She chose to photograph people of all ages and both genders and wanted to show that each of these individuals is a person like anybody else and should not be judged by one extra chromosome.
The title of her photographic series comes from an article she found on the internet written by Halldóra Jónsdóttir, (also featured in Sally Phillips' documentary) a 24 year old woman with Down Syndrome who then became one of the models for Ella's series. In the article, Halldóra wrote, "I have Down Syndrome but FIRST AND FOREMOST I am Halldóra. I choose to enjoy the life I was given, to be happy with what I have, and make the best of what I've got." Jónsdóttir's upbeat outlook is what Ella wanted to showcase in her series.
Sigga Ella said that the idea for the project came to her when listening to a radio program where these issues were discussed. "The reason I did this project was because of this radio interview I heard, where they were discussing the ethical questions we now face, that we can choose who gets to live and who doesn't, as the aim with prenatal diagnosis is to detect birth defects such as Down Syndrome and more. Where are we headed? Will People choose not to keep ad embryo if they know it has Down Syndrome? I had a lovely aunt with Down Syndrome, aunt Begga. It is very difficult for me to think about the elimination of Down Syndrome and her at the same time."
Information about the series can be found at: http://siggaella.com/projects/first-and-foremost-i-am/ and https://fstoppers.com/opinion/first-and-foremost-i-am-sigga-ellas-thought-provoking-photography-series-people-59115
Images can be found at: http://siggaella.com/projects/first-and-foremost-i-am/
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