The development of photography in the last hundred years has provided the world with a great fascination of visual masterpieces.Thanks to growing interest from the general public in both classical and “artistic” photography in today’s world, photography has received splendid recognition as an artistic form.Despite the fact that photographers still sometimes face the accusations of being “predatory” when subjectively “selecting” people, without seeking their consent, as their photography objects, contemporary photography is full of content, the expression of contemplation of reality, and cultural richness, taking on the qualities of painting.The visual images, or “messages”, produced by a photographer are not merely “reproductions of reality,” one of the greatest misapprehensions since the invention of photography in the nineteenth century, but the results of the photographer’s spontaneous emotion and cultural experiences together with his or her life experiences. Like all art, photography creates its own reality.

The strength of documentary photography, being a form of deep and inexpressible beauty, comes from a photographer’s long observation with his or her unique perspectives of the familiar yet remote happenings in everyday life.Good documentary photography not only depends on the moment the photo is taken, but also on the lengthy time and persistence committed to the work.Moreover, only after a photographer has completed a process of debate and defense for his or her works that he or she will be able to more clearly express his or her ideas through the photographic results.

The human pursuit of fine arts has been more mature and rigid as our society experiences more complicated civilization and technological advancement.The traditional use of single medium for documentary photography is gradually faced with challenges as the proliferation of highly technical multi-media leads to, or creates, a world made possible by more vivid, abundant and in-depth expressions in the application of digital technology.One can easily feel the decline of traditional documentary photography by the decreasing numbers of annual exhibitions and attendance figures.This unpopularity has induced common anxiety among photographers of the need of more “recordable” themes or materials for photographic subjects in the face of fast development of digital technology and emerging fashion of multi-media photography.The author of this paper also constantly faces with the questions of whether there are other possibilities in revisiting the forms and content of the classical or “pure” photography.

“Happy Landing” is thus a project resulting from and reflecting the author’s investigation into the above-mentioned questions.“Happy Landing” is used as a greeting language among pilots, flight attendants and other professional workers in the airline business.The word is used in the project as it implies the profession of the wife and mother - a flight attendant for the China Airline, in the documented family.The center of the narrative structure is a family of four: the father Hsieh Li-Chung, the mother Kuan Huei-Wen, the son Hsieh Mu-Huan, and the daughter Hsieh Mu-Yun.The story is about the life of Hsieh and Kuan since they were married, and Kuan got pregnant with the first child, gave birth and raised the child.

The motive of doing the project “Happy Landing – A Family Photo Album” came in the end of 1996 when the author worked on one of his other projects “Nan-Fang-Ao” and was thinking about the possibility of new themes for his next projects.At that time, the most popular themes were mostly about blue collar workers or the so called “bottom of the society,” a rising trend in contrast to more traditional photography such as religious rituals or folklores.It was the author’s belief that, while many photographers were in pursuit of new, different stories for photographic works, the down to earth, everyday life materials can bring new lights to the pursuit of touching,vital and easily comprehensible photographic works. These close to heart, everyday life experiences should not be neglected as an important source of creativity and emotional strength.

The social and family structures in Taiwan have undertaken such tremendous changes in the past decades that the relationship of husbands and wives, parents and children, and among other family members, as well as the interaction models are being re-defined and re-structured.Therefore, family photographs in Taiwan are also in the process of finding new forms and ways of interpretations in order to respond to the social development.One aspect of the reflections is the stereotypical “happy family photos” with every family member looking happy and content.Is it the only appropriate form for visually recording of a family’s story?This poses another issue that needs to be explored.

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