Monday, August 29, 2011

The Family, Luzzara, Italy (1953).

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite photographs right now. "The Family" taken by Paul Strand in Luzzara, Italy in 1953.

I've been thinking a lot about family portraits lately. I keep wanting to take photographs of my family, but there is a hesitation in me whenever the possibility presents itself. For instance, when I was in Spain this past month, I wanted to take a portrait of my grandmother along with my mom and her sisters. But I could never find the right moment to ask her to sit for a photograph. I kept wanting to and wanting to but then never actually doing it. In the end, I took a photograph of my mother and her 2 sisters. And never got one of my grandmother. I hate that feeling of not accomplishing something you wanted to. And it upsets me. It seems like in the past 2 and half years, I have been very hesitant to photograph people. I get shy or just can't find the right way to ask. And even though I have the desire to photograph a person, and in my head, I see a great photograph, I end up not taking a photograph. I'm not sure why this is happening.

Any way, back to "The Family", there is a scene in "Paul Strand: Under the Darkcloth" which talks a bit more about the photograph...skip to minute: 13:21 in the youtube clip. (btw you can instantly watch "Under the Darkcloth" in it's entirety on Netflix right now)


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