If someone looked at your face, would they be able to really tell who you are? Is it enough to simply look at someone to know what their life is all about? Maybe not.
But what if we took a peek inside your purse or handbag? Then what might we be able to see about you?
That's exactly what photographer Jason Travis set out to do with his series Persona.
In it, he snaps a traditional portrait of his subject, and then he takes another "portrait" of the contents of their bags and purses, showing us the things they value enough to take with them everywhere they go.
Portraits are fascinating because they tell us all about their subject in just one image. They can be complex and detailed, or they can be a simple outline, like this traditional silhouette portrait that manages to capture the essence of a person in a minimalist way.
Jason's portraits, which pair people with the contents of their bags, are a lot of fun to look at because you can find yourself making up stories about who these people are and what they might be doing to have all this stuff!
Some are expected, some are surprising, and some are downright funny!
Check some of them out below, and let us know in the comments what we might find out about you by the contents of your bag.
[H/T: Ufunk]
Jason created these double portraits of his subjects. One photo was a traditional shot of their face, and the other was of the contents of their purses, briefcases, and bags, showing everything neatly laid out.
"What's in your purse or your pocket or your backpack can represent something much larger," he explains.
For the project, he simply asked people he met to empty their bags, and people were more than happy to oblige and show a little of themselves off.
Even the ones you might not expect! While most of Jason's subjects are actual people with bags, some are a little more tongue-in-cheek.
The idea for this project came about by Jason's fascination with what might be in someone's bag, and what meaning those items might have to that person.
In Persona, he shows us, in a way, what makes up the person we're looking at, what they value, what they need, and what they like.
By looking at the objects, we can see something about them that a regular portrait might not show us.
The project has been ongoing for about seven years now, and has involved more than 400 people, and Jason says he's never stopped being surprised and delighted by what people have on them.
He says he always learns something he'd never expect about his subject, and that a single object can shed light on an aspect of their life that he would otherwise have no idea existed.
He's interviewed and photographed friends, acquaintances, strangers, and even a few celebrities including R.E.M's Michael Stipe and comedian John Oliver.
He's also photographed some people multiple times, documenting how they, and their belongings, have changed over the years.
And, of course, a lot of animals! Obviously, these are staged, but they're still a lot of fun!
His favorites of these are dogs, capturing their unique personalities by imagining what they might carry with them if they had backpacks!
The ongoing project has gained a huge following online, and has offered us a peek into strangers' lives — lives that might not be so different than ours.
"The Persona project, to me, represents humanity," Jason says.
"We're always changing and growing, and this is a window into people's lives." And what has he learned? That you can't judge someone with just a glance!
You can see more of the Persona project on Jason's website, as well as on Instagram, Flickr, and Tumblr.
SHARE this cool project with someone who's seen the inside of your bag — and likes you anyway!
