FamilyTree by Bobby Neel Adams

It’s hard not to look at a newborn and debate which traits it inherited from its parents: Did they get the family nose? The mother’s ginger hair? Or, is that his father's slight smile? For his FamilyTree series, photographer Bobby Neel Adams explored these exact questions. He took pictures of two immediate family members striking similar poses, then tore the photographs in half before merging them together to create cross-generational portraits. The images offer a direct comparison between father and son, mother and daughter, and more—a visual family tree rooted in the familiar curly hair, high cheekbones, or slender lips.

Bobby Neel Adams is one of the many exciting artists, designers, and photographers featured in our new book PhotoViz.