Whether you’re wearing matching ugly sweaters or experiencing other awkward moments with your kinfolk, ’tis the season for family portraits. New York photographer John Clang put his own spin on the tradition—sans the embarrassment—with his series Being Together, which virtually and visually unites far-flung families, starting with his own.

After reaching his parents and brother in Singapore on Skype, Clang projected their image onto walls in his apartment, stepped into the frame and snapped a photo. After seeing the results—a truly modern family portrait—Clang offered to photograph other families. Check out the results in this piece by The Atlantic associate editor Rebecca J. Rosen. Says Clang, “In these images I am enabling these families to remember these strange moments of togetherness.”

Photo credit: John Clang