READINGS
An Exploration of Family Photography and Visual Communication by Christopher Musello
Key Points
This source focuses on family photography as a form of visual communication within the context of daily life, analyzing how families integrate photography into their experiences and how these images are used and interpreted.
The study utilizes a qualitative approach based on interviews and observations of twelve Euro-American, predominantly middle-class families.
Musello identifies key events in "home mode" photography, including:
Planning
Shooting (on-camera and behind-camera)
Processing
Editing
Exhibiting
The author argues that these events follow conventionalized patterns influenced by social norms and expectations surrounding "family photography."
Critique: This study is limited by its small sample size and focus on a specific cultural group, potentially limiting the generalizability of its findings to other cultural contexts, such as Vietnam.
The author highlights the importance of the "editing" event, where families select, organize, and discard images. This process can significantly shape the narrative presented by the collection and potentially result in the loss of certain types of images.
Musello emphasizes the social aspects of "viewing events", noting the variations in how families share and interpret images and the potential for constructing shared memories and interpretations.
The study also analyzes "participants" in home mode photography, revealing the roles and responsibilities within families. Notably, the author observes that women are equally as likely to be the primary photographer as men.
Musello addresses the challenges of interpreting family photographs as "documents." He points out that researchers may struggle to decipher the full context and meaning attributed to images by their users. This emphasizes the importance of considering the perspectives and interpretations of family members themselves when researching family photography.
Critique: The study acknowledges limitations in its methodology, emphasizing the need for comparative research across diverse social and cultural groups to fully understand the variations in home mode practices.
Diasporic Vietnamese Family Photographs, Orphan Images, and the Art of Recollection by Thy Phu
Key Points
This source explores the significance of family photographs in the Vietnamese diaspora, particularly for those who fled Vietnam in 1975 and the "boat people."
Phu examines the impact of war and displacement on family photographs, highlighting the frequent loss, alteration, and destruction of these images due to political circumstances and practical necessities during their escape.
Critique: The author challenges the prevailing focus on war photography in understanding the Vietnamese diaspora, arguing that family photographs offer a crucial lens for comprehending everyday experiences and struggles during wartime and its aftermath.
The author examines how family photos serve as a means of preserving kinship memories and resisting state ideologies that aimed to politically divide families.
Phu explores various collecting and archiving projects initiated within the Vietnamese diaspora, such as "Vietnam in the Rearview Mirror" and Dinh Q. Lê's multimedia installations. These projects demonstrate the importance of reclaiming and reassembling fragmented family histories through photographs.
The author analyzes the use of "orphan images" in these projects, emphasizing their unique challenges and ethical considerations. These orphaned images, separated from their original contexts, raise questions about the definition of "family" and spark a collective sense of longing and belonging within the diaspora.
Critique: Phu points out the limitations of official archives in capturing the personal experiences and memories embodied in family photographs, advocating for the significance of community-driven initiatives in preserving these histories.
The author discusses the complex and sometimes conflicting relationships between personal memory, family, and state narratives in Vietnam. The destruction or alteration of family photographs to erase evidence of political affiliations exemplifies the impact of political pressures on family narratives.
Phu concludes by emphasizing the "archival desire" within the Vietnamese diaspora, highlighting the ongoing efforts to collect, preserve, and reassemble the fragments of their visual history.
Early Photography in Vietnam by Terry Bennet
Key Points
This source provides a brief overview of the history of photography in Vietnam, starting with the earliest photographs taken in 1845.
Bennett acknowledges the influence of Chinese and French occupation on Vietnam's history and the resilience of Vietnamese culture.
The author notes the scarcity of readily available resources on early Vietnamese photography, highlighting the need for further research and scholarship in this area.
Critique: This source is limited in its scope, primarily focusing on the very beginnings of photography in Vietnam and lacking detailed analysis of specific photographers, themes, or social contexts.
In her ongoing series, photographer Vân-Nhi Nguyen subverts colonial perceptions of Vietnam by Daniel Milroy Maher
Key Points
This source discusses the work of contemporary photographer Vân-Nhi Nguyễn, whose project "As You Grow Older" challenges colonial representations of Vietnamese people.
Nguyễn uses the format of a family photo album to interrogate and subvert the objectification inherent in colonial photography.
Her photographs center on everyday people, allowing them agency and dignity within the composition.
Critique: The author emphasizes the significance of reclaiming the power of representation and presenting a more nuanced and authentic view of Vietnamese identity through Nguyễn's work.
Nguyễn draws inspiration from vernacular photography and family archives, incorporating cultural objects and signifiers to connect her images to collective memory.
The author highlights the importance of domestic spaces in Nguyễn's photography, as sites where intimacy and storytelling unfold.
Photography and the construction of family and memory by Şahika Erkonan
Key Points
This source examines the role of photography in constructing family images and memories, using ethnographic research with five families in Ankara, Turkey.
Erkonan explores how families use photographs to create narratives, reinforce relationships, and shape their understanding of the past.
Critique: The author emphasizes the importance of considering the social and cultural contexts that influence photographic practices and interpretations.
The study analyzes various aspects of family photography, including the production, display, (re)ordering, use, and potential reshaping or destruction of images.
Critique: Erkonan argues that the act of looking at photographs can trigger memory recall and stimulate discussions about family relationships and events. This reinforces the active and dynamic nature of photographic meaning-making within families.
The study highlights the significance of the family album as a structured and curated presentation of family memory, often reflecting idealized versions of the past.
Editorial: Special Issue on Photography, Archive and Memory
Key Points
This source discusses the cultural politics of photography and archives, emphasizing the role of family and snapshot photography in representing marginalized voices and challenging institutional control over memory.
The author explores how personal archives, such as family albums, offer alternative narratives of history and contribute to a broader understanding of the past.
Critique: The source acknowledges the potential for family photographs to reproduce dominant ideologies but also highlights their power to contest and disrupt these narratives through critical engagement and reinterpretation.
The author discusses the shift in critical perspectives on family snapshots, moving from viewing them as ideologically problematic to recognizing their cultural significance. This re-evaluation aligns with the broader "material turn" in photography, which acknowledges the value of vernacular forms.
The source explores various projects that engage with personal archives, including Jo Spence's re-enactment of her family album and Michael O'Brien's collaborative work with his mother. These examples demonstrate how artists and researchers utilize personal photographs to explore identity, memory, and familial relationships.
The author also addresses the challenges of representing and archiving traumatic events, particularly when there is a lack of visual documentation or active denial of historical events.
Becoming digital by Karen Simonson
Key Points
This source discusses the challenges of archiving born-digital photographs, a relatively new and complex area for archival practice.
Simonson argues that the shift from analog to digital photography necessitates new approaches to acquisition, preservation, and description.
Critique: The author highlights the scarcity of existing archival literature on born-digital photographs, acknowledging the need for further research and the development of practical guidelines.
Simonson explores the unique characteristics of digital photographs, such as their ease of manipulation and the potential loss of context due to their detachment from physical albums.
The author emphasizes the importance of understanding the context of creation for digital photographs, advocating for the capture of metadata and information about the creator's intent and practices.
Simonson presents the results of a survey of archivists, revealing the current practices and challenges related to digital photography in archival institutions. The survey findings indicate a need for increased communication and collaboration between archivists and creators of digital photographs to ensure their long-term preservation.
The source concludes with a proposal for capturing and describing born-digital photographs, emphasizing the importance of documenting provenance, order, interrelationships, and context.
Vietnam Kin: Finding The Owners Of “Lost” Images by Travis Hodges
Key Points
This source describes the Vietnam Kin project, an initiative aimed at reuniting Vietnamese families with personal photographs lost during the Vietnamese diaspora.
The project was inspired by the discovery of numerous old photographs in the markets of Ho Chi Minh City, many of which appear to have been left behind by families fleeing the country.
Critique: The author emphasizes the significance of these photographs in representing a lesser-known aspect of Vietnamese history and highlighting the importance of family and cultural identity.
The project focuses on collecting and sharing these images online, aiming to reach a wide audience and facilitate the identification and return of the photographs to their original owners.
Critique: The authors believe that these "lost" images offer valuable insights into daily life and family rituals in Vietnam during the 1950s to the 1970s, providing a counter-narrative to dominant historical narratives.
Family Albums Depict the Everyday Lives of Vietnamese People in the Late 1800s
Key Points
This source presents a collection of photographs from family albums depicting the everyday lives of Vietnamese people in the late 1800s, discovered in a family's cellar in France.
The author notes the difficulty in determining the exact time and location of many of the photos but provides context based on the family's history and travels in northern Vietnam, including the construction of the railway.
Critique: The source demonstrates the potential for family photo albums to provide valuable historical insights, even when specific details about the images are unknown.
The images offer glimpses into various aspects of life in Vietnam during that period, including village scenes, market activity, religious practices, and the presence of French colonial explorers.
Critique: The author reflects on the complex legacy of colonialism within their own family history, acknowledging the potential for personal archives to spark reflection and critical engagement with the past.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature Review: Family Photography and Its Cultural Significance in Vietnam
Introduction
Family photographs, beyond objects, are symbols of culture, especially in Vietnam where they serve in preservation of family heritage and legacy. This literature review will delve into the influence that family photography exert on both cultural and emotional value. The paper also focuses on the decreased utilization of traditional photography in this ever-evolving digital landscape, while identifying the changing perceptions of these applications across generations.
Cultural and Emotional Value of Family Photography
Family photographs are not merely illustrators of visuals; they represent and evoke emotions that reinforce familial connection (Nguyen, 2020). In her discovery of family photographs that were dispersed in Vietnam, Nguyen underlines the importance of these images in conserving memories between family members, reinforcing individuals’ association with their origin (Nguyen, 2020). Likewise, studies have critically demonstrated in favor of the pivotal role of photographs. They are considered as a means to shape personal identities that are associated within the context of family construction and relationship, through a process of bolstering ideas of shared heritage, and understanding individuals’ selves (Smith & Watson, 2021).
Historical Development of Family Photography
Initially introduced in the 19th century, Vietnam family photography has undergone significant changes regarding the impact of societal factors. In the beginning, photography acted as a means for recapturing historical and life events associated closely with Vietnam culture such as weddings and funerals. This application of photography was deeply rooted in traditions passed down across generations (2024). Additionally, there was an emergence of traditional advertising photography studios during this period to serve the commercial purposes of shooting. Those stores offered families with formal portraits, reflecting their social standing and amplifying family connection.
With the development of photographic technology, photography becomes more dynamic and accessible. Along with the growing desire for technological innovation, there is a substantial rise in amateur photography’s popularity. This democratization enabled families to visually archive their pictures of lives regardless of their social and cultural backgrounds (Musello, 1980). Over the course of time, this method of photography became an undeniable part of Vietnamese cultural identity, not only did it serve as personal keepsakes but also represent the shift in Vietnam culture as communal artifacts.
Decreasing Practice of Physical Photo Archiving
The advancement of technology has coincided with a fundamental shift in the photo archiving methods. The shifts are magnified as printing images and creating physical photo albums become less common, replaced by the digitalization of storage utilization (Tran & Pham, 2022). This phenomenon gives cause for concern about the decreased value for cherishing physical photographs as memory keepsakes (Le & Nguyen, 2023). Research shows that there is a growing tendency for families' sole reliance on digital practices of preserving photographs, resulting in increased likelihood of risks occurring such as loss of data caused by software failures (Nguyen et al., 2021).
Changing Attitudes Toward Family Photography Across Generation
There is a wide variety of perspectives towards family photography across generations. To individuals at younger age, convenience and accessibility that digital tools offer are taken priority over traditional methods (Hoang & Tran, 2022). Besides, this difference between generations indicates significant cultural changes in societal values as a result of globalization (Nguyen & Le, 2023). While older individuals might retain their physical photographs to prolong connection and relationship, younger generations growingly depend on social media and online platforms as a main tool for sharing and capturing memories (Pham et al., 2022).
Conclusion
This literature review underlines the essential of family photography in sustaining relationships, connection and cultural identity in Vietnam. In accordance with the development of technology and globalization, it is of the utmost importance to credit both the value of physical storage solutions and the practicality of technology-centric archiving practices. This is considered a must to ensure the continuing preservation and honoring of family heritage.
SECONDARY PROJECT
Week 6 Production Meeting
Feedback from Lecturers
Richard believes the theme of my secondary project overlaps with my FMP (Final Major Project) theme.
Sven is concerned whether this project is too small in scope and if it is worth doing. He mentions that its scope seems quite simple. On the other hand, this is a project I’m doing for my parents, aligning with the Sony Photography Award – when I am dependent on their desires, schedules, and health, showing my emotions and care for my parents.
Thought process
When I don’t have a specific brief with a clear purpose for the Secondary project, as it can be anything, I think this project has two purposes:
Participating in the Sony Photography Award – In the Beginning
A passionate project I want to dedicate to my parents.
This is a project that blends emotions and personal connections between photography and my parents.
I’ve always wanted to see how my parents love and care for each other, dedicating their emotions to one another – the passion they had before taking on the responsibilities of life. I want to take this opportunity to capture how they once loved each other so fervently in the past, reminding them of their passionate moments. And what makes this project truly unique is that the emotions are recorded by their own son – making it exceptionally meaningful.
I insist that even though I don’t construct a grand concept or use complex techniques, I can still create a unique series that belongs solely to me – and to my parents, which is what makes this project special.
My parents expressed concern about not knowing how to pose, but I explained and encouraged them, saying this is a chance for them to revisit their old passionate moments with each other – their dreams and aspirations. This project is not about them seeing me as a photographer but as their son. At that moment, I will be the one witnessing their loving memories – how many people have the chance to give their parents a gift like this?
I decided to prioritize my personal desires – creating a project as a gift for my parents, with the Sony Photography Award as secondary. However, I believe that this unique project will highlight my artistic edge to the judges. I think, in this era, it is also a way to create beautiful frames. Beyond just visuals, these photographs will carry stories, emotions, and inspiration for viewers. I am confident that my images can achieve this.
Note for Lecturers
I understand and empathize with the feedback and desires of my lecturers, who constantly challenge my creativity and want me to do more to achieve a high grade. They aim to help me build a strong project that enhances the competitiveness of my portfolio, ultimately helping me secure a good job after graduation. I deeply understand and am very grateful for this.
However, I believe that creating a project dedicated to my parents and myself is incredibly meaningful. Including this project in my portfolio, in my opinion, will also shift people's perspectives or my clients' views of me — portraying me as a photographer who values family, is grateful, and pays special attention to the emotions of the subjects I photograph. This unique aspect might help me become a successful portrait/family photographer in the future — a genre that requires exceptional empathy for the subjects, the ability to capture their personalities, and to tell their stories in my own distinctive way.
PROJECT BRIEF
Project Theme
My true beginning
Big Idea
My true beginning lies in the love story of my parents — a moment of youthful passion and connection that set the foundation for my existence, reminding us that every beginning is rooted in an intimate, timeless bond.
Methods
Media: Photography
Formats: Film Photography
Techniques and tools: Film Camera, Image Editing Software, Lighting Tools
Mode of Deliverables: 5-10 images
Contextual Background
I have always been curious about the love my parents shared before I was born — a time when they were young, passionate, and free from the worries and responsibilities of life. After two years of growing in the photography field, I have distanced myself from family life, focusing on studying and working. Now, I want to return home, be a son to my parents, and give them a meaningful gift. I also hope this will be a good opportunity for my family to grow closer and express more love for one another.
Goals & Objectives
Reconnecting with my family, revisiting my parents love story, and giving them a meaningful gift.
Understanding the fundamentals of portrait and wedding photography, focusing on human connection and capturing the subjects’ moments and emotions.
An opportunity to better understand myself and the values I want to create through photography, beyond the commercial photoshoots that are meticulously planned and stylized to perfection.
Rationale
This project aims to capture the essence of my parents' love story before I was born, celebrating the foundation of my existence and reconnecting with my family. Through natural, candid photography, I seek to create a meaningful gift that honors their bond and strengthens our relationship.
Target Audience
Everyone, as this project is not a client based project.
Demographics
Age: 25-45
Gender: All
Location: Urban areas in Vietnam
Income Level: All
Occupation: Professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs
Technology Usage: Active users of smartphones, digital devices, and social media platforms
Persona: The audience values emotional connections, nostalgia, and meaningful storytelling through photography, seeking unique and personal expressions of love and family.
Challenges
Connecting emotionally with parents to capture genuine moments.
Time management balancing photography, editing, and other responsibilities.
Creating natural photos without over-staging.
Editing while maintaining authenticity and aesthetic appeal.
Meeting family expectations with the final results.