Artistic Family Photos: From Happy Snap to Meaningful Art
Candid family photo at the Perry Sandhills near Wentworth in NSW, Australia.
Family photos serve an incredibly valuable purpose in our lives, both at the time they’re created and, over following years, as a way to look back in time and see something of the life lived by those that are most dear to us.
Family photos, in addition to their documentary nature and our preference for creating a pleasing likeness of those depicted, have the capacity to transcend the humble snapshot and become meaningful art. As such, the family photo can be elevated from the family photo album to the art gallery wall.
Family photos bring great pleasure into our lives as they document the person depicted, often at an important moment in their life, and allow us to look back at how fashion, our physical appearance and how we live has changed over the years.
I have vivid memories of working, as a stills photographer, on the Australian motion picture film Summer Coda during a particularly hot summer.
Most of the film is set in and around the city of Mildura in far northwest Victoria.
The film was somewhat of a family project with my nephew, Richard Gray, writing and directing the project. Richard’s wife, Michele Davies, was responsible for continuity and dialogue on the film.
Towards the end of the project Richard’s family: his mum Maree, sister Rachel, their partners Trevor and Dean, and brother Pat spent a few days in Mildura.
About To Travel?
Are Family Photos Snapshots Or Art?
On a rare day off from my duties as stills photographer we all crossed the border into NSW and visited the Trentham Estate vineyard for a lovely lunch.
After lunch I took Rachel, Dean and Pat down the Silver City Highway, past the town of Wentworth where the famous Murray and Darling rivers meet, and out to the Perry Sandhills.
The image at the top of this post features, from left to right, Rachel, Dean and Pat surveying the surrounds from atop the first dune.
I love the warm, orange colors of the dunes, reflecting light from the late afternoon sun, and the way they contrast with the blue sky.
The shape and texture of the dunes, while somewhat diminished by the footprints, are also important to the composition as it serves to the separate the dunes into different areas of visual interest.
Abstract shapes and textures make art from a snapshot, Perry Sandhills, Australia.
Leave Only Footprints, But Not In A Photo
If you’re a landscape photographer, looking for a portfolio standard image, be sure not to walk into the frame until after you've made your image.
Occasionally footprints can add a narrative element to an image, but usually they become a visually messy distraction.
The dunes at the Perry Sandhills are actually quite small. You can gain a good overview of them by leaving your car in the second car park and, after only one minute of exertion, cresting the first dune for a decent overview of the landscape.
We arrived in the late afternoon. It was hot, but the light did Iook very promising.
I would have been happy to wait an extra hour or so and photograph the dunes at sunset and beyond, into the dusk.
Unfortunately, I had to get the family back to Mildura to see the rushes (i.e., a rough cut of important scenes filmed throughout the week) with Richard, Michele and members of the crew.
When Time Is Against You, Always Plan A Quick Getaway
Our visit to the dunes was probably 40 minutes in duration, including the 20 minutes Dean spent trying to help a bunch of folks move their car that, somewhat miraculously, they’d succeeded to bog in soft sand at the entrance to the car park.
Not only was this a problem for this car load of visitors, their car was also blocking our way out of the car park. I had a 4-wheel drive back, so we were able to exit via a somewhat hidden track out of the carpark.
And, with plenty of other folk around to help, the car that was bogged in the sand also managed to get out.
The lesson, if you decide to visit the Perry Sandhills, is that a low to the ground, hotted up car may not be your best option.
My nephew, Patrick Gray, at the Perry Sandhills in NSW, Australia.
How To Move Beyond The Snapshot
Here’s a photo I made of my nephew, Pat, at the dunes.
While composing the image I remember trying to echo the strong shape of his shadow, cast by the low angle of the late afternoon sun, with the V shape of two intersecting dunes on the bottom right corner of the image.
In this case I believe the warm tone black-and-white rendering, together with the relatively dark tones present in the background, add a powerful mood that contrasts with Pat’s always happy and positive nature.
Duality Is At The Heart Of Art
I feel this duality, the contrast between two opposites, to be what lifts an image like this from a snapshot towards art.
It’s in this space, where the intention of the photographer goes beyond merely producing a pleasing likeness of the subject, that photos are elevated onto an altogether other plane of existence.
I’m not saying that I’ve created great art with this environmental portrait of Pat.
What I’m trying to outline is something of the process by which art is created.
And I also want to make the point that good photos, even family photos, are the potential to bridge the gap between the commonplace snapshot and art.
In fact, when well crafted and made with serious intent, family photos can actually become art.
What Goes Into Making A Great Photo
There are certain concepts, techniques and elements of design that need to be considered whenever a painting, musical score or a photograph are produced.
In the case of a photo, some examples include the following:
Subject
Theme or Story
Camera technique
Light appreciation and management
Composition
Tone
Color
Meaning and Metaphor
If you fail to consider the above examples the image that results will likely disappoint both you and your wider audience.
The fact that little Johnny is smiling just won’t be enough.
If the image lacks meaning, either in your eyes or those of the viewer, then it will likely remain a snapshot.
Ultimately, it’s for you to decide whether or not you like the photos in this post and whether you’d describe them as holiday snaps or something more.
However, it’s important to recognize that a well crafted and meaning rich image will likely connect with a greater audience, beyond the immediate family and friends of the subject depicted.
