At Twelve: Portraits of Young Women

At Twelve: Portraits of Young Women By Sally Mann (1988) Published by Aperture in 1988, this photography book presents 37 black and white portraits of twelve-year-old girls from Mann's home state of Virginia. The subjects are daughters of Mann's friends and relatives, captured during a pivotal moment between childhood and adolescence. The photographs document the physical and emotional transitions of early adolescence through straightforward compositions and natural settings. Mann's technical approach emphasizes the interplay of light and shadow through duotone printing processes, creating images that are both direct and nuanced. The collection stands as an exploration of female identity formation and the complex intersection of innocence and emerging self-awareness. Through these portraits, Mann examines universal themes of growing up while maintaining respect for her subjects' dignity and autonomy.

Readers note the photographs capture a complex transition period between childhood and adolescence, with many commenting on Mann's ability to depict both innocence and maturity. The black and white portraits are seen as honest representations of female youth in 1980s Virginia. Readers appreciate: - The technical quality of the silver gelatin prints - The authentic, unposed feel of the images - Mann's rapport with her subjects - The detailed accompanying text Common criticisms: - Some find certain images too suggestive for portraits of young girls - A few readers question the ethics of photographing adolescents - The book's high price on the secondary market Ratings: Goodreads: 4.4/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (13 reviews) Multiple readers on photography forums mention using this book as inspiration for their own portrait work. One Goodreads reviewer noted: "Mann treats her subjects with respect while acknowledging the complexity of female adolescence."

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🔸 Sally Mann's own three children - Emmett, Jessie, and Virginia - became the subjects of her most famous work, "Immediate Family" (1992), which she created after "At Twelve" 🔸 The book sparked significant dialogue about the representation of young people in art when it was published in 1988, leading to important discussions about ethics in documentary photography 🔸 Mann used a century-old 8x10 view camera for many of her photographs, including those in "At Twelve," creating the distinctive dreamlike quality that characterizes her work 🔸 The photographer's connection to Virginia runs deep - she was born in Lexington, VA in 1951 and continues to live and work on her family farm in the Shenandoah Valley 🔸 The duotone printing process used in "At Twelve" involves printing black-and-white photographs with two different colored inks, creating richer tonal ranges than traditional black-and-white prints