Family Resemblance is a multiyear photo project that documents and celebrates people who are genetically related and bear a strong resemblance to each other.

As an adopted person, photographer Eric Mueller always wondered how it would feel to look like someone else. At age forty-five, when he saw a photo of his birth mother for the first time, it triggered the idea to photograph family members with shared physical characteristics.

Over the course of three years Mueller photographed around 700 people — from newborns to nonagenarians — and asked them what it’s like to resemble each other. The result is Family Resemblance, a book exploring the special bond that certain family members share. Interlaced with the photos are quotes from project participants, revealing how resembling one another has affected their lives and relationships.

Contributions by: Ann Fessler