Homeless Photography by the Homeless - Would this be better?

[CameraQuest]

Instead of photographing the homeless as though
taking their pics was somehow helping their plight,

suppose unhomeless photographers organized to give
the homeless digital cameras
so they can take their own pictures of their life -
we also help (if needed) to post their pics on their own homeless site?

Outdated digital cameras have almost no monetary value,
and digital developing is free.

Who are we to tell their story when they can tell it better?

I would guess this would be workable on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis -

at least part of the time.

Creating a Homeless Photography worldwide site by neighborhood would be easy -
if only it were used to spread their message to the 1%

 

[Keith]

My experience of the homeless in Brisbane was that many of them have mental health, drug and alcohol issues. I've seen this type of thing done in schools, prisons and various other institutions but I don't think it would work in that environment personally.

 

[CameraQuest]

My experience of the homeless in Brisbane was that many of them have mental health, drug and alcohol issues. I've seen this type of thing done in schools, prisons and various other institutions but I don't think it would work in that environment personally.

For sure it would not be workable with every homeless person or family,
but suppose only 1 in 1000 homeless persons were posting their own pics,

that would be one heck of a lot of photos!

 

[Renato Tonelli]

A student at Hunter College did just that in the late 1990's (not sure of date). He bought several point-and-shoot film cameras - the type that the whole camera had to be brought to the lab - and distributed them to several homeless men and women in New Yirk City's Upper East Side. If I recall correctly, they were asked to photograph anything they wanted to; most documented their living condition, their friends and family.
About a week later or so, he collected the cameras, had the film processed and the prints exhibited at the College's Art Gallery. Many of the images made powerful statements about their condition, aspirations, sense of loss. The exhibit generated a lot of interest in the community, the local and national media.

 

[madNbad]

As mentioned a large number of homeless suffer from metal health and addiction problems, often propagated by self medication to deal with the underlying issues; however, a large number have the ability to organize camps and establish rules for those camps. It is surprising how many of the houseless possess cell phones. Even the most rudimentary of phones have a camera. A better approach would be to encourage the non-profits and NGOs' to suggest to the those in need of services to take a few minutes each day to document their life and living conditions. If the shelter is not too overwhelmed and has someone available to assist with uploading, postings each day would show homeless life from the street level. This would also benefit the aid organizations by humanizing the faces of homelessness.

 

[rondo]

Good idea. Give them cameras PLUS permission to break into your homes and catch you in your most vulnerable and private moments. Then it will be even.

 

[underlord]

Before I was a member and some years ago, the FAB Collective did just that. You can read all about it <a href="http://fabcollective.com">here</a>

Well, that slick link didn't work as expected. Click 'fabcollective.com' then 'projects' then 'Hollywood homeless'

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

Before I was a member and some years ago, the FAB Collective did just that. You can read all about it <a href="http://fabcollective.com">here</a>

Well, that slick link didn't work as expected. Click 'fabcollective.com' then 'projects' then 'Hollywood homeless'

This link should work:

http://fabcollective.jenallanson.com/projects/hollywood_homeless

 

[Paul T.]

Good idea. Give them cameras PLUS permission to break into your homes and catch you in your most vulnerable and private moments. Then it will be even.

Quite right.

 

[rondo]

Did I say everyone?
It was meant to be constructive: if a photographer wants to tackle the problem of houselessness (much better word than homelessness because the streets are these individuals' home) he or she should respect their privacy. Just like in the other thread: there are more than few pictures of people photographed while sleeping with their faces clearly shown. This is insulting, not my insinuation. And someone breaking into your home and taking your picture is exactly the right kind of analogy for these instances. Besides, most of these pictures, identities revealed or not, are one liner skin deep and sentimental passing remarks on the issue of homelessness.

 

[Keith]

For sure it would not be workable with every homeless person or family,
but suppose only 1 in 1000 homeless persons were posting their own pics,

that would be one heck of a lot of photos!

True I agree Stephen ... it would only need the cooperation of a few individuals spread across the homeless demographic in any given city. My preference would be for a person to embed themselves within the/a group and gain their trust. I sort of did this with a group of homeless aboriginal street people a few years ago, which is where the two photos I posted in Bushwick's thread came from.

I would spend the whole day with them and I did this for a week before taking the camera out of my bag and was even joining them two mornings a week at a local shelter that was providing breakfasts via a volunteer group who cared. I had a bottle thrown at me at one stage and copped a bit of drunken abuse but eventually I gained their trust and knew them all by their names and knew most of their stories, some of which were truly remarkable.

After two weeks I hadn't taken many photos and I was severely affected by their situation mentally and emotionally and had to back away because I was getting home at the end of the day absolutely drained. I have no regrets and one day I'll have another go at it because I do believe it's worthwhile. 🙂

 

[rbelyell]

i see this topic as a solution in search of a problem. the real issue is who gets to judge what we photograph. i dont feel an explanation to my satisfaction is due me by anyone else for the rather banal things we do in every day life. i agree or disagree with others choices, but its not up to me to pass an 'official' judgement or police others intentions. people hated rock and roll because the self appointed thought it immoral. same with rap. same with mapplethorpe and countless others. art doesnt have to fix anything or enoble anything. it is what the artist wants it to be. i'm personally tired of the morality police, so i will stay out of others choices in this regard and hope for the same in return.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

They are not taking pictures because they don't have cameras. Some of them have mobile phones, some of them are doing paintings (often to help to deal with mental issues and not for sale).
Where I'm most of the homeless are homeless due to addictions and mental issues. More often they are homeless not because here is no place to live, but because it is choice of their twisted mind and because nobody is allowed to force them to the shelters.

The idea of giving to homeless camera to let them take pictures is similar in success as the idea to give camera to each soldier who is deployed in Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and other war zones. They are not going to use them, because here is nothing nice in the war and soldiers are not reporters. Same goes for homeless, they are homeless, not photographers.

In our local camera they have pictures of local photographer. Taken with film Leica. One is the barricade during protest. Another is the portrait of known homeless person who made his own shelter for homeless in Toronto. This is what was done by photographer for homeless people. John Free was photographing then for decades and interacting. He documented it and here should be no pushing of guilt and judging of photographer by moralists.

The only way to make people aware of any problem is to make as many as possible photographs where this problem is shown. Homeless are not hiding.

 

[daveleo]

I don't see the point here.
Making pictures of the homeless "to raise awareness of the problem" is terribly misguided, if not an outright falsehood.
What city in this world is not painfully aware of its homeless problem?
What conscious person is not painfully aware?
Is there a traffic intersection somewhere with no one holding a "please help" sign?

Treating the homeless as "objects of art" is a pretty disgusting concept.

Sorry for the rant, I need to do this once a year.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I don't see the point here.
Making pictures of the homeless "to raise awareness of the problem" is terribly misguided, if not an outright falsehood.
What city in this world is not painfully aware of its homeless problem?
...

Do not judge others from PoV of the circle inside of your own world. Where is country named Russia it still holds 1/6 of the land at the planet Earth. It still has 150 million of the people. And where are more millions of FSU people on this planet who were told what homeless is result of the war. In USSR homeless by the choice was not allowed by the state.
Here, in Canada, we have about five big cities were homeless are common. It is because homeless in Canada tend to go to larger cities due to practical reasons, like social services available and simply enough people on the street to collect change . In rural Canada homeless are not common. As result where are many young people in Canada who are not familiar with homeless face to face.

So, NY, London, Toronto, Moscow is still isn't the whole world, you know...

 

[dave lackey]

Instead of photographing the homeless as though
taking their pics was somehow helping their plight,

suppose unhomeless photographers organized to give
the homeless digital cameras
so they can take their own pictures of their life -
we also help (if needed) to post their pics on their own homeless site?

Outdated digital cameras have almost no monetary value,
and digital developing is free.

Who are we to tell their story when they can tell it better?

I would guess this would be workable on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis -

at least part of the time.

Creating a Homeless Photography worldwide site by neighborhood would be easy -
if only it were used to spread their message to the 1%

Now THAT is absolutely genius!!!🙂🙂🙂

 

[airfrogusmc]

That would be interesting. Let them tell us how they view us, each other and life in a way only they can.

 

[dave lackey]

I don't see the point here.
Making pictures of the homeless "to raise awareness of the problem" is terribly misguided, if not an outright falsehood.
What city in this world is not painfully aware of its homeless problem?
What conscious person is not painfully aware?
Is there a traffic intersection somewhere with no one holding a "please help" sign?

Treating the homeless as "objects of art" is a pretty disgusting concept.

Sorry for the rant, I need to do this once a year.

Well, in my experience, I have absolute knowledge that 95% of the people I know, including my own family, don't give a damn, don't want to hear about it, complain about the situation when they see it and are totally uneducated about what to do with it.

It is one thing to have empathy; they don't. It is another to have compassion which by definition means one does something to help.

Most people I know don't have any understanding whatsoever about the homeless.

Education is the key.:angel: