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‘I Am Sophie Green’: Photographer Explores Identity with Portraits of Women Who Share Her Name

By Ellyn Kail on September 29, 2014

Sophie Green, 20, Fareham, Student Teacher

Sophie Green, 20, Norfolk, Student

For her ongoing project, I Am Sophie Green, London-based photographer Sophie Green creates an archive of individuals who go by the same name. Beginning in late 2011, the project has lead her to various areas in England in search of a broader understanding of the self as reflected in this arbitrary network of people born with her first and last name.

To find her subjects, Green conducted a search of registered voters and scoured social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. She contacted each Sophie Green first online, then allowed their relationship to evolve by phone and email, making her intentions clear from the start; a few of them identified with the project right away, while others required some convincing. Each had a different history and diverse life experiences. Most were young, in their 20s and 30s, due to the nature of the websites Green frequented, but she hopes to continue the project with women of all ages.

While initial meetings can be awkward, Green explains that her conversations with each subject were organic, frank, and candid. They were surprisingly vulnerable and shared bits and pieces of their life stories. Says Green, “It was almost like sharing a name broke down social barriers and brought an intimacy between us.”

While each Sophie unveils portions of her distinctive character, the unpredictability and anonymity of any given name comes to the fore. This crowd of Sophies, scattered about the country, emerge as the lonesome pieces of a puzzle not yet pieced together, bound to one another by some ineffable force.

02_Sophie Green, 30, Sussex, PR Publicist