Nick Haymes’s Chronograph offers an intimate visual diary of his twins’ growth
The new photography book follows Philipp and Lawrence from newborns to young adults, set against personal and historic backdrops.
Nick Haymes, a British photographer now based in London, has released Chronograph, a sprawling picture book that tracks the lives of his two sons, Philipp and Lawrence, from their first breaths to early adulthood. The volume is more than a family album; it stitches together the ordinary and the extraordinary, presenting moments as varied as a scraped knee, a cotton‑bud ear cleaning, and the somber closure of a homemade hamster coffin alongside the looming silhouette of the World Trade Center towers.
The project’s genesis can be traced to the September 11 attacks in 2001. Haymes was living in New York, trying to establish his career, when the tragedy struck. He says the sudden awareness of life’s fragility prompted a conversation with his partner, Lina, about building a family. That decision set the stage for a decade‑long visual record that begins with the twins’ earliest days and runs up to the present, capturing both personal milestones and the shifting cultural landscape.
Chronograph does not shy away from the gritty details of childhood. Readers encounter photographs of verrucas on tiny feet, the first awkward sprouts of armpit hair, and the chaotic energy of birthday parties. Interspersed are quieter scenes: Lina gently cleaning a child’s ear, a broken arm after a playground tumble, and the tender moment of a family pet’s passing. By treating each fragment with the same compositional care, Haymes blurs the line between documentary and fine art, allowing the viewer to feel the passage of time as a seamless flow rather than a series of isolated events.
Critics have noted the book’s ability to fuse the personal with the universal. While the narrative is anchored in the Haymes household, the images echo broader themes of mortality, love, and the relentless march of time. Chronograph stands as a testament to a photographer’s commitment to bearing witness to his own family, reminding readers that even the most intimate moments are part of a larger, shared human story.