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Photographer disappears, leaving brides and grooms in the lurch

By in Photography

Photographer disappears, leaving brides and grooms in the lurch

Dozens of brides and grooms fear they’ll never get their wedding photos after their photographer left the country.

Numerous couples had booked well-known Sydney brand, Phao Photography, for their big day, only to be left in the lurch.

Monika and John had booked Phao Photography for their big day in September.

Photographer disappears, leaving brides and grooms in the lurch
Sydney brand Phao Photography. (A Current Affair)

They paid Sam Ansari a $6000 deposit, but just weeks out from their wedding, they couldn’t get in touch with him.

“He was not responsive by email, I couldn’t get in touch with him through phone calls, he was just you know, off the grid,” Monika said.

Just days after, the couple received an email from Ansari telling them and his clients he’d sold off Phao Photography to fellow Sydney photographer Ellie Kalajian and his business NYC Films.

The email stated the sale included all previous and current bookings, along with copies and hard drives of albums.

Photographer disappears, leaving brides and grooms in the lurch
Monika and John paid a $6000 deposit. (A Current Affair)

With their wedding just three weeks away, a panicked Monika and John contacted NYC Films, only to be told by owner Kalajian that he wouldn’t be shooting their wedding and had only bought the business name, not the assets or bookings.

Laith Jabro from A2Z Weddings was able to come in and save the day for Monika and John and capture their wedding day.

He says he’s been contacted by more than 10 couples who have been left in the lurch by Phao Photography after paying large deposits.

“It’s extremely stressful, extremely stressful. I mean, if people (booked) a year ahead and they lost some money, maybe there’s plenty of time to reorganise things, but two to three weeks, four weeks. It’s very hard,” Jabro said.

Laith Jabro from A2Z Weddings.
Laith Jabro from A2Z Weddings. (A Current Affair)

We got in contact with Kalajian at his studio for NYC Films to ask him about his acquisition of Phao Photography, but he maintained he just bought the name, not the entire business, instead turning us away to speak with his lawyer.

“I don’t have a comment, you can deal with our lawyer,” Kalajian said.

“We’re taking it to court and things like that.”

Kalajian’s lawyer said his client is an innocent third party, taken for a ride.

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He said his client bought the name Phao Photography for $20,000 but has already dropped it from his ABN.

Ansari is believed to be living in Dubai after the alleged sale of his business and didn’t respond to any of our attempts to contact him.

It’s still unclear whether Phao or NYC are at fault.

But it’s clear there are many clients who booked with Ansari who are now thousands of dollars out of pocket.

“We deserve an answer, we don’t deserve to be left in the dark. I want my money back,” Monika said.

Arts Playlist: Previewing “Allan Freelon: Painter, Printmaker, Teacher” at the Brandywine Museum of Art

By in Printmaking

Arts Playlist: Previewing “Allan Freelon: Painter, Printmaker, Teacher” at the Brandywine Museum of Art
Born in 1895 to a middle-class family, African-American artist Allan Freelon worked his entire life in Philadelphia and promoted the idea that Black artists should follow an independent and self-realized path.The Brandywine Museum of Art aims to honor Freelon’s legacy and work with its upcoming exhibit “Allan Freelon: Painter, Printmaker, Teacher.”In this edition of Arts Playlist, Delaware Public Media’s Karl Lengel is joined by Brandywine senior curator Amanda Burdan for more on the exhibit.

This museum wants to ensure that future generations can see Compton’s historic art contributions

By in Native

This museum wants to ensure that future generations can see Compton’s historic art contributions

It felt like a block party, but it was really history in celebration. At the far corner of a Compton strip mall, more than 40 people gathered around a parking area as Curtis Jackson III (Not to be confused with rapper 50 Cent, whose name is also Curtis Jackson III) and his 3-year-old son helmed the music booth. High-energy beats swinging with rhythm and rhyme rolled out of two speakers set on a plastic folding table as the sun got ready to set. Teens, couples, and families with toddlers in tow all came out on a Friday night to witness the opening of “Sounds of the City,” Compton Art & History Museum’s third exhibition in a little less than six months.

Compared with the pace of Los Angeles’ larger cultural institutions, which can take years from concept to exhibition, the museum’s pace moves at a brisk clip. But for co-founders Abigail Lopez-Byrd and her husband, Marquell Byrd, there is a lot of catching up to do.

A Compton native, Lopez-Byrd acutely felt the lack of opportunities and access to art when she left the city to pursue her art degree from UC Santa Cruz. “I felt very, very unprepared being an art major. I hadn’t been exposed to things my peers had. I didn’t have access to the same materials. From that moment on, there was always something in me that wished I had something like [this museum] growing up.” The couple founded Color Compton, a nonprofit that works with the city’s youth to build a sense of themselves through history and art, in November 2019.

Years later, even as the couple worked long hours at Color Compton, they saw how important it was for the city’s youth and residents to have a physical space to create and learn together. On field trips with Color Compton youth, they would often talk about Compton’s rich history and creativity—the vacant buildings of Compton transformed by the artist collective Communicative Arts Academy in the 1960s and 1970s or Elliott Pinkney’s murals — but there was no place kids could actually see proof of it. Artistic experiments (or “living sculptures”) by CCA artists have all disappeared and the buildings turned into shopping plazas or apartment buildings. Pinkney’s murals are disappearing, in need of maintenance. “It would be a lot of just archives and conversations,” says Lopez-Byrd.

The Compton Art & History Museum in Compton, California, is photographed on Monday, September 18, 2023 where the current exhibition on display is “Sounds of the City”. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

After having these conversations with Compton youth and residents who felt removed from exhibitions in larger institutions, the couple proposed building a museum to the Color Compton board. Despite a shoestring budget, the two forged ahead, bolstered by a sense of purpose. “It really was faith,” says Byrd. “We didn’t — still don’t — really have the necessary funding to operate.” But opportunities opened up anyway.

An expiring lease at the insurance and notary shop below Color Compton, close to City Hall and the library, gave them a location. To renovate the venue, the couple and their staff rolled their sleeves up and did as much of the work as they could themselves. They installed their own flooring. Consulting with friends, family and watching YouTube videos, they learned to build exhibit walls cleverly outfitted with wheels so every exhibition could change configurations quickly. Construction started in January, and the museum opened in February. It has since drawn locals, but also visitors from as far away as Scotland.

The museum has given the city’s young residents something to take pride in and even aspire to. Twenty-two-year-old Eli Young is a part of Color Compton’s archiving fellowship, which teaches youth the importance of preserving and telling their stories through photography. An aspiring art gallery owner, Young says the museum helps Compton show itself in a different light and inspires people “who might not think they can do these things.”

Marquell Byrd, left, and Abigail Lopez-Byrd, founders of Compton Art & History Museum.

Marquell Byrd, left, and Abigail Lopez-Byrd, founders of Compton Art & History Museum in Compton, California, are photographed on Monday, September 18, 2023, where the current exhibition on display is “Sounds of the City”. The couple is focusing their efforts on getting the museum off the ground and aims to create a place of community. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Stories like Young’s are what motivates the husband-and-wife team to keep up the pace, which is why in less than half a year’s time, the museum has opened “Sounds of the City” a compact exhibition that touts the city’s catalytic contributions to the now multibillion-dollar hip-hop industry.

Gold and platinum plaques contributed by the Baka Boyz and Alonzo Williams, a central figure in West Coast hip-hop, share space with outfits worn by Westside Boogie and Williams in performances and events. Black-and-white photographs of Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E, and Snoop Dogg by West Coast hip-hop photographer Mike Miller are situated with relaxed, at-home images of Dr. Dre and concert images by Compton photographer 100kdai. Art by locals Mr. Wash, Anthony Lee Pittman, Vera Hughes, and wall graffiti by Yedidyah Butterfly give viewers a taste of the kaleidoscopic inspirations that all converge in Compton.

“Sounds of the City” follows more art-focused exhibitions like “Sons Like Me,” a solo exhibition by Pittman that explores representations of Black men in American society, and “Scenes of Liberation,” which highlights art from a Black and Brown artist’s gaze featuring works by Brittney S. Price, Rosalind McGary, Saidah Gray and Tayllor Johnson.

Works of art on display at the Compton Art Museum.

The Compton Art & History Museum in Compton, California, is photographed on Monday, September 18, 2023 where the current exhibition on display is “Sounds of the City” including a piece by artist Vera Hughes, right. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

At first, many were drawn to this latest exhibition by simple curiosity. “I love my city. I’ve repped my city hard,” says third-generation Compton resident Victoria Gichohi, who came to see whether the new museum could capture the Compton she knew — and she says it has. On the museum’s walls, Gichohi says she not only saw art and artifacts but echoes of her everyday life, from her brother’s internship at Compton Entertainment Chamber of Commerce to her love for Kendrick Lamar.

With their 4-year-old and 10-year-old in tow, Guadalupe and Yoshawn Smith, who live in South Central and work in downtown Los Angeles and Compton respectively, say they felt it was important for their children to see reflections of themselves in a museum. “There really isn’t anything for the community in the community,” says Guadalupe. “We usually have to wait such a long time or travel far to see something like this,” adds Yoshawn. “Having it curated by people from the community also makes it a different experience.”

One day, the Compton Art & History Museum hopes to expand into a multi-level space with a floor spotlighting local history, another that showcases artists and entertainers from the region, and another to hold rotating exhibitions. Until then, its founders hope that this place — a beginning — lets people know by its existence that their story matters.

[INTERVIEW] Seoul’s increased art market momentum brings back Sotheby’s to Korea

By in Art World News

[INTERVIEW] Seoul’s increased art market momentum brings back Sotheby’s to Korea

Nathan Drahi, managing director of Sotheby’s Asia / Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Leading global auction house opens new Seoul space in Yongsan
By Park Han-sol

Sotheby’s, one of the world’s largest auction houses along with Christie’s, made a comeback to Korea this week with the opening of a new space in Seoul nearly three decades after its initial withdrawal.

The auction house became the first international player to enter the domestic market when it established a regional office in Seoul back in 1990, but withdrew from the scene just six years later.

The powerhouse’s re-entry into the city, which is in line with its recent drive to double down on the expansion of its footprint across Asia, points to Seoul’s status as a rising art capital that has already attracted a flurry of global galleries to open their outposts alongside the launch of Frieze Seoul last year.

“You see an increased market momentum here. The arts transaction volumes in Korea have been skyrocketing, going from about $300 million in 2019 to nearly $800 million in 2022. And we have, in fact, seen a similar increase in the global bidding activity from our Korean clients (in the same period); their bidding amount has almost tripled,” said Nathan Drahi, managing director of Sotheby’s Asia, in his interview with The Korea Times at the company’s new Seoul space nestled in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District.

Most of Sotheby’s Korean clients’ purchases are of contemporary art ― from the likes of David Hockney and Adrian Ghenie to Kim Whanki and Park Seo-bo ― but there is a rising interest in luxury items as well, according to the company. Nearly 40 percent of the bids in the luxury category are placed on streetwear, followed by watches and wine.

The director added that since 2020, nearly three-quarters of buyers from the country were new to the auction house.

Exterior of Sotheby’s new Seoul office building in Yongsan District / Courtesy of Sotheby’s

The surge in participation from Korean buyers and bidders in global auctions, including a new generation of young collectors, mirrors a broader trend that leading auction houses have been witnessing across Asia over the past few years.

In the first half of 2023 alone, Asian collectors represented one-third of the total transactions at Sotheby’s international sales. And 40 percent of its clientele in the continent is below 40 years old.

“With Asia being more on the uprising of the collecting path, there tend to be more younger people who are collecting (than other parts of the world) ― either self-made or second- or third-generation wealth,” Drahi said. The major auction companies’ incorporation of digital platforms and live streaming of their marquee sales, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, has also been a catalyst of the influx of such young, monied customers.

[INTERVIEW] Seoul becomes magnet for global galleries despite fluctuating market

Together with the visibly growing collector base, one factor that enables Seoul to hold its own as a rising art hub, when compared to other locations in Asia, is the “prevalence” of arts and culture in the country, the director noted.

“I would say Korea is one of the most developed art ecosystems in the region. It’s much more balanced, with key stakeholders occupying different parts of the market ― Korean and (blue-chip) international galleries, local auction companies, public museums and global players like us.”

The country’s more balanced cultural landscape between the private and the public differs from other cities like Hong Kong, whose transaction-oriented atmosphere makes it a favorable business environment but one that lacks comprehensive institutional foundations.

Visitors take photos of British street artist Banksy’s “Girl without Balloon,” formerly known as “Love is in the Bin,” during a preview at Paradise City in Incheon, Aug. 31. The work is among 32 masterpieces by Banksy and Pop Art icon Keith Haring that have been brought to the resort complex as part of the exhibition, “Love in Paradise: Banksy and Keith Haring,” hosted with the support of Sotheby’s. Yonhap

Market correction

Sotheby’s expansion in Seoul comes after major local auction houses reported steep declines in sales in the first half of 2023 ― a 47 percent drop compared to the same period last year.

While acknowledging the apparent market slowdown in Korea, Drahi said that it is still important to take a step back and look at the art market’s overall growth trajectory within the last few years.

Even after considering this year’s decline in secondary market sales, the total art transaction volumes ― which peaked at nearly $800 million last year, an all-time high figure ― would realistically remain higher than before the market saw unprecedented, frenzied turnover. In other words, the current dip in sales does not necessarily signify a downturn in the art market, but rather a correction after a period of intense activity.

“It still means a sizable growth all in all, and I think it validates international companies like ourselves or art fair holders in their move into the country,” he added.

Crowds attend a Classical Chinese Paintings auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Spring Sale series at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in April. Courtesy of Sotheby’s

While Sotheby’s won’t be conducting local transactions or auctions in Korea, with a new physical space in Seoul, it will play a more active role in engaging with the collector base, Drahi said.

“Market interest is not conveyed purely through transactions or bidding. It’s also through people asking us questions, requesting us to have their property appraised, etc. So we’ll be able to capture those nuances that are less transactional in nature.”

As part of its initiative to bring the local art lovers closer to the global trend of the art scene, the company is currently co-hosting “Love in Paradise: Banksy and Keith Haring” at Paradise City in Incheon, bringing 32 masterpieces by the British street artist and the American Pop Art icon, including Banksy’s “Girl without Balloon.”

The Seoul office is being led by Jane Yoon, managing director of Sotheby’s South Korea. Yoon has previously held positions in Art Basel Hong Kong and Christie’s Hong Kong. She was also the inaugural regional director of Phillips’ Seoul office, which opened in 2018.

“We’re starting with an organically nice little footprint with an office in the center of the city and we’ll continuously assess opportunities to do more. So we’ll be open-minded,” Drahi said.

Dugongs, sharks and a ‘paper nautilus’ — the winning images from the Ocean Photographer of the Year competition

By in Photography

Dugongs, sharks and a ‘paper nautilus’ — the winning images from the Ocean Photographer of the Year competition

The judges in the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023 competition have spoken.

This year’s title goes to marine biologist and amateur photographer Jialing Cai.

Her stunning image of a paper nautilus — a type of octopus — floating on a piece of ocean debris came up top among the 8,000 entries submitted. 

The competition called on drone, underwater and coastal photographers “to showcase the beauty of our planet” and “dazzle the world”, a spokesperson from Oceanographic Magazine said.

The fourth of its kind since 2020, the competition saw photographers compete across nine categories: 

  • Ocean Photographer of the Year
  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • Fine Art Photographer of the Year
  • Adventure Photographer of the Year
  • Conservation (Hope) Photographer of the Year
  • Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean
  • Young Photographer of the Year
  • Ocean Portfolio Award
  • Female Fifty Fathoms Award

Here are the stand-outs — and your nature fix — in pictures. 

The Ocean Photographer of the Year

The judges were on the hunt for pictures that evoked an emotional connection and embodied a deep sense of storytelling. 

Cai’s photograph was taken during a blackwater dive following a volcanic eruption in the Philippines, and she clearly delivered.

The 25-year-old said her professor was her inspiration, telling her: “The deep sea was within my reach, that it would come to me”.

“That realisation was mind-blowing,” Cai said. “It’s why [I’ve become] so obsessed with blackwater photography.”

Providing the backstory for the winning image, Cai said:

“As underwater photographers, we aim to shoot in clear water but this image reminds us that grains of sand, organic matter, or tiny organisms are integral parts of the underwater environment.

“I aim to accept their presence and seek non-disruptive ways to incorporate them into my images.”

A sea anemone, a crab and plankton came together for this work of art to take second place, also shot in the Philippines.

Photographer Andrei Savin said: “It’s insanely interesting to watch the same creatures day after day, and I love to study them as they evolve.”

A red crab sits in the centre of a sea anemone as it sways in ocean current.

A red crab sits in the centre of a sea anemone as it sways in ocean current in the Philippines.(Supplied: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/Andre Savin)

Coming in third place, was this emotional image of a dying humpback whale.

Photographer Alvaro Herrero Lopez-Beltran captured this image after the whale became entangled in ropes and buoys.

It was a conflicting moment for Lopez-Beltran as he felt “great sadness and hopeless” but he was also “glad … to show the world what we’re doing”.

“The image is a sad metaphor for the slow and painful death that we are causing to our planet and the oceans,” he says.

A humpack whale swimming in the ocean with buoys and ropes entangled in its tail

A whale struggles in waters off Mexico, its flukes severely damaged due to continued entanglement.(Supplied: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/Alvaro Herrero Lopez-Beltran)

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Jack Pokoj Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A lizardfish’s open mouth reveals its last meal, in the Phillipines.(Supplied: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/Jack Pokoj)

Fine Art Photographer of the Year

A whale shark and its entourage of remoras are attracted by the bright lights of fishermen in the Maldives.(Supplied: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/Jade Hoksbergen)

Adventure Photographer of the Year

Todd Glaser Adventure Photographer of the Year winner

While surfing North Shore’s famous Banzai Pipeline, a rainbow appears in O’ahu, Hawaii.(Supplied: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/Todd Glaser)

Conservation (Hope) Photographer of the Year

Sylvie Ayer Conservation (Hope) Photographer of the Year winner

A manatee enjoys the crystal-clear waters of the Homosassa River in Florida.(Supplied: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/Sylvie Ayer)

Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean

Black and white image of multiple fishing fences in the sea

Artisanal fishing fences stand proudly in the sea in China.(Source: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/ Jinyi Wang))

Young Photographer of the Year

A bodyboarder paddles out to sea, while big storm clouds block the sun and create an electric blue colour effect on the wave

A bodyboarder paddles out to sea while big storm clouds block the sun and create an electric-blue colour effect on a wave in Western Australia.(Source: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/ Jarvis Smallman)

Ocean Portfolio Award

Thai photographer Sirachai Arunrugstichai snagged the award with a confronting portfolio that showcases the treatment of deep-sea species.

Here are a few haunting images from the gallery of 10 images.

A young grey reef shark is hooked by an angler

A young grey reef shark is hooked by an angler at night at Burma Bank, an offshore plateau in the Andaman Sea.(Source: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/ Sirachai Arunrugstichai)

A living streaked spinefoot is entangled alongside a dead one in a large ghost net that covers an underwater pinnacle.

A living streaked spinefoot is entangled alongside a dead one in a large ghost net that covers an underwater pinnacle.(Source: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/ Sirachai Arunrugstichai)

Sirachai Arunrugstichai Ocean Portfolio Award 3

Gill rakers from endangered spinetail devil rays, a highly prized wildlife product, are laid onto a drying board at a ray-processing factory.(Source: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/ Sirachai Arunrugstichai)

Female Fifty Fathoms Award

Four Chilean devil rays glide through the ocean.

Four Chilean devil rays glide through the ocean.(Supplied: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2023/Merche Llobera)

All photography will be showcased at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

The exhibition will be open to the public for five months from November 17.

Incredible images from Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2023 winners

By in Photography

Incredible images from Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2023 winners

With their ability to capture imaginations and evoke emotions, photos can tell us stories about nature that words alone can’t convey. The winning entries in the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2023 competition prove that, as far as nature is concerned, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Celebrating the beauty of the world around us, over 8,000 images were entered into this year’s competition, with nature photographers from all around the world vying for the £1,500 (US$1,840) prize money. In addition to naming the Overall Winner and Young Nature TTL Photographer of the Year, winners were chosen in each of the eight categories: Animal Behavior, Camera Traps, Landscapes, Small World, The Night Sky, Underwater, Urban Wildlife, and Wild Portraits.

Overall Winner & Landscapes, Winner. “Austfonna Ice Cap” (Canada)

Thomas Vijayan/Nature TTL

Thomas Vijayan from Canada won the competition’s Overall Prize for their hauntingly beautiful image, Austfonna Ice Cap, which captures the impact of global warming on the world’s third-largest ice cap. The composition, which is made up of 36 stitched-together images, also took out first prize in the Landscape category.

“This is nature in its most urgent state of decay,” said Audrey Granger, manager of Nature TTL. “The vibrant colors of the towering waterfall are juxtaposed with the reality of its creation. The stark reality is that this image shows global warming’s impact on sea ice, where it is melting at alarming rates.”

Overall Young Winner & Under 17 Winner. “House Hunting” (UK)

Lucy Monckton/Nature TTL

Taking out the Young Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2023 was the UK’s Lucy Monckton, who braved having hundreds of bees crawling over her to snap her winning entry, House Hunting, showing the process of bee relocation.

“Relocation is a natural process that occurs when a colony becomes too big for its home; the queen leaves with a few of the bees to find another home,” Monckton said.

Urban Wildlife, Runner-Up. “Traffic Intersection” (Germany)

Simone Baumeister/Nature TTL

Other standouts include the runner-up in the Urban Wildlife category, the surreal-looking Traffic Intersection by Simone Baumeister of Germany.

“I really wanted to do some photography one evening, but without light, this is always difficult,” said Baumeister. “So, I went to a pedestrian bridge that offered a direct view of one of the main traffic intersections in our city. There were many spiders on the railing of this bridge. Using an old analogue lens, I photographed a spire in front of the colorful lights of the city intersection with the many cars.”

Wild Portraits, Runner-Up. “Fading Away” (US)

Robert Gloeckner/Nature TTL

And another image that made use of the light from traffic signals was Fading Away by Robert Gloeckner of the US, which was the Wild Portraits runner-up. In it, Gloeckner captures the reflection of a great blue heron in water lit by the green of a traffic light. He used intentional camera movement to create a fading perspective.

Animal Behavior, Winner. “Seal Hunting” (France)

Florian Ledoux/Nature TTL

Florian Ledoux’s starkly white Seal Hunting captures a polar bear patiently waiting by a seal’s breathing hole for its next meal. Ledoux was the winner of the Animal Behavior category with the image.

“This male polar bear stalked seals at their breathing holes,” Ledoux said. “After they evaded him, he opted to rest, vigilant and patient.”

The Night Sky, Winner. “Milky Way” (Hungary)

Bence Mate/Nature TTL

Bence Mate took a unique approach to capturing a wild boar against the immense splendor of the Milky Way in their image Milky Way, winner of The Night Sky category: they used a remote-controlled camera placed inside a fish tank.

“It was lucky that the wild boar stayed unmoved for the moment the picture was taken,” Mate said. “In Hungary, where this composition was captured, the Milky Way is very rarely low enough in the sky to touch the horizon, and this phenomenon occurs only for a few days in the month of August.”

Next year’s Nature TTL Photographer of the Year competition will be open for entries in January 2024. In the meantime, have a browse through our gallery for all of this year’s winning entries.

Source: Nature TTL

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