Suburban Polygamy – The Access Process

There was a lot of talking to do before I started photographing the family we covered in our story on suburban polygamy. We had to work out some access issues, especially regarding the family’s privacy. We agreed to not use their last name and that we wouldn’t reveal the city they live in. Then there were photo issues. For example, who could I photograph? Two of the three wives agreed to be photographed, one did not. The husband was out of the question. It was essential to the family that his identity not be revealed. But he did agree to have unidentifiable parts of his body photographed. This little bit of access allowed me to incorporate the father of this family into the coverage, even if only as a symbol. Before I started shooting, I needed to know how to handle photographing the children. The father gathered all of the children who were 12 or older. He explained what we were doing and let each of them decide whether or not they could be photographed. He went around the table, asking each one. I crossed my fingers, hoping for the best. First teenager: “No.” Okay, one down, I thought. Maybe the next one. Next teenager: “No.” OK, let’s hope this turns around. Next teenager: “No.” As the no’s continued, I realized I was watching dominoes fall. In the end, only one of the teenagers agreed to be photographed. I assured the kids I would respect their decisions and keep their privacy, but from that point on the teenagers avoided me.