April 13, 1996, from the series Mother Daughter Posing as Ourselves

Over a period of five years Elaine O’Neil and her daughter Julia Hess met each day in the living room to pose for a portrait. The images that resulted from their project—over 1,500 exposures in all—document Julia’s transition from a child of ten under her mother’s protective arm to an independent young woman. They also uncover the complexity of feelings shared by parents and children, laying bare the emotions—affection, anger, frustration, indifference, exasperation, amusement—Julia and her mother felt as they paused for a brief moment while waiting for the shutter to click.

Close to Home: Photographers and their Families, 2011