The stiff family photo hanging above your fireplace gives no hint of the Simpsons-style strangling that occurred moments before the flash.

Portrait photographer Alexandra Diez de Rivera thinks it’s time to show your family in all its dysfunctional glory. The bubbly half Argentine/half Spanish Central Saint Martins graduate uses her quirky imagination (and the wonders of Photoshop) to capture your brood as they really are.

Brainstorm together to find the perfect way to tell your story before posing for a shoot complete with props and costumes. Afterward, Diez de Rivera will spend about ten hours working on your surreal piece, merging up to twenty images into one.

Our favourites? A family looking in the mirror at their party-loving alter egos and a woman surrounded by dozens of images of her puppy.

The lengthy creative process comes with a hefty bill (£1,400). But it’s a small price to pay for the truth.

Alexandra Diez de Rivera (alexddr.com or adiezderivera@gmail.com).

Photo: Alexandra Diez de Rivera