Niki Boon’s four children do not lead normal lives, and that’s the way she likes it. Especially when today’s “normal” is spending hours in front of a computer, tablet, or smartphone without any meaningful person-to-person interactions.

Boon, a photographer living in rural New Zealand, raised Arwen, 6; Anton, 8; Rebecca, 11; and Kurt, 12 without the use of technology. Instead of telling everyone how beneficial a technology-free environment can be for children, Boon decided to show us.

The photo series, “Children in the Raw,” shows a way of life that most parents in America couldn’t even fathom. Her children play in the mud, interact with farm animals, and spend the majority of their days out in the elements as opposed to trapped behind a screen.

Children in the Raw
Niki Boon has raised her children without the use of technology. Niki Boon Photography