Produced over a two-year period, the photographs examine the myths and truths of ten families striving to create healthy, nurturing environments. Each image provides a window into their lives, and offers an opportunity to broaden our understanding of how contemporary families function. The documented families are complex and vibrant entities that exist far beyond the boundaries of sociological labeling. The families were discovered through the combined effort of friends, relatives, organizations, and strangers reaching out to their communities. Healthy, stable families can and do take many forms, but there is no disputing that modern families also face countless challenges.
Traditional families face pressure to embrace historical role models.
Single parent families face life's obstacles with half the resources. Other families face continued discrimination because they do not conform to an archetypal family model. All families, however, regardless of their configuration, have the potential to create nurturing environments which strengthen our communities and encourage personal development. It is my hope that by exploring each other's lives, we can find moments of common ground that transcend stereotype and judgment and create connection and understanding.