A growing number of contemporary photographers are shifting their focus from traditional documentary subjects to their own personal and familial archives. This movement, termed the 'familial turn,' sees artists using intimate, domestic materials as primary sources for artistic exploration and narrative construction.
This trend represents a significant ethical and aesthetic pivot within photography. It responds to heightened critiques of documentary practices—particularly regarding power dynamics and representation of 'the other'—by centering the self and the familiar as a legitimate, complex, and politically charged subject matter. The inward gaze redefines the boundaries of documentary and challenges traditional notions of artistic authority and objectivity.