Family photograph- Tolani King

The photograph I have chosen is from a dinner we have to pay homage to my great grandfather. In this photo, this is only a few of the women who were effected by this man growing up, and to these women, this is the only man we know. The day this photo was taken was a very emotional day for all of us because we were here honoring this man while he was still alive, because a few days before we have gotten the news that his cancer was going to take him out soon. this photo is important because this was one of the last family dinners we had with him and all of our extended family while he was alive.

Family photograph - Veronica Cruz

This is a family photograph of my younger siblings and I when I was seven years old. The punctum of this photograph dwells in its innocence. It lies in the apparent happiness and sibling unity reflected in our faces. It is that family bond that invokes in the viewer a nostalgic feeling, a certain yearn for the good old simple days.

Kyle Chism Family Photograph

My mom and I make up whats left of my immediate family. That being said this picture denotes the close and everlasting bond my mom and I share. The "punctum" in this photograph are the careless smiles on our faces and relaxed posture,  reminding the viewer of the unconditional loving bond of a mother and her son.

Move-in-Day

This photograph was taken of my family and I on the day that I moved into my college dorm as a freshman. The punctum lies in the lanyard and key that hangs around my neck that is a signifier for my new home. It also lies within the happiness seen in the pace of my parents and the sly grin in the face of my younger brother. When I see this photo I am able to recall the moments before this photo was taken when my brother asked me if he could use my bedroom as a "party room" for him and his friends.

This picture invokes a personal connection because it is a picture of a 50th wedding anniversary which is a significant milestone for any family.  It can be appreciated by anybody because it provides either a goal to strive for, or a milestone to reflect on.

Sisterhood

This photograph is an image of some my sorority sisters, my college family. Five years from now each and every one of us can look back to that picture and see that at one point in life we were all in the same path. However, as the years pass some of us will graduate and will spread into different directions. This image will then bring great memories not only to me but to every single one of them. Yet, this image is a reminder to me that wherever life takes me, they will always be there for me. 

"The Tournat Family"

This photograph's punctum is the representation of my hurt and bitterness towards my extended family. Barthes states that the punctum is "that accident which pricks me (but also bruises me, is poignant to me.)" and this is the best example of that literal bruising. Rather than us being one family, I see in this photograph how our differences break us apart through the obvious fact that my mom and I were not there.