My great grandmother's portrait with her husband sat dead center in the middle of our living room in Holguin, Cuba. This was the first image I fell in love with. Depicted in a white studio with beautifully coiffed hair and a timeless expression, it exuded an elegance that made our measly room feel grander. The portrait became a guardian of the space as our family toiled through the darkest times and connected us in times of celebration. It was the only formal portrait, the seed that sowed my fervor for studio photography and inspired my questioning for my project, The Bed We Shared.