Photographing one’s family is often a challenge, especially when people have to make candid, often intimate images of their loved ones. Sometimes, there is hesitance; other times, there is awkwardness. But when you get past these emotions, you will likely get an archive that will live on for generations. An example is Sarah Mei Herman’s photo book, which documents the growth of her half-brother, Jonathan, and her relationship with her father in a moving way. Titled Julian and Jonathan, the book is an exploration of their bond and Sarah’s place in the larger scheme of things.
The lead image and those within the article are courtesy of the artist and Gost Books. Used with permission.
The year was 2001, when Sarah, just 20, learned of her half-brother’s birth. As an only child, she always wanted to know what it would be like to have a sibling. However, since she was already an adult, Sarah’s way of connecting with Jonathan became easier with the use of photography. Jonathan was four when Sarah began to photograph her brother and their father. “For the first time in my life, I was no longer an only child; from then on, I would share my father, Julian, with another human being,” she wrote in her book.
The images were captured over several decades and showcase the shifting dynamics of family, identity, and Sarah’s place in the greater scheme of things. “I’m interested in the triangulation between us; the changing proximity and distance we share, and the peculiar feeling of looking in on a world to which I don’t fully belong,” Herman explains. “The project is as much about me and my family as it is about their separate universe.” It took Sarah two decades before Julian and Jonathan concluded as a project, and it is now being showcased as a photo book. Through the pages, you not only see Jonathan’s journey from a child to an adult but also her journey to chart the connection and distances between them.
Over the years, the dynamic between them—and us—has ebbed and flowed. Sometimes they were close, and at other times they were further removed from one another.
Sarah Mei Herman
The photo book begins with Sarah’s grandmother, who was living the last days of her life. It then transitions to focus on Jonathan, marking the start of a new chapter in the lineage. As a result, the publication also highlights the pain of loss and creates emotional layers of all the changes over the two decades. In many ways, the project reinforces the themes of familial bonds and generational change.
The photographs were created with a medium-format film camera, and the slowness and thoughtful approach resulted in soft and subtle images. The vivid colors, which shift with the passage of time, create an alternate universe of ordinary life or what it should be. There is stillness but also contemplation and loneliness in the images, which have been captured in the most thoughtful ways. It’s a photo book that will certainly lead you to ponder over the human connections you share in your life.
I am immensely grateful to Julian and Jonathan for their trust and patience over the years. For allowing me to capture them at their best, as well as in some of their most difficult times. For being my father and my half-brother, for being my family, and for the countless moments along the way when we were silently together.
Sarah Mei Herman
So, if you wish to document your family, Sarah’s photo book is a great start. The photographs will surely leave a lasting impact on you and will further urge you to think about your practice and your approach to the narrative. The book, in many ways, offers a profound glimpse into what was and what will be.
You can purchase Julian and Jonathan from Gost Book’s website. In May 2025, a solo exhibition will also take place at Concertgebouw Brugge.
