The family portrait

Photography : Thao Lai

Produced by : trademark°degree & idma.pro

Supported by :University of Western Sydney, PenrithRabbithole · UWS In-house Design StudioAaron Seymour · The University of Western Sydney

Printed by: Digital Press

PrefaceThe Family Portra i t is a photographic explorat ion in to how fami l ies construct a part icular vers ions of themselves to show to the world and how this d i f fers f rom real i ty.

This is an explorat ion into how fami l ies are more than they seem, i ts more than just a s imple snap of everyone there dressed nicely & smi l ing. The modern fami ly is rare ly together & most of the t ime spent together is in short bursts .

Though a photographic study of the fami ly at home & the indiv iduals that make up the fami ly unit , we can contrast the tradit ional values that are embedded in the fami ly portra i t to the real i ty of the indiv iduals & the fami ly as a whole .

This project seeks to h ighl ight the di f ferences in the tradit ional fami ly portra i t & the real i ty of the rea l modern fami ly .

Ficsor

Ficsor family

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Max spends the limited time he has in his bedroom de-stressing from a big & busy night at work or simply a big night out with friends, usually sporting a hangover from the night before.

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This seat is mine. My name is right there, can't you read?

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Every man has is own chair. Csaba has his own couch. A front row seat to every documentary and tv show.

Csaba spends most of his time on the couch, surfing the channels & having a stiff drink. Armed with a million stories and enough pub ammo to sink a ship he's definitely a character.

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The family room, basically consists of the most comfortable modular sofa ever made. There's always someone in the room either watching Tv, reading the newspaper, surfing the web or just planning what's going to happen for the rest of the day.

It's definitely the most used room in the house and it always has an open and relaxed feel.

You can get up and go to the kitchen, step outside into the yard, hop in the

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spa or head out to the shed. The lounge is the best place to relax, or just take a short breather before you set off on your next mission.

It's a forum, an interrogation room, a lecture theatre, a home cinema. It's a room where everything and anything happens, and usually does.

If you can't find Max in his room, then he probably sprawled out on the couch arguing with his dad over a some fact in a documentary or sharing a beer over some V8 supercar weekend racing.

Ficsor family

Phones, ringtones& Social networks

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This family uses phones more than anyone to keep in touch. Someone is always somewhere else. These kids can't hear the dinner bell so its the ringtone rather than the pot that brings the chooks back to the roost.

Koti is usually on the couch in the middle a sprawl of papers planning her week ahead. You can find her on the couch, in the kitchen, she calls it "the bistro" or in the garden relaxing.

With most of the family working later hours, Koti has become a late night movie connoisseur &loves staying up late.

Most of the time the kids are out and about, busy with work or our causing trouble. Koti keeps them all together and updated though the her phone. If you get a call, you better listen up cause shes only going to say it once.

Technology is what keeps this family updated. With most of the family working sometimes it's not always easy to keep track of who is coming home for dinner and who's working

late tonight. Whether it be a call or a message the kids always know to check in with mum, otherwise you know your not going to get fed.

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If you can get a tan from a computer screen, Niki has probably found a way to do so. She spends

more time on a social network than being social.

Niki is the runt of the family. Finishing up high school, you most likely find her at her computer or in some book frantically studying for a test or mainly procrastinating on Facebook like the rest of us.

Niki spends half of her time in reality and the other half inside her own social bubble. If you find Niki on the couch then she'll talk to you, but be somewhat distracted by the laptop or her phone, the perils of being a teenaged girl.

Most of the time you will find Niki in her room lit with nothing but the glow of her computer screen. In her own social world of Facebook & MSN. You can probably set the house on fire and she wouldn't notice until she was hungry.

As most teens do she rather be with her friends than at home, but still sits down with the family for most dinners every night.

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FAMILY ROOMA very comfortable couch, a very sunny room & television what more could you ask for in a room. The family spend the majority of their free time here, talking, arguing and the occasional screaming match that takes place over which "fact" is the real "fact". Generally its a place you can go to relax, de-stress and watch a show or two on tv.

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" W e a l l h av e s h a r e d s o m u c h i n t h i s r o o m . T h e g o o d , t h e b a d , t h e h a p p y & t h e S a d , f r o m b i r t h s t o d e at h s & m a n y f a m i ly C h r i s t m a s ' t o g e t h e r . "

ficsor

Rillera

Rillera family

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Comfort comes in the form of a good home cooked meal.

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Spare moments are rare when you have a stacked schedule. Mark spends a few hours every time on the couch watching movies, television programs, playing video games or event the odd karaoke session, with or without microphone.

Ricky spends a lot of time on the couch, like Mark he has few hours of spare time between work & study. You'll see Ricky on the couch relaxing or studying in his room, or maybe on the dining room table.

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Mark & Ricky spend most of their free time on the couch in the lounge room which is basically the centre of the universe with most families.

Mark has a pretty full schedule most days between work, studying, going to the gym everyday & basketball training three times a week.

So every spare moment is spent enjoying some well deserved rest & relaxation on the couch with a few favourite television programs.

When they are at home the kids hang out together on the lounge or help out around the house.

These brothers are usually very busy with their own lives, but they always take time to relax, most of the time is spent in the lounge room or entertainment room.

Most of the time the boys are at home together at the same time after a night out. Ricky's girlfriend also lives with them and they usually hang out together in their free time, cleaning the house together or helping their mum move plants around outside.

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Rillera family

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Microphones, music & mudcake.

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Maria spends most of her time in the kitchen whipping up a batch or a pot of something delicious. There is never a lack of food in this house. There is always a little something that you just want to have a huge bite off. It is a big part of why everyone hangs out at home & why wouldn't you everything is delicious.

Eddie spends most of his time at home on the computer looking for songs to sing or watching TV. On most days off both Eddie & Maria are doing the household chores, but every now and then you might catch him busting out a tune.

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When the kids aren't home Eddie & Maria break out the karaoke, with or without friends over. With all the songs that Eddie finds, there is a never ending supply of lyrics & music when the party gets started.

These guys aren't usually home during the day, so when they have a spare moment between cooking & cleaning these two know how to bust a move & carry a tune. So you better watch out if your up for a challenge.

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Maria is a great cook. There is no denying that fact. This house is never a lack of cakes, tarts, sweet little some things on the counter ready to munch on. Kitchen is never not chock a block with prepare food to cook, or left overs from last night.

She cooks most days, unless she has night shifts, then she prepares for the week before hand. So the boys are never left to fend for themselves. No one will ever go hungry in this house, that's a guarantee.

FAMILY ROOMthis room is the family entertainment room, it has everything that you would need, like television & playstation and it connects to everything including the kitchen, the dinner table, the porch. This is defiantly the hub of the house.

It's where everyone comes to relax, hang out & have a little fun.

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" T h e s e l o u n g e s a r e s o c o m f o r ta b l e ! E v e r y o n e at s o m e p o i n t i n t h e i r d ay h a s f a l l e n a s l e e p o n t h e m . W e a l l s h a r e i t ! I t s a b i g p a r t o f u s h a n g i n g o u t t o g e t h e r . W at c h i n g g a m e s h o w s & ta l k i n g h o w a b o u t h o w d u m b p e o p l e a r e O r l i s t e n i n g t o m u m ' s r u n n i n g c o m m e n ta r y o n m o v i e s . T h e b e s t ! "

rillera

Sabado

Sabado family

The best room indoors is half way outdoors.

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Christian spends most of his time in the Recreational room as he has his computer and consoles set-up out there. It's more comfortable than in his room and he can easily surf the web while on his computer which is right next to the TV. Christian is usually at his desk working on some

sort of project, whether it be for uni or just editing some pictures he took the other week.

The Recreational room is basically a second bedroom to Christian and all his stuff is there right next to him. It is simply more enjoyable to hang out

with the family than have to go to his room for things he will use in the family room anyway.

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"We all have one room we enjoy, but it is rare that this is the same room everyone enjoys"

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The family spends most of their time in the Recreational room as its the largest and most welcoming space in the house. Most of the time Christian and Eliezer are there playing video games on the huge lcd.

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Eliezer spend most of his days going through a routine. Get up, Go to work, Get home, Sleep & Repeat. He does find the odd occasion where he does have a moment to unwind and relax. Sometimes its before dinner, sometimes its after, sometimes its when a new game gets released.

Eliezer has a massive collection of PS3 & XBox games piled in the corner in two stacks. Conquered & To be conquered.

There's defiantly time for both. Most of the time he not playing video games he's surfing the web & maybe even the casual game of scrabble every now and then.

Most of the time you'll just fall asleep on the couches after a long day a work. It's a perfect balance between indoor and outdoor.

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Sabado family

Family meals are an important part of every day.

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Everyday everyone sits down to at least one meal together, whether it be breakfast lunch or dinner the family take time out of their own day to sit down and eat a meal together.

It is somewhat a family tradition now to share a meal, share their day and simply have some quality family time together.

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Forencia spends most of her time in the dining room as its where the family spends most of their time together.

She finds herself in the kitchen, in and around the house just doing normal household chores, but she is most content when the family comes home and she can feed them a hearty meal.

Eligio spends his days mostly around the house fixing things, there's always something he is fixing, polishing or making better, he even cooks quite regularly.

Most of the time he will be putting things into containers & into the fridge for later or maybe plating something up for the whole family.

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Deserts are his speciality; slices, tarts and all sorts of little bite sized gems that you can grab on your way in or on your way out.

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FAMILY ROOMIts where we discuss everything, it's our share room, cause we share everything in here. We eat, play and sometimes sleep here. It's a place we come to relax after work, come to unwind. Watch a few shows, play a few games or grab a bite to eat.

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" F a i r ly t i d y, i n a c h a o t i c w ay. I t ' s a p l a c e w h e r e t h e f a m i ly c a n s i t a n d ta l k , h av e a m e a l t o g e t h e r , w at c h t v a n d j u s t r e l a x . "

sabado

Buraga

Buraga family

What's a girl supposed to do?

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Cherrie usually spends her time around the house listening to music, drumming, making toys, reading or catching up on some TV, as well as cooking occasionally. She spends most of her time either on her sister's laptop or in the music area drumming up a storm working on her band's music or just beating out a solo or two.

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Charmaine spends her time in the back yard with her dog Snoopy. It's a place she can have a run around with Snoopy and ride her scooter or bike without hitting anything or anyone.

It takes plenty of energy to keep up with animals and its a lucky thing Charmaine has bucket loads of it.

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Chinny's days usually consist of early morning starts, getting her sisters ready for school and then getting ready herself for uni. Most of her day is at university then back home to pick up the kids & winding down for the rest of the day on some random work or just relaxing. You'll find her in her bedroom or the lounge with her laptop inches away from her.

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Buraga family

All you can eat is an understatement.

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There is an endless number combinations of ingredients, sauces & spices that Mila creates and you can gorge yourself on every dish until your heart's content.

There is barely a spare inch of space on the kitchen counter when this kitchen is in full swing.

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Sil spends most of his time in the backyard gardening & tending to his plants, along with a constant need for starting up the Barbecue.

You can usually find him here tending to his garden, whether its his competition flowers or his herb garden, it's a constant job that keeps him happy.

Most of the time he cracks out the fishing gear and starts to mend any kinks snags & fixing up his hooks an lures for next time he's out fishing.

In the yard there is plenty of space to exercise & do pretty much anything he wants, but most of the time he sticks to playing darts, cleaning up the yard or working out.

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Mila spends most of her time in the kitchen if shes not on her computer doing work or just simply sleeping.

She loves feeding her family wonderful food to keep them nourished & happy. They also have a lot of family gatherings at home so the kitchen is the place were you would most likely find Mila in a cooking up a storm, with usually

Cherrie in there getting her hands dirty as well.

Cooking is not a chore it's more of a passion and with this family food is not a single plate, but more like a buffet. There is a massive list of food on the menu every time its feeding time. From barbecued items, to spicy chicken wings, to salads, to omelettes, to soups. And that's only

the mains, the list continues with deserts, cakes, custards, caramel flans & more exotic deserts like sago & bean cakes.

There is definitely not a lack of choice from this kitchen & its fridge is never not chock-a-block full of food.

"I spend most of my time in the backyard, I've got everything I need. My yard & a barbecue. Do you really need anything else?"

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FAMILY ROOMIt's where we spend our time together its the main centre of our house. There's plenty of room and we watch tv together, play games together. It connects our house together, from the music area to the backyard.

We spend hours and hours here with each other watching movies and favourite tv shows.

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" O u r l o u n g e r o o m i s o u r f a m i ly r o o m , i t s c o n n e c t s a l l t h e k e y a r e a s o f t h e h o u s e u p & h a s e n o u g h s p a c e f o r t h e w h o l e f a m i ly, t h e r e a r e g r e at m o m e n t s w h e r e w e g at h e r t o w at c h m o v i e s o n c o l d w i n t e r n i g h t s a n d h av e f a l l e n a s l e e p o n t h e l o u n g e . "

buraga

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Special thanksthe family portrait

ParticipantsMax Ficsor & Family

Christian Sabado & FamilyChinny Buraga & Family

Mark Rillera & Family

ConsultantsAaron Seymour · UWS Lecturer

Katrina Sandbach · UWS Lecturer

SoftwareAdobe · InDesign CS4

Adobe · Photoshop CS4Adobe · Illustrator CS4

Apple · Aperture 3

HardwareCanon EOS · 5D Mark II & 1Ds Mark III

Canon EOS · L & EF Series Lenses

PrinterDigital Press, Surry Hills

Very Special ThanksNick Pettaras · Accounts Manager, Digital Press

David Katague · IDMA | Designers WorkflowDaryl Orillaza · The Bold Italics

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