graphic designer and photographer ulric collette captures the power of DNA in a series of digitally manipulated photos‘genetic portraits‘ documents the similarities between various family relationships including parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, cousins, siblings, and even the striking resemblances between twins.

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
mother/son: ginette, 61 and mathieu, 30, 2013, images courtesy of ulric colette

 

 

I started with that project in 2008, as part of a 365-day-project of self portraits,’ colette explains in an interview with justsomething.the first picture was this one with my seven-year-old son. in the beginning I wanted to create an ‘adult child’ face, but in the course of the editing I had the idea to compare our two faces. I have then done the same with other members of my family, and when it became obvious that there’s often an impressive similarity between two people sharing the same genes, I did it with friends, then strangers.

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
daughter/mother: marie-andrée, 55 and claudette, 81, 2013

 

 

each image is made up of two photographs that have been digitally stitched together using photoshop. the resulting work is an exploration into DNA and its role in the physical appearance of a person and/or persons across various demographics. colette is currently looking for subjects in the quebec city region, specifying between the ages of 15 and 75, and either father/son, mother/daughter or brother/sister relationships. 

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
sisters: élodie, 24 and audrey, 30, 2014

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
father/son: nathan, 7 and ulric, 29, 2009

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
cousin: justine, 29 and ulric, 29, 2009

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
daughter/father: amélie, 33 & daniel, 60, 2011

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
daughter/father: ismaëlle, 10 & ulric, 32, 2011

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
twins: alex & sandrine, 20, 2011

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
mother/daugther: marie-pier, 18 & n’sira, 49, 2011

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
daughter/,mother: marie-andrée, 55 & claudette, 81, 2013

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
brother/sister: jean-philippe, 29 & véronique, 27, 2013

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
father/daugther: hâm, 64 & sophea, 37, 2017

digitally stitched 'genetic portraits' show striking resemblance of family side-by-side designboom
son/mother: kristof, 19 & madined, 41, 2017

 

project info

 

photographer: ulric colette

title: genetic portraits