Photography analysis
James Pearson-Howes
This photograph is from a series of images shot in Kingsland Road, they document the day to day life of people who work and live there. James Pearson said in an interview '... it’s a place where so many different cultures seem to live together in some sort of harmony. Having a strong mix of cultures within a country can only help its creativity I think.' This photograph successfully captures the peoples way of life and it creates a narrative making you want to question the scenario. The background is busy with colourful posters stuck to the windows of the shop, thick bold print in red and graffiti on the white walls. The child in the foreground is looking up, his mouth open, seems surprised or intrigued by whats going on in front of him. The man could be his father or his brother or a relative maybe, he is staring into the camera which makes me feel like he has a story to tell to his audience. The man is carrying a child on a bike, drinking juice. This represents a certain image. You wouldn't see a child being carried this way in a more privileged, wealthy family as it's not the safest way. The man is carrying a bag pack...is he going to work? school? is he looking after the child? The women in the background doesn't look at the camera, she seems like she is engaged in a conversation, getting on with her day. The bright colours in the background, the woman's clothing, the mans bright hair all capture a sense of busy movement or social life on the road as it has a mixture of African, White, Turkish, Jewish, Indian people which adds to the diversity of the area. |
Unit 3 - Diversity of Londoner's through my Lens
Bruce Davidson
New York City's subway system has been a setting for photographer Bruce Davidson, "I wanted to transform the subway from its dark, degrading, and impersonal reality into images that open up our experience again to the colour, sensuality, and vitality of the individual souls that ride it each day." The photographs are in natural poses and document day to day life of people - there are families, lovers, tourists and the homeless. There are young adults using the subway as a hangout, men and women in suits going to work, ladies in summer dresses, people playing instruments and homeless people who use it as shelter. Davidson has captured a real sense of how different types of people mix together in one place for only several minutes then spread off in different directions all over the city, there is a sense of motion in the images and i feel as though i can relate to how some of these people are feeling. For my own work i would like to use the underground and travel to different parts of London using one or many lines. I could stop of at different stations and explore the area and the types of people and see if there is any variety between the stops. |
After going to the exhibition - Another London, I found there where photographs by Bruce Davidson which he took when he came to visit London. He wasn't interested in photographing iconic landmarks or symbols such as; Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, bulldogs or red buses. He documented the people on streets and their connections to their culture, his images displayed people in their natural ways, doing their daily routines and I liked the way each photograph included something that related to British culture but not in an obvious way.
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Simon James
Mind the gap is a book with a series of photographs about the underground and the stations at the end of lines that most Londoners don't seem to go to. ''...wondered if there might be a story to be told about these strange and mysterious places where the tube lines terminate'' Simon James explore areas of the underground that many people don't notice e.g. inside tunnels, control rooms... The photographs will make people look at the city in a different way as you notice things that you look at everyday but don't really analyse or think they are interesting enough to look at. For my practical response i will use the underground stations but will photograph people outside the station rather than the inside, i like how he has concentrated on photographing the stations at the end so i might choose a certain theme to follow when doing my pictures.
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For my practical response I plan to go to different stops on the London tube map and photograph the people around the area. I used a random name picker and put in a list of stations form zones 1-3, I then generated a list of the selected stations. When i get to the stations i will record my experience at these places by taking photographs and recording my initial reaction to the place. Having never herd of most of the stops I am anxious to see the type of people i will come across and not knowing if they are dangerous or not is a bit scary. My aim is to have a variety of photographs which have different types of people in terms of age, colour, clothing, religion, occupation, and cultural background. |
Michael Heffernan - 27 Stops27 Stop is a project based on The London Underground which has 11 lines, with 27 concluding stations. The photographers aim was to travel to the different areas at the ends of the lines and produce one portrait. The 27 portraits represented the locations and also the type of people who live their or visit it. I like the idea of using a single portrait to represent the location although viewers can make a generalisation about the types people living in the area if they haven't been there before, especially as London is multicultural. When I take my set, I will take more than one and choose various stations in different parts of London.
When I looked at Michael Heffernan's project - 27 Stops, each portrait was different in terms of the environment, the peoples poses, expressions, nationalities and styles. When I see these differences I associate them with the place they are in and automatically create an impression of what the area is like in my head. I didn't want viewers to have stereotypes of the place or people in my photographs, therefore I will take more than one photo to represent the place so that there is an all-rouncd image of what the station and the area around it is like. London is multicultural city. I am trying to portray this in my photographs, as well as discuss it in my Dissertation by demonstrating the history of immigration and how a variety of cultures where brought into Britain.
After using the random name picker I came up with 4 stations: Brixton and Victoria (Victoria Line), Sloan Square (Circle Line) and Edgware Road (Bakerloo Line). The recordings shown are my initial response to the type and amount of people I saw, the buildings and type of shops/restaurants/cafes. I wanted to see if my thoughts about the area would differ after going there, walking around the station, talking to people and taking photographs of them. |
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Response
Brixton
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Victoria
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Sloan Square
Edgware Road
Matt StuartMatt Stuart is a street photographer who is inspired by people and their daily routines, I find his work interesting to look at as I am also inspired by similar themes. I enjoy documenting how people live and capturing moments that are unexpected or that create an interesting narrative about the subject. Stuart explains his aim is '...make an honest picture which people know immediately is a genuine moment and which hopefully burrows deep into their memories' His images are humorous but not sarcastic. He explained in an interview that none of the situations he comes across are accidents, he tries to find them and will spend hours doing so before he can capture the image he wants.
Matt Stuart has found his own way of being discrete when doing street photography and this enables him to get close to people and capture certain situations without compromising the spontaneity of the 'moment'. The photographs I took are inspired by Matt Stuart's images of people around London. I aimed to capture real moments and create portraits that have a narrative. There are close up shots that focus on one individual within a scene but also more busy compositions that have a crowd people that work together to create interesting shapes and a sense of movement. |
Edits
The images above are edited from my journey to underground stations. I wanted to change them to black and white - as it's what i like to work in and also crop some images so that they where more close up shots of peoples faces. Having a busy background with groups of people or shops distracts the viewer from the individual in the shot. It creates a visual understanding of the surroundings and the type of people in the area however, I wanted the subject in the photo to represent this which is similar to Michael Heffernan's project 27 stops, where he picks one individual in each area and takes a photo of them to represent it. I chose to have a close crop of the two homeless men as their faces are very expressive and show their characters. The background isn't visible and this makes the viewer look and analyse the men closely as all the attention is on them and what they look like. In contrast to this composition, the image of the two women from Sloan Square had a white background and their bodies and the background was more visible. However, the viewer's attention was still concentrated on the two characters, this means we can look at the individual and notice details such as clothing, facial expressions and posture which wouldn't be as clear with a busy background.
To develop my work further, I will take a white piece of paper as my backdrop when I take my next set of photographs. My aim is to present people with contrasting personalities and cultures within different areas of London. This will be clearer and easily noticed when I use a white background as it will make us look more at the people in the photographs and help compare them, as your not distracted by whats going on around the image.
To develop my work further, I will take a white piece of paper as my backdrop when I take my next set of photographs. My aim is to present people with contrasting personalities and cultures within different areas of London. This will be clearer and easily noticed when I use a white background as it will make us look more at the people in the photographs and help compare them, as your not distracted by whats going on around the image.
Michael Heffernan - Streets
This is another project by Heffernan that looks at portraiture and the streets of London. He focuses on homeless people living on the streets in different areas. His technique is simple as he uses available light and a white paper background taped to a wall. This brings the people out of their normal environment and puts them in a situation where they are centre of attention. The viewer is looking at them individually, analysing their behaviour, clothing, expressions, movement and creating a narrative by looking beyond the image, into what their lives are like.
No.6 - I find this image interesting as the man is looking into the camera, drawing the viewer in and creating an engagement with them. This is also due to the connection the photographer and the subject have created; he has is mouth open, smiling as if he is talking out to people about his story. He is homeless and this makes me think of the streets, dirt, cold, left over food, no money and loneliness. Even though he is smiling, the wrinkles around his eyes which are almost covering them show that he is restless. This is due to sleeping on the streets in the cold. In contrast, his eyes look pure, clean and the contrasting light makes me want to look at the photograph more. This makes the image lighthearted and the man is presenting a more positive attitude as he looks happy and strong willed. The photograph portrays different emotions and when looking beyond the man's smile and optimism there is a melancholy feeling to it. |
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Circle Line
In this set I wanted to explore the Circle Line. It goes round in a circular shape surrounding the central part of London, with many different areas of the city on one line I wanted to go to a few stations and find out what kind of people I would find and see the similarities and differences between these people.
Kings Cross & St Pancreas is one of the biggest stations in London, it connects many lines and I aim to find a lot of travellers coming into and out of the city. Brick Lane is known for the variety of Asian cuisines and the large Bangladesh communities. It is also a fashion and art oriented area as many students study here and there are a variety of exhibits held throughout the year. I expect to see tourists but also Londoners working, shopping and eating. My third stop will be Notting Hill where one of the most famous street markets are held. Portobello Market attracts both tourists and Londoners. It sells a variety of goods, clothes, antiques, books, furniture, and food. It's a trendy, expensive, all rounded area popular as a result of the film. I hope to capture a mixture of people that represent this. From my last set I liked the idea of having a plain background to focus on the subjects more therefore, I will take a white piece of paper as my background in this set and use a similar technique to Michael Heffernan's project on Streets. |
Kings Cross & St Pancreas
Liverpool Street - Brick Lane
Notting Hill Gate
Richard Avedon
'In the American West' is a project created by Richard Avedon in 1985. He photographed a variation of working class people: coal miners, convicts, butchers, waitresses and the homeless. They were all put against a white backdrop and this is repeatedly seen in most of Avedon's portrait pieces. The images are composed in such a way that makes the viewer focus on the individual in the foreground, the high contrasting tones between the black and white adds to the simplicity of the image. This gives the viewer more understanding as they can become more analytical and create a complex picture of the subject and who they are. In some of the portraits the subject brings their work into the image: image 3 shows a boy in his uniform, carrying a snake, it's not a job expected of a young boy but he shows maturity. I find image 4 and 5 interesting as the subjects are covered in dirt, they show an innocence and vulnerability and this makes me want to find out about their story and background. There is a sense of ambiguity in a lot of his work and I want to create this in my work so that an image is not obvious to the viewer but ambiguous enough so that they become intrigued to find out more.
Edits
These photographs are edited from my set on the Circle Line. I have made the images black & white, made the background lighter and changed the contrast, exposure and cropped some of the portraits so that there was a focus on the face. The set was successful as I found a range of people with different races, backgrounds, age groups, and personalities. The mixing of all these people in a small section of London shows how multicultural it is and I aimed to portray it in my photographs. This links in with my Dissertation as I write about how the mixing of ethnic groups came about in Britain and developed over time, starting around 1940s. As a result of immigration and refugees coming into Britain from all over the world, people have changed over time and the mixing of different backgrounds has created a population rich with culture and these photograph present this.
The individuals are against a plain background, out of their normal environment and their surroundings or which station are they at is not clear. However I want the focus to be on the individuals, where they come from, where they might be going and whats their story is. The viewer should be asking and answering questions creating their own perceptions about the individuals, everyone will have different thoughts and relate to the subjects in their own way.
The individuals are against a plain background, out of their normal environment and their surroundings or which station are they at is not clear. However I want the focus to be on the individuals, where they come from, where they might be going and whats their story is. The viewer should be asking and answering questions creating their own perceptions about the individuals, everyone will have different thoughts and relate to the subjects in their own way.
My initial ideas about doing a project on culture stems from my own experiences as me and my family moved to London form Eritrea and started a life here. My mother had a job opportunity which she took and travelled here twice before bringing us. I wanted to document her experience and what she thought about coming into Britain, the type of people, and using the underground system.
"It was 10 years ago when I came to London for a Job interview and I had to take a taxi to the Novotel Hotel in Embankment. At that time, I was a bit scared to go out to the city on my own and my friend’s daughter took me out by bus and it was a long journey but I enjoyed it. After I got hired, I had to come back to London and that was an unforgettable time. My aunt found me a house in Harlesden and I was using the underground to come to work, night mare! My journey was from Willesden Junction - take the BAKERLOO LINE and change at Oxford Circus to the VICTORIA LINE and at Vauxhall station I would get off and walk to work. First of all the underground scared me a lot! I hated it. I was not sure if I was going to be safe until I came out of the station, for one week a friend of mine who was working at Warren Street had to come early morning to my house to accompany me to the station and join me at Vauxhall, I think it was for 3 days. At that time, when people asked me what admired me about the UK, I would say - the underground. The way it’s been built, the lines and the number of people accommodating, unbelievable! I still enjoy watching people’s activities on the underground stations and of course now I do not think I could live without the underground services."
Jim GoldbergJim Goldberg is an American documentary photographer and his project Open See links in to my theme of culture and immigration. He traveled around the world photographing illegal immigrants, refugees, displaced people and asylum seekers from Africa, the Middle East and eastern Europe. He uses Polaroids, photographs, video stills, found images and hand-written texts to create a narrative, he explains "Since 1970, I've been using text and ephemera as well as photographs in order to tell stories of one kind or another."
There is high contrast in this image between the figure in the foreground and the white wall, the red line around his silhouette with the words inside is also striking and powerful. Theres a melancholy atmosphere as he is looking down and you can see he is wondering about what his life could be if he didn't live in Bangladesh, he writes - "MY DREAM IS TO GO TO EUROPE" Goldberg asked his subjects to write on the photographs, this creates a story as the viewer will look at the photo and the words and have an understanding of the individuals; how they lived their lives, the suffering they went through and how they are looking for change.
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A lot of the images in Goldberg's project have a sad feel to them as the subjects have gone through a lot of pain and discomfort in their lives. Lots of women, including young teenagers were sold to various men and went into prostitution. Image 2 shows a 14 year old girl who explains that she was beaten, drugged and sold for sexual encounters for 3 years until she went to Greece. She holds up a plastic doll thats hiding her face and she has her arm around her as of she is protecting herself. This could relate to feelings of shame, discomfort and pain she has. I think the doll represents childhood, freedom and happiness however, she didn't have any of those things and this makes the viewer feel sympathetic towards the girl and her situation.
In many of Goldberg's images the men have taken their shirts off presenting their scared backs, it's as if the pain and suffering they have gone through has become who they are and the most significant thing about them. Image 3 shows a black and white portrait of a man who has a sad and worried expression. He explains that during the war his whole village was killed, he was shot several times and now doesn't have a family. It's shocking that the people in this project have gone through a lot but still manage to have hope, Mr. Monzande writes "I want to escape to another country where I will be safe." |
In my practical work I wanted to collect information from the subjects in the photographs about their experiences of coming into Britain. Taking inspiration from Jim Goldberg's work, I interviewed each individual and asked them about their experiences of coming to London and what their first impressions were of the place and the people. I decided to record their answers instead of writing them, this gives each individual a uniqueness as you can hear their accents and this gives an indication of their ethnic and cultural background.
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These are notes I took when I interviewed Ms Cynthia Murray at a care home. This links in to the way Jim Goldberg presents his work but instead of having writing on top of the image I have selected a few pages and put them next to the photo. Ms Murray was born in Jamaica and came to England in 1961 as a student nurse. She had a difficult time getting a job when she finished studying due to her colour and background, she also explained that getting a home was hard for black people as tenants didn't want to rent out flats to coloured people. Employers were happy to have coloured people working for them as long as they were working in factories where they wouldn't be seen by the public. She therefore worked in a clothing factory for a few years before she was employed as a nurse. Ms Murray's story is incredible as she struggled with her job, her husband, raising a child on her own and her health. By moving to different places and travelling to American and recently Ghana, she survived. However, she is now left on her own and lives in a care home with no family, friends, or children to support her. |
Between East and West : The British Chinese
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IKONA PORTRAITS
This project is by documentary photographer Georgia Metaxas and it explores identity, heritage and migration. The seven portraits are close ups taken on a simple background similar to passport images of people who have arrived in Australia from Greece. Greeks first entered Australia in the 19th century and have made many contributions to the country since then, this project reflects this. In my photographs I am also reflecting the various cultures and nationalities that have made an influence or who have been influenced by British culture. I thought this quote by one of the subjects, George Ambelas was interesting. "I feel more Greek in Australia than I ever did in Greece." People who are surrounded by various cultures and ethnic groups would think about their own background more as they are an outside constantly thinking about who they are, whats their identity and what defines them making them more aware of where they come from. |
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Samantha Appleton
- Separados There are 12 million undocumented people in the United States. These are images of some, mostly photographed in the tomato fields and trailers of central Florida. The Obama administration will introduce new immigration reform legislation in 2013. Those who toil in obscurity -- picking, cleaning, serving the rest of America -- await the change for their children if not themselves. (http://www.samanthaappleton.com/#/separados?view=2) There are many immigrants all around the world, they strive to create a suitable home for themselves and their families in new environments. As seen in these images they don't have good living conditions but they cope and continue to work in fields and mines for the rest of the country. They are segregated due to their colour or culture however, they should have the same rights and opportunities as other citizens. |
Immigration Today
Immigration is a subject which still raises political issues in the media, I have included sections of some articles from the Daily Mail here as they are relevant to my project. The speed of immigration is the main concern, Tony Blair's comment is a positive one as he thinks immigrants coming to Britain is good for the country however illegal immigrants coming into the country is an issue which has to be controlled. The second article talks about the decrease in Christianity 'from 72 per cent to 59 per cent' and that a large amount of families have adults which don't speak English as their first language. Article by Steve Doughty claimed that one in five people in Britain will introduce themselves as non-white by 2050. As seen in the third article, the white population in England and Wales has stayed the same for over 10 yeas, there are births but people are migrating to other countries, while the non-white population increases drastically by 4.1% a year as well as mixed-raced people increasing by 50% most being African-Caribbean/white and Asian/white. England and Wales are full of people who come from a variation of cultures who are mixing together which results in a new generation of culturally mixed people. It raises some questions about what it means to be British and how British culture has changed due to the influence of other culture groups which is what I explore in my dissertation.
Immigration is a subject which still raises political issues in the media, I have included sections of some articles from the Daily Mail here as they are relevant to my project. The speed of immigration is the main concern, Tony Blair's comment is a positive one as he thinks immigrants coming to Britain is good for the country however illegal immigrants coming into the country is an issue which has to be controlled. The second article talks about the decrease in Christianity 'from 72 per cent to 59 per cent' and that a large amount of families have adults which don't speak English as their first language. Article by Steve Doughty claimed that one in five people in Britain will introduce themselves as non-white by 2050. As seen in the third article, the white population in England and Wales has stayed the same for over 10 yeas, there are births but people are migrating to other countries, while the non-white population increases drastically by 4.1% a year as well as mixed-raced people increasing by 50% most being African-Caribbean/white and Asian/white. England and Wales are full of people who come from a variation of cultures who are mixing together which results in a new generation of culturally mixed people. It raises some questions about what it means to be British and how British culture has changed due to the influence of other culture groups which is what I explore in my dissertation.
Tony Blair: '...In many ways immigrants do a lot for our country. They bring fresh energy, fresh initiative and I think it will be a sad day if we end up targeting them.
‘Of course it has to be controlled, and illegal immigration has to be tackled head on. But overall I think immigration has been good for Britain and most immigrants have assimilated well. By JAMES CHAPMAN PUBLISHED: 17:10, 18 December 2012 Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2250099/Dont-blame-migrants-Britains-troubles-Tony-Blair-delivers-series-thinly-veiled-warnings-Ed- Miliband.html#ixzz2Fam7QwtO London is rapidly becoming a separate nation, as different from England as Scotland or Wales are, with indigenous British people now in a minority, in some areas a very small minority indeed, and incidentally with extremes of wealth and poverty not known since Edwardian times. Then of course there is the decline in Christianity, down by four million, from 72 per cent to 59 per cent; the growth in indifference to religion, with non-believers almost doubling to 14.1 million; and also of Islam, rising so fast that one British resident in 20 is now a Muslim. The figures are astonishing, with one in ten people in England and Wales now born abroad, and the rate of increase over the past few years equally astounding – almost half of these new citizens have arrived here since 2001. And, in a figure that has not attracted the attention it should have, almost three million people live in households where no adults speak English as their first language. The main significance of this is the speed of it. Even now, official immigration still stands at 180,000 a year. Probably these totals are an underestimate, as illegal migrants tend not to fill in forms. By PETER HITCHENS PUBLISHED: 22:00, 15 December 2012 Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2248707/Peter-Hitchens-The-new-census-reveals-Britain-unrecognisable-grandparents.html#ixzz2FaoizTMO Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook |
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The World In LondonThe World in London is a project that shows 204 portraits of Londoners taken by different British and International photographers from 2009 to 2012. The individuals in the photos represent 204 nations that took part in the London Olympic games, each image is also accompanied by a message or video by the subjects. London's population is created by varied people, rich with culture and diversity and this project celebrates this. It links in to my project as I am also aiming to show the mixture of nationalities in London. I like that there is a video next to the photograph as it gives the viewer a better understanding of the persons background and story. I use a similar technique in my work, instead of doing a video I record the subjects voices and interview them about why they came to London and what they think about the city. Listening to their voices is important as you can hear their accents and this is part of their culture.
Ethiopia
Tehetna Grala I came to London because it was my dream second city to live in. My initial memory of London is the beautiful architecture and the politeness of the nation. I was working in the retail industry and as a travel agent. Now I am a full-time mother. I would call myself a Londoner, meaning I am accepted in the community and I am very proud of being a Londoner and British. Being photographed was wonderful. Most important of all was the purpose of it – to represent my birth country, and also London, was the most amazing experience for me. by Tehetna Grala by Michael Danner, photographer - www.dannerprojects.com |
IMO - United Nations
IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
My project is about the connections that different nationalities create with each other to make a multicultural and ethnically diverse country or city like London. The United Nations is a community of different people who come from culturally different countries around the world. After looking at the project 'The World In London' It made me think about the UN and IMO as it has such a variety of people and nationalities. My mum is a Systems Adminstraitor at IMO - which is situated by the River Thames in London and in her office alone there are people who come from Italy, Greece, China, New Zealand, Malaysia, Ethiopia and many more... I wanted to go to the office, take photographs and talk to the employees as they all work in a place that is very unique. They don't feel out of place or different because of their colour, culture, clothing or traditions as they can relate to each other and have comfort in the fact that they are equal and enjoy sharing their culture with one another.
My project is about the connections that different nationalities create with each other to make a multicultural and ethnically diverse country or city like London. The United Nations is a community of different people who come from culturally different countries around the world. After looking at the project 'The World In London' It made me think about the UN and IMO as it has such a variety of people and nationalities. My mum is a Systems Adminstraitor at IMO - which is situated by the River Thames in London and in her office alone there are people who come from Italy, Greece, China, New Zealand, Malaysia, Ethiopia and many more... I wanted to go to the office, take photographs and talk to the employees as they all work in a place that is very unique. They don't feel out of place or different because of their colour, culture, clothing or traditions as they can relate to each other and have comfort in the fact that they are equal and enjoy sharing their culture with one another.
Final PieceFor my final piece my photographs will be printed out on A3 and framed, I will also have the interviews I did with the subjects playing in the background so that the viewer can listen to their accents and stories while viewing the images. The project is about the variation of races, cultures and backgrounds in London and how people have traveled from around the world to come to this city making a home for themselves. To represent this movement in my exhibition I will place a large map of the world next to the framed photographs and connect the different countries that people have traveled from with string- this will then come together at one point - London.
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I want the interviews with the subjects to be played in the background when people view the images, this is an audio of the interviews edited together, I did this on Imovie by taking out my voice and putting all the answers together after every question.
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