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College student jumps into his childhood photos — as an adult

From holding his baby self to jamming in the garage with himself at age 6, this college student found a creative way to go back in time.
/ Source: TODAY Contributor

Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, Conor Nickerson remembers having a happy childhood.

But, when looking at photos of himself at age six and younger during a recent visit home, Nickerson realized he remembered little about those early days opening birthday gifts or visiting with family members.

So Nickerson, who today attends college in Canada, took on a photo project — recreating photographs from his childhood, then using Photoshop to place his adult self in the same image as his child self.

Conor Nickerson
Conor Nickerson

"I was looking through some old family photo albums and found myself looking at myself between ages one and six or so," recalled Nickerson. "They were interesting to look through because I don't have many memories of those times. I wanted to see if I could try putting myself in the old photos."

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Nickerson, a photographer, took an image of himself in the same spot as the original photo, then placed the two images together in Photoshop to match the colors and shadows perfectly.

Conor Nickerson
Conor Nickerson

The result is an adorable collection of photos that show Nickerson and his child self playing music, relaxing on the lawn and dressing up in suits together. One photo even shows Nickerson holding his 7-month-old self while celebrating a birthday.

The 20-year-old says the project reminded him to count his blessings.

Conor Nickerson
Conor Nickerson

"Looking at these times makes me feel fortunate that I had a good childhood," Nickerson told TODAY Parents. "I know it's a privilege that not everybody gets growing up."

Conor Nickerson
Conor Nickerson

So what do Nickerson's parents think about seeing their child and adult son together in photos?

"They thought it was pretty wild," said Nickerson. "It was emotional for them, too, because, as they put it, I grew up really fast."