Thank you for sharing these lovely family portraits with everyone. I cannot agree with you more that taking photos of your family and loved ones is of utmost importance.
In mid-November, I had several rolls of film developed including a roll of 120 that had been sitting on one of our bookshelves. I’d completely lost track of what was on it. When I got the negatives and scans back, I found that roll had three photos I will treasure forever. Three photos of my father in our backyard on July 4, 2021, one with my stepdaughter, one with my son, and one with my wife. My dad passed away 9 months after those were taken so to get three new photos of him with my family was a true gift that I unknowingly gave myself.
This is a wonderful point I hadn’t considered but I think you’re right. Definitely less distance than in the eyes of a stranger, I’d say. These are great.
so beautiful! your words resonate so much with me, I documented a trip to visit my granny with my sister last easter not knowing at the time that it'd be the last time we'd spent with her being healthy and herself. I hadn't thought about the photographs until she fell sick in October and passed in December. she was the one that got me into photography and I'm currently thinking of how to turn them into a project (with archival photos and other documentation of her life). Thank you for sharing yours!
I love it! Pictures are stunning and indeed bigger format gives that kind of plasticity which is hard to recreate. Especially in the era of selfies or perfectly retouched photos. I did something similar with my mom and shot entire roll of 250D on 35mm. Took her to the garden and told her to be herself. Pictures turned out beautifully, and they are sooo special. I want to do it every year and I wish I'd started sooner, but this sort of awareness always comes too late, so it's better to start later then never.
The portraits hold so much wonderful detail, and I think your "Avalon" methodology extracted not only features, but glimpses of each family member's persona - they were not just posing, but interacting with you as well. And the intricacies of the format you selected certainly required grace under pressure. An amazing tribute that I am sure is cherished by all.
Beautiful series! These photos will only get more impactful for you and your family the further you get from them. I feel like a book of them as a gift to family members would be really wonderful, too!
Thank you Neil!
Thank you for sharing these lovely family portraits with everyone. I cannot agree with you more that taking photos of your family and loved ones is of utmost importance.
In mid-November, I had several rolls of film developed including a roll of 120 that had been sitting on one of our bookshelves. I’d completely lost track of what was on it. When I got the negatives and scans back, I found that roll had three photos I will treasure forever. Three photos of my father in our backyard on July 4, 2021, one with my stepdaughter, one with my son, and one with my wife. My dad passed away 9 months after those were taken so to get three new photos of him with my family was a true gift that I unknowingly gave myself.
oh wow Scott, that's so moving! Thank you for sharing!
Stunning portraits, Wesley. You really look like your father. Love this family tradition, we also organise similar gatherings.
Thanks so much Marcel!
Love these. There is a very specific look in the eye of a family member. Encouraging, maybe. Understandable that it took time to get distance.
This is a wonderful point I hadn’t considered but I think you’re right. Definitely less distance than in the eyes of a stranger, I’d say. These are great.
Thanks so much Bill! And I agree too!
Thank you Neil!
These are lovely Wesley. What treasures to keep.
Thank you Irv!
so beautiful! your words resonate so much with me, I documented a trip to visit my granny with my sister last easter not knowing at the time that it'd be the last time we'd spent with her being healthy and herself. I hadn't thought about the photographs until she fell sick in October and passed in December. she was the one that got me into photography and I'm currently thinking of how to turn them into a project (with archival photos and other documentation of her life). Thank you for sharing yours!
Thanks so much for letting me know and sharing this Sabrina!
I love it! Pictures are stunning and indeed bigger format gives that kind of plasticity which is hard to recreate. Especially in the era of selfies or perfectly retouched photos. I did something similar with my mom and shot entire roll of 250D on 35mm. Took her to the garden and told her to be herself. Pictures turned out beautifully, and they are sooo special. I want to do it every year and I wish I'd started sooner, but this sort of awareness always comes too late, so it's better to start later then never.
Love the simple beauty of these portraits.
Elegant and timeless.
Thank you Don!
Excellent portraits, Wesley...simply timeless. I am glad you did this. As far as your question at the end, well...you know my answer :).
It's true :) Thank you!
The portraits hold so much wonderful detail, and I think your "Avalon" methodology extracted not only features, but glimpses of each family member's persona - they were not just posing, but interacting with you as well. And the intricacies of the format you selected certainly required grace under pressure. An amazing tribute that I am sure is cherished by all.
Thank you Paul!
Beautiful and so important
Thank you Alan!
Beautiful series! These photos will only get more impactful for you and your family the further you get from them. I feel like a book of them as a gift to family members would be really wonderful, too!
Lovely idea!
💜 Love these.
:) thank you!
I love this concept. I'm personally doing a family portrait project too - I recently discovered thousands of prints, negatives and slides (as well as the original cameras) captured by both sides of my family over the past century, and aim to revisit many of the locations and rephotograph them today with the same cameras. I started last summer, and visited my grandma's childhood home in Bosie, ID: https://open.substack.com/pub/camillebruya/p/reminiscing-on-moments-past?r=2ivqmz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
oh wow what a wonderful project Camille! Excited to check it out!
Thank you! Still a work in progress :) but I think family documentation is so meaningful. I’m sure your family is so thankful to have your portraits!
you most certainly capture the " that strange, beautiful, and somewhat unhinged circus of a place."
Haha thank you!
Oh! I am deeply touched by this. What a lovely moment to share!
Thank you Corinne!