Erin Whittier - Task #1

Title: Studio 406



I read a bunch of interviews with Struth, and what stuck out for me was his work ethic in shooting the "Family Portrait" series. A few things inspired me - his use of natural light only, placing them in the space they live in, and giving the freedom to pose however and wear whatever. I decided to use a wide angle lens the way he did - it captures both the person and their surroundings, which I think are equally important to the series.

I tried shooting this image a couple times, and finally I came up with these ones (although, I still can't decide - should I leave them as individual photos, or as a diptych?) I made it a bit different, by having one person within the space at a time - it brings out the differences between the two roommates but also the similarities, and how they inhabit the space in their own ways.

(One thing he also said was that there was a tangible energy when he would shoot portraits - the families would get rather excited preparing for the shoot, interacting with each other. I found it rather interesting, when I first attempted the portrait with my parents, they became lively and enthusiastic when sitting down for the portrait. The freedom I gave them opened up another dynamic of communication between themselves, as well as with me. Although this is just a side note, I thought it was pretty cool to feel the energy that Struth talked about when doing his family portraits.)