Essay...

Every picture tells a story.

Introduction

I chose to base my Personal Investigation around the family, how photographing the family has changed over the years, incorporating the similarities between generations. Family photography has evolved over the years from statuesque positioning to the candid documentary of family life.  My title links to my practical work of looking at generational photography as my older sister is having a baby, which is my inspiration for this project. It also links to my project, as I want to explore the similarities between the generations in my family, whilst also showing how family portraiture has developed over the years. I intend to use mainly Internet searches along with books to investigate these areas.`

I want to explore the history behind family portraiture and also look at how relationships are presented in modern photography to when the use of cameras was first introduced. I also want to look at how generations teach, and learn from the generations gone before them and how the development of photography has helped in portraying the progression of family.  In order to do this I needed to researching portraiture and how photographing the family started. A lot of family portraiture happened around the 19^th century; it soon became a popular phenomenon as it meant people didn’t have to pose for that long and it eventually became the most common way of capturing the family. The credit for the production of the earliest surviving photographic image must go to the French experimenter Joseph Nicephore Niepce, and after he died in 1833 it was Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre who continued and developed the art of photographic portraits and led photography to what it is today.

"The term 'heliography' was coined by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce to identify the process by which he obtained his earliest photographic images.

Niépce began experimenting with lithographic printmaking—which led to his invention of heliography—because of his inability to draft images by hand. During his trials with lithography, he experimented with light-sensitive varnishes and then with images produced in camera, but he was unable to prevent the images from fading. Niépce discovered that he produced his best results while using a solution of bitumen of Judea, which dated back to the ancient Egyptians but continued to be used for making lithographic engravings in the 1800s." (1)

Finally in 1826 the chemical process, the power of the camera, the successful quest for permanence, and the combined curiosity and clarity of the inventor Jospeh Nicephore Niepce all came together. The process was to coat a pewter plate with the same solution form his previous experiments and placing the plate into a camera that was looking out from an upstairs window of his house. After and exposure of at least eight hours, the plate was washed dissolving the parts that have not been hardened by light. The result was the permanent direct positive picture. 

The first portrait photographs were produced in a similar way in that they use the same set up but covered the apparatus to obtain a clear black and white image. As the years went by they developed into using film which was a more convenient way of taking photographs however, they were very unreliable and also expensive, thus meaning only the richest people could afford to use them and develop the images themselves. They were often left with blurred and unrecognisable imagery. 

Many of the richest people in the country, were able to have a professional photography come to their home and take photographs of their family, however they would have to pose for hours in the same position as the photography would take a very long time to compose the image due to the lack of development and technology in the 18th century. This is the reasoning for the structured and statuesque faces seen in the images below. A lot of historian often refer to these images an haunting which stems from the facial expressions within the image. 

In a more modern era, we are now able to take photographs at the click of the button without thought of the final outcome as they are often free, and it doesn't matter if they don't work first time as you can just take them again. This selfish accessibility has changed the way we not only photograph but also how we depict what is in our photographs. In relation to photographing the family, our attitudes have changed as the technology has changed and improved. This means we are able to portray our own families anyway we want to not how the professional photographer wants or is technically capable of doing. Therefore, many family portraiture is subjectively different and unique for each family. 

Below, are some photographs of the first portraits that were taken using a camera instead of the traditional paintings. These photos were taken in the late 18th century...

For many years portrait paintings were the only way of having an image of your family. Families had to pose, like statues for several minutes before taking the shot. This is why many old fashioned portraits look stiff and uncomfortable. However, now it is more common and often more fashionable to document a time in your life not to pose for a rare family photograph. The art of documenting is to keep a record of significant life events and in many cases these can be much more meaningful memories. This is why I have chosen to base my project on how presenting and portraying the family has changed but also our attitudes to family photography have evolved. Alongside that I also want to show that family portraiture is about capturing relationships not statuesque representations of a family ‘bond’. For example now, the statuesque black and white portraits look out of place in comparison to the developed digital photos we use now. I also wanted to show the lack of personality relationship portrayed when you take an image with straight faces and gaunt stares into the camera, where as now candid and spontaneity make for much more meaningful photographs. This is largely attributed to the slow image processes used to create the photos, due to cameras not being as developed as they are now.

To explore my idea further I will study photographers who base their work around capturing the family. I also wanted to look further into the generational side of capturing the family and the similarities and bonds between the different members. The photographers who have inspired me include, Angela Strassheim who looks at the similarities between generations and aims to convey the relationship between family members; Simon Dewey who documents natural photos of family life in a spontaneous and candid way; Jaret Belliveau who looks at the effect of major events on the rest of the family; and The Luxton brothers who recreate old family photographs in modern day circumstances.

Angela Strassheim is a photographer who created a series called ‘left behind’. Her aim was to capture the family in all of its forms. She did this by taking photos of the family teaching the family, father and son relationships, mother and daughter relationships and also sadness within the family. She called this series of images ‘left behind’ to emphasise the way the family is always leaving something behind for the next generation to pick up and continue. It also refers to those who are left behind after a death within the family and how their traditions are carried on, and another generation picks up the traditions and behaviours of the generation gone before.

 “We work our entire lives into putting together a home that is a reflection of who we are, how we live and see ourselves. The title is about how the living carry on and another generation follows certain family traditions”. - Angela Strassheim (2)

The influence from her work came from the photos she took of the father, son, mother daughter, relationships and the way she photographed how the family teaches the family. For example she took photos of the parents helping their children but in a way that shows the imitation and admiration of the child towards their parent.

“One person can see it as sweet and loving, and one person can be terrified by it, and they’re looking at the same image.”-Angela strassheim (3)

                              Image 1-2006

Strassheim talks about how the perspective of each of her images can create different meanings to each individual that views them. For one person the relationships she conveys in her photos can seem sweet however for another it can be completely irrelevant to how they see their family relationships.

This photo is taken from her ‘Left Behind’ series. It follows on from the idea of generations picking up behavioural patterns of past generations. ‘Left Behind’ focuses on what the family taught the family. It consists of a father figure and two young boys one of which is looking across the table at his dad, the other looking at his brother. They have their hands together in front of them and the father has his eyes closed; they appear to be praying.  

     In my opinion the way they are positioned with the dad at the head of the table almost looking down on his sons and the younger one of the two boys looking over at his older brother further implies the teaching and imitation learnt through the family. Praying at the dinner table can be seen to be somewhat old-fashioned which emphasises the traditions passed down from generation to generation. The way the sons are copying each other, with their stances but also with what’s one the table suggests the admiration of one and another and the similarities between them. To some people, it is just a family of two boys and what seems to be a father sitting at a table, praying before eating. The two boys have identical plates of food in front of them and the younger of the two is looking over at his older brother. The father’s position at the table seems to suggest his authority over the two boys, also depicted by the way the older boy is looking over in his direction. The sons are clearly copying their dad’s actions and show the role model position the father plays in the son’s lives.  However, contextually, Strassheims work seeks to present the family in everyday situations which have been routinely passed down from generation to generation. In this image she used her brother and his two sons to create the dinnertime scenario. The colours within the image are significant as they all tie together to make the composition more aesthetic. The colour of the table along with the colour of the dad’s jumper are the same as well as the jumper on the boy in the foreground with the colour of his plate. Furthermore the colour of the food is all similar which implies that this is a thought out, set up of an every day occurrence. 
Another aspect that is significant in this piece is that the mother isn't present which implies, along with the title of the work, that she has passed away. The series is not only about traditions left behind, but also people who have left behind a family or a generation as well as routines and ways of life. This theme is emphasised within this image as their is what appears to be a traditional family, two children and a husband, however, the mother isn't there and this suggests that she has died and left her family to continue the things she taught them.

                             Image 2-2006

This is another of Strassheim’s images that tells the story of generational routines. In this image Strassheim attempts to portray the mother daughter relationship, and portray that over time the daughter and mother roles will interchange. The photos consist of a woman in a bright yellow bath and a young girl propped up on a wooden chair with a towel draped over the chair onto the dark wooden floor appearing to have just been used. The girl is sat behind her mother and is washing her hair. In my opinion, the photo is different from other family photography as normally family photographs often show the mother’s love for her daughter where as in this image it shows the love the daughter has for her mum and how she is not only helping her but the mother has obviously taught her daughter how to wash her own hair and now the daughter is replicating it on her mum. It represents how the family teaches the family things that will later be passed down to the younger generations. It also visualizes the relationship between a mother and daughter that starts from a young age. The young girl is dressed with just a nappy on and her hair in bunches which further suggests her age. Despite this the relationship between the two is reflected through the positioning of the pair. Also the photo particularly enhances the idea that the family is less old fashioned and traditional now in that it would have always been the mother getting the daughter ready and the relationships they had would have been very impersonal ,where as in today’s society mother ,daughter relationships are often advertised as friendship not a mum and her daughter. However it still depicts the way the family has taught their offspring and how the offspring are now helping the older members rather than other way round. The way the child is sitting on the chair shows her innocence although she is the one helping her mum when it should traditionally be the other way around. The colour composition in this photo is evident as the symmetry with the blue curtain, which falls down to the blue towel on the floor, frames the outside of the image. Moreover the walls of the room are almost clinical as they are bright white along with the bright yellow of the bathtub, which suggests the photographer is trying to imply the mood of the photograph. The element of the doorway suggests that the photographer is not part of the exchange between the two but manages to show the intimate moment the pair share. It provides a sense of the curiosity of the photography into someone else’s relationship.

Simon Dewey is a photographer who bases a lot of his work around documenting families. Most of his images are captured in black and white which, in my opinion enhances the idea that these are more personal and special images rather than staged and thought out shots. This is due to the fact that they aren’t perfectly studio lit and don’t have the staged appearance of a formal family photograph. His aim is to create beautifully spontaneous photographs depicting family life in a candid and relaxed fashion. His work influences the photos I want to create as he moves away from the old fashioned family photography often found in shop windows where the mum and dad are staged strategically with their children on a blue clouded background. He documents the precious moments that you don’t always notice but you never get back and often this can be more meaningful than a staged and awkward family photo. He was inspired by his own family and how, as a photographer he had so much access to such personal images that he could create into unique and candid memories. He then wanted to do this for other families and hence started his business.

 “I take away the studio backdrops and lights, the cheesy smiles and poses – and focus on expressing their natural personalities. I like to think of it as Family Photography Unplugged. I want to capture their lives and turn them into great family photographs. Honest, and often chaotic.”  -Simon Dewey (4)

"Working in a documentary way-i capture events as they really happen. Instead of your day being a parade of family portraits and poses".- Simon Dewey (5)

Documentary photographs allow the photographer to document stages in people’s lives and create memories that when you look back on them you may not even remember. For developing family portraiture it allows the photographer to capture moments that are special and meaningful rather than the posed, well lit and awkward smiles of old fashioned family photography.

                              Image 3-2014

This image is taken looking in on a father ironing as his daughter leans over the table to observe him doing so. The father is standing carefully as he stares down at the iron whilst the daughter looks intrigued as she stands on tip toes to get a better view. The clutter at the left of the image adds to the candid and chaotic atmosphere Dewey creates effortlessly within all of his images. It also suggests the ages of the people living in the home. The young girl almost looks as though she is admiring what her dad is doing, portrayed in the way she is grinning as she leans over the table. The use of black and white in this image adds a certain empathy with the viewer as it seems more innocent and allows you to focus on the relationship between the two people rather than the things in the background. As with colour a lot can distract from the thing that actually stands out, where as in this image the black and white tones allow you to look at the finer detail of the people and what they are actually doing in the image rather than the things going on around them. It shows the simple and precious moments spent with a father and daughter. In my opinion, the blurring of the door on the right of the image suggests that the photograph is taken covertly and this further enhances the natural and candid relationship between the two.

                              Image 4-2014

In this image, there is a young boy and a young girl sat on the floor. The girl’s legs are crossed and the boy is covered in toys, which suggests certain innocence to the image. The boy; who appears to be younger; is looking up to the girl as she looks down on him, with a cheeky grin on her face. This image is one of a few slightly more staged shots from Dewey, however he still manages to capture the candid, natural and relaxed personalities in different set ups,but without losing the documentary theme throughout his work. Although the positioning of the two children is set up in a way to show the age gap and the way the siblings interact with each other it also emphasizes the similarities between them both as they are surrounded by their toys and look at each other with a sweet and precious look that symbolizes the bond they already have at a young age. In my opinion, the way the photo is taken seems to be almost without them knowing as they continue with their conversation which adds to the playful and childlike nature of the image. Although a lot of documentary photographs are in black and white, this composition is not and it further enhances the idea of childhood innocence. The position of the photo also makes it appear as an everyday occurrence, of the two playing and having conversations with each other which highlights the documentation element of Dewey’s work.

Jaret Belliveau is an American photographer who started taking photos of his family, during this; his mother was diagnosed with cancer. He decided to continue photographing his family and it turned into his series called ‘Dominion Street’. He not only documentation his mothers journey with cancer and how as it developed it affected her, he took photos of how her illness effected the rest of the family including her husband and youngest son. Although his photographs are documentations, they are all well thought out and beautifully lit, but not staged. His work influenced my project, as I wanted to do a similar style of photographs but looking at how the welcome of my sister’s first baby had an effect on the rest of the family including the new family that has been created. His series of photos shows the daily struggle of cancer but also the way the family came together in the midst of a heart breaking time in all of their lives.

"Dominion Street brings together an extensive body of work by emerging Moncton-based photographer Jaret Belliveau. Documenting his family over the course of five years, Belliveau originally focused on daily life until his mother was diagnosed with cancer. The images that developed out the experience convey the internal workings of a family’s struggle with illness and ultimately life after personal trauma. " (6)

 

Image 5 -2004

This photo was taken after her last session of chemotherapy. It is of her sat upright in bed with playing cards at the side of her. To the right of the image is a chest of drawers with family photos propped up on it and a blur of tablets and medication bottles. He hands are crossed over each other on her lap and her face is lit up; she seems to be laughing with someone just behind the camera as her eyes are not focused on the lens. In my opinion, she has obviously has just had treatment for her cancer she is still smiling and enjoying the time she has left, symbolised with the massive grin she has on her face. Cancer is often a taboo subject particularly when someone in your family has it; it could have been hard for her to have these photos taken however this photos shows that even though she has this life taking illness, she is still enjoying her life. It shows the other side of a cancer story, the side not always advertised, that although she is suffering she is still living and making the most of the life she has. It also shows how in harder situations and different events that happen in our lifetime the influence of the family keeps us going and has an effect on how the event affects our own lives. This photo was taken by her son and he gaze is slightly behind the camera which suggests she is laughing with her son as he takes the photo which further enhances the way the family supports each other in every situation.

 

                             Image 6-2004

This photo shows the effect her illness has on the people surrounding her. The image is taken from her hospital room. In the background of the image is a doctor and a nurse. The doctor is talking to her husband her has a concerned expression of his face. The nurse is looking at Belliveau’s mother and her best friend. They are sat on the hospital bed. Her friend has her arm on her band and she is crying onto her friends shoulder with her hands covering her mouth. It suggests this photo was taken just after getting some news about her developing cancer. Her husband in the background of the image looks worried and concerned for his wife where as the nurse beside him looks saddened by the effect it is having on her patient. Her best friend is comforting her, as she looks down at her crying friend. The effect it has on the rest of the family is clearly similar to how it is affecting the actual victim. This further shows the way the family came together to support their mum through her cancer journey.

Tina Barney is an American artist born on the 27^th of October in New York City. Barney is best known for her large-scale colour photographs of her family and close friends. She was born into a large family and as she grew up realised her the family she was part of inspired passion for art. Later her parents divorced and it was her Grandfather who introduced her to photography. Barney then decided to train in photography, as it was a much easier way of doing the portraits of her family that she loved. I chose to research Tina Barney as one of the photographers relating to my work as she has an interest in how the family is depicted through the camera. Her ‘’family portraits’’ are done in a way, which shows how the family are naturally with each other and not posing for a photo. She did this by getting them to dress in the best clothes and tell them they are having a formal family picture taken, however she would take the majority of her photos as they are getting ready and waiting for other members of the family. This candid and realistic view of the family inspired my work as I aim to create shots that replicate how strict and posed old fashioned portraits were in the contrast to what they are today, which is often very candid and documentary.

"Tina Barney has said, “I began photographing what I knew.” For much of the 1980s and 1990s, this meant taking pictures of her friends and family as they went about their daily lives in affluent areas of Long Island, New York City, and New England." -Tina Barney (7)

"Barney was thus one of the first photographers to present color work on a grand scale that rivaled most twentieth-century paintings. This scale also inspired a deliberate construction of the picture, at times requiring supplementary lighting and the direction of the sitters." (8)




 

 Image 7-2003

In the image above, Barney has taken an image of a mother and her son, supposedly waiting for the photo to be taken. Although the boy is looking at the camera it still suggests the idea that they didn’t know it was being taken and were just waiting for the family photo to be taken. Furthermore, in my opinion it tells the viewer more about the relationship between the two people, although not clearly in any conversation and no facial expressions to suggest this, it allows the viewer to see them as mother and son not just models in a structured photograph. The woman to the left of the image is looking over at something to the right and although the boy on the right of her is looking slightly towards the camera his position suggests he was looking towards the right. Moreover, the relaxed stance of the boy further enhances the theme of naturalistic and candid positioning rather than the almost pretentious statues in old family portraits. Barney shot this series of images in their family home and so the colour in the image may not be set up or deliberate, however they bring the image together in the way that the woman is wearing a bright yellow dress as well as the wall being the same shade of yellow, alongside the harsh contrasting colours of the boys shirt, tie and waistcoat. It all suggests that they were getting ready for a formal photograph.

Image 8-2003

In this image, Barney has captured a family of five within her extended family. The way the family is dressed in formal attire suggests that they too are getting ready or waiting for a family photo to be taken. In the foreground of the image is the mother and what appears to be the youngest of three daughters. The mother is fixing her daughters hair, which again implies them getting ready for a portrait. Behind the mother is another of her daughters with her older sister and their father in between them. In my opinion they seem to be walking to somewhere to wait or to have their picture taken. The way the two younger girls are dressed suggests their relation as they are in matching outfits, which also suggests their age. In the background of the image there is old-fashioned furniture and big, old paintings and murals, which further enhances the theme of old, fashioned portraits with the contrast of modern subjects and modern poses. Furthermore, the way the mother is looking away and none of the subjects seem too focused on the camera shows that they aren’t prepared or aware of a photo being taken and this was the aim of Barneys work; to create photos of the family without them realising, to show the naturalistic and candid side of the family in contrast to the portrait they thought they were preparing for. 

In conclusion, I would argue that photography is often a way for people to express their love for their family but also with the development of photography over the years allowing more photographers to explore and present the similarities between generations in their family shows the teaching, learning and growth, that passed generations have taught our generation. I also think it allows photographers to portray emotional stories through a series of photographs to show the changes, effects and memories created when new family members are added to the family tree or when major events happen that have an effect on the rest of the family. The development of candid photography allows you to show the beautiful relationships between family members and the personalities that go along with that, without the stiff blank faces staring into the camera. 'Every picture tells a story’; photography gives the perfect platform to do this by showing the relationship between generations in a single shot. A picture can also speak a thousand words and the development of digital and less staged family portraits gives photographers the opportunity to tell a story and create memories for the next generation. The way we view the family has evolved over the years, through the introduction of digital photography but also the way we interact with each other and choose to document the memories we create. Whether that be in the generational form and more statuesque manners or documentary style photographs stored in albums. The way portraiture has developed allows photographers to capture more taboo subjects and events that take place within the family such as births, deaths, illness and even happiness. At first, portraits showed no emotion, not even smiles, whereas now things are much more relaxed. The photographers I have chosen to look at throughout my project link to the areas I want to explore further in regard to the development of portrait photography in enabling the photographer to create relationships within the family and empathy in their work. Furthermore, they all manage to show the generational aspect through their work along with the way we cherish memories, which we may never get back.  


Bibliography:

(1)= http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/firstphotograph/process/#top

(2)= http://artpulsemagazine.com/prying-religion-sexuality-self-identity-and-forensics-a-conversation-with-angela-strassheim

(3)= http://stevestenzel.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/angela-strassheim-lecture.html

(4)= http://www.simondewey.co.uk

(5)= http://www.simondewey.co.uk

(6)= http://gallerytpw.ca/exhibitions/jbelliveau/

(7)= http://www.artic.edu/aic/exhibitions/story/barney.html

(8)= http://www.artic.edu/aic/exhibitions/story/barney.html