One morning in 2005 I woke and, with a sudden immediacy, feared
the fragility of things. What if tomorrow someone close died? I
needed to hold on and photograph those transient moments of
intimacy shared only between us, yet common to most. I needed to
investigate what is close, and to explore the complexities and
challenges of love and belonging. Was there such a thing as
family identity? That morning, Near was born - it is an ongoing
portrait of my family.  Our story is commmon to the 21st century
- we're spread across four countries and three continents. We
are animators, architects, engineers, social workers,
therapists, carpenters, filmmakers and dreamers. Together, we've
come through cancer and suicide.  Near is inspired by an urgency
I find in the ordinary - those split seconds of "insignificant"
that ultimately make up the core our lives, and loves. A hand on
a washing line, in habit and in rush. The way a towel is folded,
gently, in perfect routine. My mother holding her hands behind
her back while w