Teen Vogue

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.

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!

Though Shingi Rice (@bluespit) has counted photography as a hobby for about 10 years, she got more serious about making it her life’s work three years ago after a literal change of heart. “In 2013 I had open heart surgery and it changed my life a lot,” she says. “Something inside me just made me go automatically into photographing and styling people.”

The London College of Fashion student defines #GirlGaze as “beauty through the eyes of a girl; it’s how we see the world and how we choose to express it.” She describes herself as a “beautiful soul capturer” and through her gorgeous portraiture, mainly featuring people of color, she lives up to her words. Shingi counts Cass Bird, Emma Arvida Bystrom, and Petra Collins among her favorite female photographers, but her biggest inspiration comes from closer to home.

“What inspires me most are my parents,” the 23-year-old says of her Irish dad and Zimbabwean mother. “They both come from very different backgrounds and seeing them work hard for their goals and achieving them has taught me that being passionate about what you love and working hard pays off.”

When asked who, out of anyone, she’d love to take her own portrait, Shingi chose a perennial Teen Vogue favorite. “Willow Smith,” she says, “her presence is powerful.” - words by @hannamariehoward.

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

If your life is in need of a quick infusion of color, look no further than Lenne Chai’s Instagram feed (@lenneigh). The 24-year-old photographer sums her work up as “feminine, pastel, [and] dreamy” and she delivers on all three in spades. Lenne came to photography through her childhood fascination with fashion, but has since discovered it’s “the medium I communicate my ideas best in — I love constructing sets and props to tell stories.” And she’s not just shooting stills, either. The Singapore native is also passionate about making music videos, especially her “Karaoke Party” series that features Singaporean musicians in wardrobes by local designers. The videos give Lenne another chance to show off her creative innovations. “I just directed one that’s inspired by game shows, but with a set that’s constructed entirely with pastel-colored paper,” she says. “The next one I’m working on features aliens.” And while that may sound completely out of this world, it actually fits in perfectly with her fascination with astrophysics. To Lenne, #GirlGaze means “Looking at women (both the ones in front of, and behind, the camera) differently. Thinking about women differently. Often sexy, but never sexualized.” Fittingly, Lenne’s favorite subjects are other girls, and she dreams of bringing her photographs of them to magazines like Lula, i-D, and of course, Teen Vogue. - Words by Hannah Howard

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