Seeing Double

“Seeing Double” Monozygotic or identical twins develop from a single fertilized ovum and therefore have the same genotype, are of the same sex, and usually resemble each other closely. Monozygotic twins are formed when one zygote, created with one egg and one sperm, splits into two, leading to two embryos.

Each of those embryos then develops as a separate fetus. It was once thought that identical twins shared the exact same DNA, but in fact, it is environmental factors that influence influence DNA over time. Some studies have found that slight DNA differences are more common in older identical twins than in very young identical twins. This is likely due to spending more time apart and therefore being exposed to different environmental factors. Non-identical or dizygotic twins occur when two eggs are fertilised by two sperm and the resulting pair of embryos develops within the same womb, sharing the foetal environment but only 50% of their parental genes, just like ordinary siblings.

In this body of work, I not only explore the physical attributes of twins – both identical and fraternal – but also explore the bonds and relationships of each set that I photograph.

I have chosen this specific area as I have always enjoyed portraiture. I have chosen “twins” as the theme of my elective because I have always been intrigued by twins. Almost on a daily basis, my sister and I get asked if we are twins which, has made me wonder what it would be like to in fact be a twin. Your appearance is the first thing people see, and when they see two people that look the same, assumptions are often made, even if they are subconscious. Often twins, because they have the same physical appearance, are seen as the same person – or, in other words, are expected to have the same or similar personality traits.

The portraits themselves are relatively simple as I want the actual subject matter of the images to speak more than the technique. I kept my input for poses to a minimum because I wanted them to interact with each other in front of the camera in a way that will show off their personalities and the relationship between them. This series also acts as a typology study where certain things such as the type of clothes the twins have chosen to wear, how they style them, how they are standing and interacting with each other, and their facial expressions can be analysed.