Us
Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom are a photographers duo and a couple based in Tel Aviv. They shared an ongoing series Us, in which they decided to tell a story of a variety of couples and diverse relationships by photographing intimate moments in the comfort of their homes.
The project began with the outbreak of the pandemic in May 2020 stemming from the desire to share stories of love, closeness, and going through hardships together. Through the prism of their relationship and the professional gaze, Rona and Ofek were able to connect on a more personal level with the characters they portrayed. We are invited to the lives and homes of couples throughout Israel, depicting different settings and lifestyles.
In this conversation, we speak about the initial steps of the project, the revelation in the process of work, and the most touching aspect of witnessing other couples’ relationships during the pandemic. The strong effect came from encountering couples from varying age groups, socio-economic statuses, cultural backgrounds, portraying a range of genders and body types. “Every time we leave a couples’ house after a shooting, we feel very lucky and inspired and mostly thankful for the chance we get through photography to witness all of that,” Rona and Ofek share. The precious moment is the realization of what one has through witnessing the happiness of the other.
‘In a time of temporary crisis, when it was all about converging into yourself and your own world, we’ve created a timeless project on intimacy and love through photographing couples.’
2020 has left an undeniable mark on professionals' work, at times leading to a shift in perspective and the way themes are presented. How did Us come about? When did you start working on this project?
In a time of temporary crisis, when it was all about converging into yourself and your own world, we’ve created a timeless project on intimacy and love through photographing couples at their homes. The photographs allow a unique and honest glimpse into the world that couples created for themselves. We started this project in May 2020, and we’re still looking for new couples to portray and tell their story.
‘In a time of temporary crisis, when it was all about converging into yourself and your own world, we’ve created a timeless project on intimacy and love through photographing couples.’
2020 has left an undeniable mark on professionals' work, at times leading to a shift in perspective and the way themes are presented. How did Us come about? When did you start working on this project?
In a time of temporary crisis, when it was all about converging into yourself and your own world, we’ve created a timeless project on intimacy and love through photographing couples at their homes. The photographs allow a unique and honest glimpse into the world that couples created for themselves. We started this project in May 2020, and we’re still looking for new couples to portray and tell their story.
What was the basis for casting the couples? Did you ask any preliminary questions to choose the most suitable personalities for the project?
The heart of the project is in the authentic and diverse forms of real-life relationships. We wanted to emphasize that during the whole project, so we looked for couples who could reflect that message and who were comfortable letting us into their world, their homes, and their relationships.
From your conversation with people who took part in photographs, what is the most touching or memorable story you learned about?
We were shooting all different kinds of couples: whether they were married for 25 years or dating for a month, it was inspiring for us to hear all the stories of the different couples and share with them our own, mostly because we are a couple ourselves. We met through a joint photography work that led to starting a photography business together, and eventually, we became a couple.
‘We’ve traveled all over Israel while shooting this project, and we encountered very different kinds of settings: some spaces were big and well lit, and some were tiny and with not much light.’
From the technical perspective, light and work with focusing on an element of the body or a face feature are predominant. What was important for you in directing the subjects, finding the right stare or position of the body in connection to light on set in their natural habitat?
The whole project took place at the couples’ homes. We’ve traveled all over Israel while shooting this project, and we encountered very different kinds of settings: some spaces were big and well lit, and some were tiny and with not much light. But we always tried to work with the natural light and sometimes add some ambiance light.
Most of the time, we noticed immediately the spot in the house that can represent the couple the most. Sometimes we needed to try different spots, but when we looked at the photos, we knew right away — what’s the most honest image. We tried to direct them in the most authentic way, basically letting them be in their comfortable environment, either on their bed, in the living room, the kitchen, or even outside.
‘We think the most precious thing of this project is the experience of witnessing love, intimacy, and acceptance between the couples.’
Which moment from this project is most precious to you?
We think the most precious thing of this project is the experience of witnessing love, intimacy, and acceptance between the couples, which is beyond social norms, gender, body image, disabilities, age, culture, etc. Every time we leave a couples’ house after a shooting, we feel very lucky and inspired and mostly thankful for the chance we get through photography to witness all of that.
