What’s the Hang-Up?

The Art of Family Politics and Photos

Every photo tells two stories: the one it shows, and the one each of us sees.

What nobody talks about, but everyone has opinions on.

Every family has photo hang-ups.

You just tend to notice them on other people’s walls first.

A wedding photo that has an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend in it that never came down.

A sibling who seems to appear everywhere but not you.

A photo you cringe at but someone else clearly loves (probably because THEY look good).

The story behind the photo

What’s the Hang-Up? explores the stories behind the family photos we display, the ones we tuck away, and the people who may be missing from the frame altogether.

Drawing on original research and real conversations, Tanya A. Perdikoulias shows how photos can shape belonging, memory, identity, and family relationships, often without anyone realizing there’s a story hanging on the wall.

It’s not about taking better pictures.

It’s about what happens AFTER the photo is taken.

With warmth, wit, and curiosity, What’s the Hang-Up? invites readers to look again at the photos around them and the stories those images may be telling.

Official launch: September 24, 2026