If there’s one thing that the ubiquity of Facebook has ruined, it’s the joy of seeing people’s reactions to your big life news — like engagements, pregnancies, new jobs, etc. — in person. UK-based photographer Tom Robinson takes us back to the good old days in his series I’m Going to Be a Dad, which we spotted thanks to My Modern Met. His brilliantly simple idea? To photograph his friends, family, and coworkers as he told them that he was going to have his very first child with his wife Verity. The resulting candid images — and the wildly different immediate reactions people have — will make you smile.
My parents in their new campervan. Photo credit: Tom Robinson
Telling my sister via Skype (she lives in Australia). Photo credit: Tom Robinson
Martin my old school friend (he’s already a dad so was very happy for me). Photo credit: Tom Robinson
Brothers and sisters Ann, Neil and Lou (Lou didn’t hear what I said). Photo credit: Tom Robinson
My friend Aimee who responded with a loud FU**!. Photo credit: Tom Robinson
My work mate Jose. Photo credit: Tom Robinson
Telling our friends at the curry. Photo credit: Tom Robinson
Dale Elliott. Old school friend. Photo credit: Tom Robinson
Harwin (he hates children). Photo credit: Tom Robinson
Telling Verity’s brothers (who soon went back to their computer game). Photo credit: Tom Robinson