Liz Handy, Photographer

Photography is very much a two-way thing. At each stage, I involve [the subject] and show them progress…. It’s like putting people, enabling people to be on their own stage, and letting them act out who they really are.

Like the Tottenham project I did. I let the young business people choose their picture, and we did it together. And we got it… we take it until they are happy… And as far as the potato farmers project in Malawi and Ethiopia… I wanted to take them as naturally as possible so that you get to know the people. And I didn’t want to show them as… I wanted to give them their pride. I don’t want them to be seen as victims. So many charity photographs show miserable people — well they’re not miserable people, they’re just people who haven’t got all of the privileges that we do and need a bit of help. I make photographs. We make it together. Because it isn’t there before, and if I went back now it would be different too. It’s like making a cake really — putting in all of the different ingredients.

Liz Handy, Photographer