The Families Project is a series of family portraits created by Bay Area photographer Nancy Warner. The project has two main goals:

• To explore a diverse range of families and family relationships using a spontaneous aproach to black-and-white portraiture.
   
• To exhibit work in progress in local galleries and other venues, culminating in a traveling exhibit.

For sample images from the project, see the Families Project gallery.
 

How it Works

If you are interested in being photographed as part of this project, call Nancy at 415 989-9157 to discuss it. If you and she agree that it makes sense for your family to participate, she'll arrange to meet with all of you before scheduling the portrait session.

All kinds of families (including couples without children) are welcome to enquire, but Nancy may not be able to photograph everyone who calls her. Limiiting factors include her own time constraints as a working photographer and her desire to explore a diverse range of family configurations, including different races, religions, sexual orientations, economic status, and so on.

If you do participate, here's how it works. Nancy arranges a location for your portrait, either at your house or at a nearby location outside. Be prepared to spend half a day or more on the session. There's no charge to you for the photo session.

She will give you a gelatin silver print of a single image from those she chooses for possible inclusion in the exhibit, also at no charge to you.

You will also receive her selection of enlarged proofs from the section. If you wish to order prints of any additional images, or more prints of the one you get for free, you may order fine art prints. The cost would be for the extra prints only—the portrait session and one print are free. You're under no obligation to order anything extra. However, any extra prints you do order will be matted fine-art prints at fine-art sizes and prices. This means, for example, that you will not be able to order multiple inexpensive 5x7 prints.

When she gives you the exhibit print, she'll ask that you sign a release allowing her to use images from the session in the art exhibit, or to promote the exhibit or her portrait business.
 

About Nancy

Nancy has been working as a portrait and fine-art photographer for over twenty years. She also runs a part-time art gallery in her studio space, where she may exhibit work in progress as this project develops.

To see more of Nancy's work, see the rest of her web site at warnerphoto.com. For more examples of family portraits, see families in the portraits area.

For information about the art gallery, see galleryonezero.com.
 

Caveats and Alternatives

Participating families:

• Will need to spend half a day or more on the photo session under Nancy's direction.
   
• Should be prepared to take six weeks or more to get through the whole process: arranging the portrait session, reviewing the proofs, and receiving the final print(s).
   
• Should be willing to have your photo exhibited and used to promote Nancy's portrait and fine-art photography.

• Must understand that this is an art project, not a commercial portrait session. If you want to purchase additional prints from the session, you will be charged fine-art prices for matted and monted hand-processed gelatin silver prints. Multiple inexpensive prints are not available under this arrangement.

If you are in a hurry or if you would like to have a family portrait made without participating in the project, you can hire Nancy for a commercial portrait session, either in her studio or on location. For more information, see portrait services.