Atlanta photographers Regis and Kahran Bethencourt think of themselves as “dream makers.”
That’s because the couple makes kids’ wildest dreams come true in portrait shoots. The results are conceptual, highly stylized photos of children dressed as visions plucked straight from their imaginations.
The Bethencourts hope the portraits transcend the typical images of beauty.
“We get so many amazing ideas,” Kahran told NPR’s Morning Edition.
Fairytale Lion: Jhene Santana Brown
Kahran and Regis Bethencourt
Jhene Santana Brown, 15, a client from Providence, R.I., wanted to become a fairytale lion.
“I just loved lions and my favorite movie is Narnia,” Brown said. “So I wanted it to be fierce but also soft and kind.”
Renaissance Man: Whitcliff McKnight
Kahran and Regis Bethencourt
Twelve-year-old Whitcliff McKnight, a client from Smyrna, Ga., had a session that involved three distinct costumes. The inspiration: “renaissance man.” That’s what his mom calls him.
“The first [portrait] comes from my love of travel and foreign languages and the arts,” McKnight said. “The athlete theme comes from the sports I play, including soccer and basketball. And the futuristic type of theme comes from my love of video games.”
Mermaid: Alaya Barton
Kahran and Regis Bethencourt
The shoots are affirming, says Dr. Terica Barton of Tampa, Fla, whose 8-year-old daughter, Alaya, transformed into an underwater mermaid for her portrait.
“I think it’s absolutely important for little African American children and children of all races just because it shows them and highlights their beauty, it highlights their difference,” Barton said. “And sometimes it’s difficult in this country raising children that aren’t the majority and instilling in them the beauty and their differences and making them celebrate their differences and their culture.”
