about the every day picture project

The Every Day Picture Project is a year- long photo diary that began on the day my third son was born. Somewhere we have a family bible in which my great- grandparents recorded similar milestone events. A sequence of birth, baptism, marriage, and death creates an incomplete narrative arc describing our family history. My history is more likely to be recorded in a photo album. Although the religious undercurrent is less obvious, the element of ritual remains intact and routine events and daily responsibilities are largely overlooked. Yearly school photographs, along with snapshots of birthdays, holidays, and vacations make up the obviously selective family history. They describe an optimistically simple and peaceful version of family life; one in which change is predictable and effortless. It is not surprising that everyday actions are kept out of these records, especially if they suggest animosity, discontent, or uncertainty. But what is left is a broad outline that ignores the complexity and richness of the life it is meant to recall. The reality, of course, is that it has never been as peaceful, or organized as efficiently, as the photographs might suggest. I started The Every Day Picture Project to fill in some of the gaps.


Todd Deutsch
2004