Teenage Pregnancy

I wanted inspiration for my teenage pregnancy photographs so I did a bit of research into it.

The UK has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world with around 20 per 1000 15-19 year olds falling pregnant. The government had pledged to halve the rate in 1998 by this year but is widely expected to miss the target.

Over recent times I had seen many posters around blackburn town centre campaigning against it but can't seem to find these posters anywhere online. These posters were an inspiration to me.

Below are some 'Teenage Pregnancy' photographs that have inspired me.

This is a photograph taken by Joanna Lipper. This reflects my idea perfectly. A pregnant mother with a bit of an attitude. She has a look to the camera as if to say,'.. you're no better than me, I don't care what you think..'.

This again is by Joanna Lipper. It is previous person but with her child. She still seems to have a smug look on her face, this to me makes the image.

This photograph is completely at the other end of the spectrum. It shows a nervous, anxious looking parent. She looks like somebody embarrassed or daunted by being a mother at such a young age.

This mother has a slightly smug look to her face, she looks very protective of her children. I also think she looks physically exhausted, probably from the rigours of parenting.

This subject again looks exhausted and fed-up. It for me reflects just what parenting would be like and shows that teenagers surely aren't ready for it. This along with the previous few was again by Joanna Lipper. They were all taken in the United States, another country with a high rate of teenage pregnancy.

I fiund this photograph on Flickr. It is by somebody called Polina Sergeeva. It shows the dangers of smoking whilst pregnant, something which a lot of young mothers do. I particularly like the editing to this photograph, it has a dark and sinister atmosphere.

This is another anti-teen pregnancy photograph by Polina Sergeeva. I think this shows that it can happen to anybody, the fact the model is holding a bible could suggest this. Could it be warning about complacency? Did the photographer try to create a sense of embarrassment for the subject by making her look away from the lens?