Marina’s Room

Although this image has a snapshot-like feel — as if we too were sitting on the bed — Tina Barney, who was one of the first photographers to make oversize prints, works with a large-format view camera. The near life-size scale of her images adds to their sense of immediacy, and the rich colors and busy interior draw us further into the scene. Barney documents the social and economic elite as an insider, capturing a world that is out of reach of most Americans, yet her photographs portray the intimate gestures and relationships common to every family.

Close to Home: Photographers and their Families, 2011