Click on thumbnails to display larger view   Bruce Osborn is a Japan-based professional photographer who also shoots and directs TV commercials, appears as a VJ in clubs, and designs watches. But he is also very much a family man. His Oyako series of photographs of parents and children has become a lifework that truly celebrates the joy of family life, and as you can see from the images showcased in this edition of Photo Gallery, it is a series that has brought great happiness and joy to all who have participated in its creation. s a professional photographer, I have the opportunity to work with a number of different creators and clients. One day might be spent shooting an editorial for a magazine and the next an advertisement or cover for a CD jacket. Every job is different and has its own set of objectives. I like the challenge and enjoy taking many types of photos. It keeps me sharp and my work fresh. In my personal work however, I find myself focusing on particular themes and exploring them in greater depth. I have been taking Oyako (parents and children) for a number of years. It all started when I got an assignment to photograph punk musicians for a magazine. I wanted to find an interesting way to take them. Since many people feel this group is living outside the confines of the “real world,” I tried to come up with a situation that would contradict this image. Deciding to photograph them with their parents, I anticipated an amusing contrast between their fashions and poses, but when doing the shoots, I was surprised to see the strong bond between them. The photos told so much about these families and I wanted to pursue this theme further. Instead of just taking punk rockers and their parents, I sought to take a variety of families from many different walks in life. Initially, I felt by taking Oyako, I could look at Japanese society as a whole and see the changes it was going through. However, the more I got into this project, I found myself looking beyond the fashions and physical differences and wanting to focus on the universal bonds that all parents and children share along with their unique relations. I have now been photographing Oyako for the last 23 years and have taken over 500 families. Still, this series continues to fascinate me, and I feel I can go further with it. One of my more recent endeavors is creating a special day to celebrate this bond between parent and child. On “Oyako No Hi” (Family’s Day), I invite 100 families to the studio to have their photos taken. Since the second Sunday of May is Mother’s Day, and the third Sunday of June is Father’s Day, I felt that the fourth Sunday of July was the appropriate day. July 24, 2005 is 3rd year I’ve done this super photo session and I am very appreciative of all the support and encouragement I have gotten from both individuals and companies. This year there are many exciting things happening around this event and I am really looking forward to it. I hope you will enjoy this series and will stay posted with “Oyako No Hi” activities through the Oyako website at www.oyako.org.