Seren Becker was born in Manhattan, New York, lived in Brooklyn, New York, and currently resides in Westport, Connecticut. Seren’s passion for photography, as well as music, originated from her father’s infatuation for the arts. Seren felt the closest to her father while taking photos after her father’s passing. She continues to pursue photography, as well as film and other art mediums, out of personal interest and in remembrance of her father.
Seren first got her hands on a camera in elementary school and photographed her brother playing baseball. She has been self-taught until a portrait photographer, Melani Lust recommended taking a Teen Academy class at the International Center of Photography. In her first class at ICP, B&W Photo 1, she learned how to shoot film and use a camera manually. It was in her first class at ICP and her exposure to the work of photojournalist Lynsey Addario, who grew up in the same town as Seren, that drove her interest in documentary and portraiture photography. Addario’s work compelled Seren to create and share stories that people can empathize towards. Her father’s battle and loss to pancreatic cancer, as well her personal battle with chronic illness influence her work to consist of the following themes: illness, appearance, identity, family, and loss. Seren was awarded “Best Overall”for her photograph in the Westport Teen Photography Contest, and was put up in the Westport Public Library’s exhibition. Seren is an alum of the International Center of Photography’s yearlong Teen Academy Imagemakers program, and the work she created in the class was displayed in the annual Imagemakers exhibition at the International Center of Photography School. Seren was elected representative of her Imagemakers class ad spoke on their behalf at the opening reception of the exhibition.