The rapid pace at which children seem to grow makes capturing portraits during childhood even more challenging. But, when done well, photographs at this young age can become iconic childhood portraits. This week, we’re featuring five maternity, infant, and childhood photographs from the Icon Awards. Find inspiration from Kelly Brown, Martina Wärenfeldt, Hanna Neret, Rachel Lee, and D’Ann Boal.

See the live judging for the next round of the Icon Awards in fabulous Las Vegas at WPPI in March 2025.

Kelly Brown, Kelly Brown Photography

Kelly Brown of Kelly Brown Photography often takes on the role of both photographer and set designer in order to bring her iconic childhood portraits to life. For her Bookworm photograph, which received First Place in the Portrait Division: Newborn and Baby in the Icon Awards, she wanted to symbolize how parents ready their children to launch into the world. Everything in this particular set is handmade, Brown says, allowing her to capture the photograph in one frame. She took the shot with the Canon R5 and the RF 28-70mm f2 lens and a Broncolor Siros 800 S and a 150cm octobox. She even used her photo printer, the Canon Pro 400, to make the book covers.

“If I could go back in time, the one piece of advice I would give myself would be to create without fear—without worrying about what others think or the fear of failure,” Brown says. “True creativity comes from having the courage to embrace your unique vision and push boundaries.”

Martina Wärenfeldt, Warenfeldt Fine Art Portraits

The shapes and contrast in this portrait by Martina Wärenfeldt of Warenfeldt Fine Art Portraits highlight this mother’s round baby bump in a striking way. Inspired by an AI-generated fashion image that played with shapes, she decided to use circle shapes to create a pattern with the model’s round belly while matching the background to her beautiful skin tone to make the white shapes and wardrobe really pop. She captured the shot with the Canon R5 and the RF 24-105mm L IS USM and a Profoto light with an octagon modifier and boom. The image earned First Place in the Portrait Division: Maternity Category at the Icon Awards.

“Know your worth and value, get organized and serve with love,” Wärenfeldt says.

Hanna Neret, Fotograf Hanna Neret

When creating this image, Hanna Neret of Fotograf Hanna Neret wanted to create iconic childhood portraits that represented how deeply immersed we can become in fictional stories through reading. By overlapping the face on the book cover over the top of the boy in modern clothing, she created a visual representation of how we can see ourselves in the characters we read, despite our differences. She captured the shot with the Sony a7 III and Sigma Art 85mm f1.8, an Elinchrom strobe and a large white umbrella, earning a First Place in the Children and Teen Portrait Division at the Icon Awards. If she could tell herself one thing as a beginner, it would be to invest in a laptop that can actually handle heavy editing, like her current MacBook Pro.

“I have always loved reading and been fascinated by the fact that we can become so immersed in books and stories even though they are just words on a page,” she says. “There are entire universes hidden among the pages of books, and our minds have this wonderful ability to transport us there. With this particular image, I wanted to illustrate how we can relate to written characters. Even though they are fictional, we can form a deep connection and see ourselves reflected in them.” 

Rachel Lee, Scribbly Gum Photography

When Rachel Lee of Scribbly Gum Photography created this image, she did so to validate and talk about the challenging aspects of motherhood. The photographer explains that she was exhausted and felt like she was being pulled in every direction–that everyone needed her all the time. This image, called Overwhelm, visualizes those emotions. The image is a self-portrait that Lee took in her looking room. The image was captured in a single frame, which also meant all three of her kids had to cooperate at the same time to get the shot. She used her Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the EF 24-70mm f2.8L II USM lens and a single flash with a large modifier. The image earned Second Place in the Portrait Division: Group and Families Category.

“I put so much into my photography work–from the creative vision, energy, time, and more,” she says. “It’s always nice to hear wonderful feedback from others who love your work, but as a photographer, you learn the most when you hear the critiques. Hearing what can be improved is going to be what helps you learn the most. Choose mentors, or awards programs with great critiquing options to hear what those with high levels of expertise think of your work and provide that constructive feedback.”

D’Ann Boal, Smitten and Swoon

For our final image in our iconic childhood portraits series, D’Ann Boal of Smitten and Swoon wanted to capture the feeling of gratitude for the sun after a long winter. She took this photograph in late winter, when everything was still brown but the days were beginning to be longer and sunnier. She captured the image with the Nikon Z9 and 200mm f2 lens. The sun served as the main light camera right while a Profoto B10 X Plus with a large white umbrella and diffusion panel on the left helped fill in the shadows. The photograph earned her a Silver Award in the Children + Teenager Portrait Division.

“I vividly remember the stressful feeling of analyzing my work and knowing it wasn’t where I wanted it to be,” Boal says. “If I could go back and talk to that younger version of myself, I would tell her not to rush it and not to worry. I would tell her: with every click of the shutter you will learn and grow, and if you want to be a good photographer, you will be. It’s just a matter of putting in the hours.”

Dig into our Photos of the Day Archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching portraits and wedding photos. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery (up to five images at a time) to: [email protected].

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