Hands are as unique as our varied personalities. This project demonstrates the idea of portraiture focusing on hands, a symbol of identity. This idea, paired with gestures provides a metaphoric framework for this image. A typical head and shoulders portrait commonly portrays a happy individual, which at the time of photographing may be a forced idea, whereas a portrait of hands absolutely cannot lie. I chose to frame the individuals and their hands according to my perception of them, adding another layer to the body of work. All of the models are significant people in my life; I know them well enough to say something about their persona through my image making and framing.