Photos: What the contents of Americans’ bags reveal about them

Photos: What the contents of Americans’ bags reveal about them
Image: Jason Travis
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Ever look into your bag and think how much it reflected your personality?

In his recent series ‘Persona,’ Atlanta-based photographer Jason Travis peeks into the purses, backpacks and personal belongings of strangers, to pair their portraits with revealing compositions of their most-used stuff.

The project began in 2006 as a fun study of Travis’s close friends, before the 34-year-old decided to expand his scope.

Image for article titled Photos: What the contents of Americans’ bags reveal about them
Image: Jason Travis

“It wasn’t until later that I approached strangers,” Travis tells Quartz. “These days it’s basically anyone that catches my eye. It’s always a way to get to know someone a little better. I want to show a wide variety of society, which means no one is off-limits.”

Erik
Erik
Image: Jason Travis
Granny
Granny
Image: Jason Travis
Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
Image: Jason Travis
James
James
Image: Jason Travis
Karla
Karla
Image: Jason Travis
Lauren
Lauren
Image: Jason Travis
Mark
Mark
Image: Jason Travis
Maseo
Maseo
Image: Jason Travis
Nicely
Nicely
Image: Jason Travis
Puma
Puma
Image: Jason Travis
Steph
Steph
Image: Jason Travis
Szabba
Szabba
Image: Jason Travis