This summer I finally got around to doing something that I've been thinking of doing for quite awhile - that is, shooting portraits of every single member of my extended family.
The second reason I'm determined to finish this project is the shocking and sudden death of my Uncle Edmund, which happened last year. I won't furnish you with details but suffice to say that we're all still very much mourning his loss. He was universally loved by everyone in the family, especially his four children, and the world isn't as bright without him. Needless to say, his sudden passing away made me indeed realise how ephemeral life can be - what's here today can be taken away so quickly as to leave you breathless - and this has strengthened my resolve to complete this project even more. I say 'complete', although I realise that this project can truly never be completed - I'll never have those portraits of Grandpa and Uncle Edmund to hang on the wall when it's all done. Rest in peace Grandpa and Uncle Edmund; we all love you both very much.
On to happier grounds, my family consists of lots and lots of really wacky uncles and aunties and their children. There are lots of us - I've never bothered to count but it might be around 30 direct blood relations. Anyway, the point is that all get along really really well. The occasional Chinese New Years when we've all managed to get together, either overseas or in Australia, have been some of my fondest memories growing up. I'm blessed to have been born into this clan of nutbags, which seems to be expanding all the time. What I've posted here is only a small portion of our big clan - I'll hopefully get around to photographing the rest soon.
Several factors have really contributed to my determination to finish this project, which has only just gotten off the ground. The first is the death of my grandfather last year at the age of 91, after suffering the after effects of a stroke for several years. He really lived a long, full life, not to mention a busy one with eight children, who are obviously my aunts and uncles today. So I'm extremely sad and regretful that I wasn't able to photograph him before he passed away, however his condition probably wouldn't have allowed him to be photographed for too long, especially with the setup I'm using.
The second reason I'm determined to finish this project is the shocking and sudden death of my Uncle Edmund, which happened last year. I won't furnish you with details but suffice to say that we're all still very much mourning his loss. He was universally loved by everyone in the family, especially his four children, and the world isn't as bright without him. Needless to say, his sudden passing away made me indeed realise how ephemeral life can be - what's here today can be taken away so quickly as to leave you breathless - and this has strengthened my resolve to complete this project even more. I say 'complete', although I realise that this project can truly never be completed - I'll never have those portraits of Grandpa and Uncle Edmund to hang on the wall when it's all done. Rest in peace Grandpa and Uncle Edmund; we all love you both very much.
On to happier grounds, my family consists of lots and lots of really wacky uncles and aunties and their children. There are lots of us - I've never bothered to count but it might be around 30 direct blood relations. Anyway, the point is that all get along really really well. The occasional Chinese New Years when we've all managed to get together, either overseas or in Australia, have been some of my fondest memories growing up. I'm blessed to have been born into this clan of nutbags, which seems to be expanding all the time. What I've posted here is only a small portion of our big clan - I'll hopefully get around to photographing the rest soon.
Full post and text here: http://www.irwinwong.com/blog/the-family-part-1
