Since the first photographs produced by Niepce and Daguerre were revealed to the public in 1839, photography was constantly being improved upon and became successful throughout the 19th century.

Here, Dagnan-Bouveret shows this fascination for photography by portraying a young married couple posing in the studio of a photographer employed to take their picture, surrounded by members of their family. Based on a study of a real studio avenue des Ternes in Paris, this scene is in fact situated in Vesoul, a place he often stayed at, as the sign over the door suggests.

The painter, who was himself engaged to be married, could not help but be drawn to the subject. He said as much to his future wife, Anne-Marie Walter, in a letter: "I love this subject, portraying it brings me infinite pleasure and, even more, it reminds me of you every day." The poses of the characters and their position with regard to one another are alive with vibrant details which captured the attention of the audience when the painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1879, where it enjoyed a great success. This image bears a striking resemblance to the world of naturalist literature, which with its almost documentary accuracy can be considered a faithful representation of society at the time.