other aspiring photogs. “So many people think you have to be a lawyer or a doctor to be successful,” Haley says. “If you are passionate about photography, you will be successful AND happy.” Her other passions include rescuing dogs from shelters and creating social change — both of which you’ll find evidence of in her Instagram feed.

Haley, who published her first photography book 'The Watchers' in 2015, uses her own body to create her art. “I use my body as a tool in all of my work,” she says. “It becomes a universal stand-in for my story that translates to many people.” And through that, her personal definition of #GirlGaze shines through. The photographer, who describes herself and her work as “Performance Activist Empowerment,” says the movement is all about “empowering girls to create and control the gaze of the viewer of a photograph.” - words by Hannah Howard

This Instagram story is a part of The @GirlGazeProject, celebrating the next generation of female photographers. Submit photos using #GirlGaze and you could be featured in Teen Vogue!

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