The Documentary Impulse

In October of 2024, I participated in a 5 week photography workshop hosted by British photographer Stuart Franklin. Franklin is perhaps best known for his celebrated photograph of a man defying a tank in Tiananmen Square, China in 1989, which won him a World Press Photo Award.

The workshop required each student to create a proposal for a photo project, and then shoot and present appropriate photos each week, receiving feedback and guidance from both Stuart, and other workshop participants.

I chose a project of documenting parents with their children, hoping to provide an insight to the wide range of dynamics that can take place within these relationships.

Amanda has an emotional moment on her wedding day shortly before her father sees her for the fist time in her gown. A "first look" with the father, where the bride reveals her wedding dress to her father before the ceremony, is not a common tradition practiced around the world; it's primarily a trend gaining popularity in the United States and some Western cultures, and is not considered a standard practice in most other parts of the globe.

93-year-old Norman lives with his daughter, Cheri, and her husband, in their townhouse in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts.

Amanda holds one of her favorite photographs of her daughter, Lauren, who tragically passed away in April of 2015. This image serves as a bittersweet reminder of their cherished moments together and the love that continues to endure despite the loss.

Waiting in the entrance way of a church, Victoria softly whispers something to her father, just moments before he walks her down the aisle on her wedding day.

John, his daughter Sarah, and son Julian prepare a musical tribute for John's father, who passed away in April 2024.

Originally from Columbia, Rubin and his son Mateo often enjoy the tradition of a cigar and espresso on the back porch of their home in the Northeastern part of the United States.

Jim has been a photographer at Merrimack College in Andover, Massachusetts, for over 15 years. In 2024, his daughter Grace started attending the school and often visits him while he works.