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MIA HENLEY
My project consists of a series of images that reflect the unacknowledged parts of cities. I wanted to convey my perception of areas and how I think they should be showcased. We often take no or very little notice of what surrounds us, and I feel as a society people want things done almost immediately and the most efficiently, so it’s easy to let things go unnoticed.
I would hope my FMP can show that if you pause and look at the environment around you, that there is a lot more to places than just convenience. My idea for this project was to photograph parts of cities that no one takes time to acknowledge because those seemed to be the parts that held the most character and the most interesting stories.
I wanted to do this by taking quick snapshots of city streets, not just main high streets but side roads too. I felt unplanned shoots helped reflect the realism of the community as they were genuine shots, not posed. My images don’t have a lot of people in frame however a lot of my work, for example, in Birmingham a lot of the photos I took were showing people’s art that they had left for the public eye. Society’s views are often tainted by social media, and I think having a platform for public expression in whatever form displays the true opinions of the public.
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