After publishing his award-winning book "Asadake" (The Asada Family), Masashi Asada continues to use his immediate family members as his subjects for "NEW LIFE." Asada's trademark style is a highly staged photograph in which he, his brother and his parents act out an often comic scene for the camera. "NEW LIFE" announces itself as an "Asadake Family Album," and the pages themselves are printed to look like a regular photo album. There are a few staged photos, but the subject matter is less conceptual this time around; Asada moves freely between staged photos and candid family snapshots. In particular, Asada dedicates a large section of the book to his brother's wedding, and the birth and early months of his newborn cousin. "NEW LIFE" is a tender, maybe even sentimental look at Asada's family. At the end of the book, he prints his own cell phone number, asking readers to contact him if they'd like to have their family portrait taken. It's a friendly gesture that seems to fit with the light approach he takes when photographing his own family.

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