From medieval church paintings of the Madonna and child to social media posts by today’s ‘Mummy Influencers’ – our visual culture has long been replete with images of loving mothers. Fathers not so much. Owen Harvey sets out to change this with Young Fathers, a celebration of the tender and playful bond between dads and their kids.

The series explores contemporary masculinity, a theme that runs throughout the London-based photographer’s work, whether documenting skinheads in Brighton, boxers in Islington, or doing commissions for Levi’s, Nike and Umbro. He sourced his subjects, all of whom became fathers in their teens and twenties, through an Instagram call-out.

Working with children, who have notoriously limited attention spans, proved a new challenge for Owen, and one that required him to be adaptable and patient. Shooting Young Fathers, he observed the continual learning, the selflessness, the frustration and the sheer joy that make every relationship between a father and child unique.

Owen is still looking to expand this series so if you’re a young father who’d like to be involved please get in touch with him @ojharv