Abstraction-Family Portrait

Stephanie Fajardo

What constitutes as a family portrait? Is it just a picture of a mother and father holding their newborn child by a fountain? Can it be a picture of a family, mother, father, brother and sister, all dressed in blue jeans and a white t-shirt, posing with a Harley Davidson bike? Some families have taken their picture to another level as one family, parents who dressed their twin boys in sailor outfits who look as if they were around during the “Titanic”. That picture is in black and white.
As you view these pictures from the outside window of the studio, the thought that comes to mind is “Are you kidding?” When does a mother and father hold their child by a fountain on a normal, Friday afternoon? Are the family dressed in blue jeans and a white t-shirt, always surrounded by motorcycles at their home? Are the twin boys dressed in sailor outfits just dressed in their normal attire? The simplicity of “smile and say cheese” has turned into a Vogue cover photo shoot, with make-up artists and stylists.
Inside the studio is a large family, nuclear and extended family that is. The men in that family are very dapper-like in their black tuxedos. The women in that family are wearing floor- length dresses in the colors of blush pink, champagne, and wine. The children, two boys and one girl to be exact, are in little black suits and the girl is the personification of a powder puff. As the family is waiting in the studio, they are deciding which background they want their picture to be taken. The family can’t decide between two backgrounds. One wall has a large black piano in the background and the other is of a living room with a fire place. The dapper family can’t decide on either background.
Their argument is “which one looks realistic?” That is the family’s argument, not that they look overly dressed up as if they’re on their way to a reception at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Or when was the last time they ever posed by a fire place or next to a piano. Yes, both sure are realistic. The family calls on their daughter to have the last say on which background to pick. They find their daughter, dressed in the blush pink gown, viewing the studio pictures from the outside window.
She enters in and with the face of horror, she sees her grandfather indiscreetly checking out the photographer, from head to toe. Wanting to get out of their before the photographer notices, she decided on the fire place background. The family gets in place, men standing tall and the women and children seated on the lavish white couch. After a couple of shots of big smiles, some from laughing and giggling, they are done. The family gets up and walks over to the photographer to see the shots taken. All are very excited to see themselves in a different view from their usual everyday persona.
The daughter though does not view her family’s pictures for she is distracted by the other family having their picture taken in the other room. She sees that family, mother, father and their two daughters, are not dressed in an outlandish manner. They aren’t dressed alike at all, no same color shirts and pants, no similar patterns. Each member is original and simple in their outfits.
The daughter is amazed mostly that this family chose a plain white wall for their background. There isn’t a fountain, a Harley Davidson bike, a piano, or a fire place. It is just the simple family, saying “Cheese”.
The family is really the background and focal point of the family portrait. Whether with a fake waterfall or extra props or nothing at all, the family is what makes the picture, not the other way around.