From 1985 to 1994, Mann photographed her three children—Emmett, Jessie, and Virginia—at the family’s remote summer cabin in the Shenandoah Valley, in western Virginia. She primarily used a large 8 × 10 inch camera to convey the rich detail and texture of everyday life. The pictures she created evoke the freedom and tranquility of unhurried days spent exploring the nearby river, woods, and fields. Mann not only recorded the activities and mishaps of childhood but also probed its psychic complexity. In her portrayals, we witness beauty, bravado, sensuality, and tenderness as well as anger, confusion, and the struggle between attachment and independence. While she captured some scenes spontaneously, many she carefully staged. For these, the artist collaborated with her children, sometimes directing them to assume poses and at other times following their lead.

In 1992 Mann published sixty of these photographs in a book titled Immediate Family. Its representation of nude children and the challenges of growing up raised difficult questions about parental authority, artistic license, and the distinction between public and private images. While controversial, the book was widely acclaimed for its unsentimental and often startling depiction of childhood.