W/NW Drunks etc.

A

Ash

Selflessly Self-involved
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This could have gone into W/NW eye contact, or stealth portraits, but I thought instead I'd challenge you all to go out to the other side of the tracks, go see the bums and homeless in your town, and manage a photo of em ;)

See http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=48370&cat=6185 for the info on the shot.

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Good stuff Ash ... I think it takes courage to photograph these sorts of guys without becoming a little precious about it and we all need to accept the fact that they are just people after all. They were once nineteen with stars in their eyes but somewhere along the line they got dealt some rough blows by life ... they deserve to be seen though ... as much as any 'celebrity!':)
 
So are we going for drunks or bums or drunk bums??? I've got my grounds covered regardless, but not sure which to go for...
 
I don't post photographs of the homeless anymore since one of them reminded me that many who sleep rough are on the run.

Clarence
 
clarence said:
I don't post photographs of the homeless anymore since one of them reminded me that many who sleep rough are on the run.

Clarence
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haha, is this more of a fear thing, or a moral issue?
 
Sorry to have to say this but this sort of thing leaves me cold. I question anyones right to just go out and photograph drunks/bums/homeless people for the sake of well nothing. It is sort of like trophy hunting with no redeeming social value. I would object to people coming into my house/bedroom to photograph simply because they had an RF and thought it would be fun. Where these people live is their home and to photograph them in this manner shows a certain lack of respect for them and their circumstances. Sorry for the rant but as I said this is a topic that bothers me and the manner in which it is done is important.

Bob
 
Nikon Bob said:
Sorry to have to say this but this sort of thing leaves me cold. I question anyones right to just go out and photograph drunks/bums/homeless people for the sake of well nothing. It is sort of like trophy hunting with no redeeming social value. I would object to people coming into my house/bedroom to photograph simply because they had an RF and thought it would be fun. Where these people live is their home and to photograph them in this manner shows a certain lack of respect for them and their circumstances. Sorry for the rant but as I said this is a topic that bothers me and the manner in which it is done is important.

Bob
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You are entitled to your opinion and personal morality; I hope however you don’t expect everyone else to share them.
Regards
 
Sparrow said:
You are entitled to your opinion and personal morality; I hope however you don’t expect everyone else to share them.
Regards
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Nope, I don't expect anyone else to share them. I just wanted to add a counter point. I have not objections to such a project on such a serious subject if not done glibbly. Everyone is indeed entitled to their opinions.

Bob
 
ok ok since this thread has got some negative opinions because of my terminology, but the terminology is that which you or your loved ones have used in your lifetime.


the one with the wirey hair is called Robert. He's a drunk, he lives in a bedsit, and he has no money. I don't go staring at these people, and pop a few photo's. Instead when I see him I always talk to him, he's a person. I give him the rest of the soft drink I'm drinking or buy him food. I managed to catch him on Christmas Eve and gave him a fiver. There were tears in his eyes it meant that much to him.

So please, don't go giving your negative opinions and your secret prejudices a place in this thread. I photograph everyone I see, be them homeless, snobs, thiefs, drug dealers, because I CAN. And not only that, but because I treat them like a human and they treat me the same.

Rather than be left cold by this W/NW, go out and strike up a conversation with the first person you see with a bottle of cider and dirty clothes. See whether you're that brave. If you hadn't guessed its insulting what you have said.

Happy new year.
 
Oh and to say it is trophy hunting, isn't all photography? This is documenting a serious part of every society. That is an important thing to me, I cannot appreciate my life unless I understand how well off I am. and sometimes you need reminding.
 
ferider said:
I share your opinion, Bob. In particular since this thread had "low-life" in the title, originally.

At least give them some money for a meal.

We are not alone, too:

"7) Thou shalt not photograph homeless people. "

(From the PLUG & Kyle Cassidy, an outstanding photographer).

Roland.
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Then perhaps you shouldn’t get involved in it? Unless your intention is to induce a political discourse
 
Ash

It was your original terminology that caused me to misunderstand and I apologize for that. I can see that you are going about it in a dignified and involved manner befitting such a situation. I did say that this subject should not be done glibbly which was my concern that it would trivialize it. This photographic subject could easily fall into the "trophy hunting" class if done wrongly and does not deserve to. Anyway, enough said. Have a Happy New Year and good shooting.

Bob
 
Happy New Year to all here.
Let's not dwell on the negative aspects of anything here, but try to make this thread a positive one.

Raid
 
I enjoy shooting both bourgeois and penniless drunks. I usually find the former more entertaining. And for the latter, I don't publish their photos.

Chill. Happy New Year.

Clarence
 
HNY gang!

Here's a guy who at least makes like he's being honest. :)

(Sorry, P&S, not RF.)
 

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ferider said:
You, Sir, have a history of being involved in heated political arguments (15+ posts most recently in "Eliminating Gun Terminlogy From Photography", closed a few minutes ago), and directly or indirectly inviting other people to their opinion and then basically ignoring it (see your first comment on Bob's post).

And you ask me to not get involved in a thread that was originally called "bums and low-lifes", that shows a technically lowsy hip-shot of two homeless people, and like all W/NW threads wants to share and invite feedback from all RFF members (at least that's what I thought these threads were for) ?

You made it on my ignore list. Also, this is my last post to this thread.

Happy new year.

Roland.
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I’m sorry you feel like that, I would point out in my defence that I offered no opinion in either this or the other thread, in the former I defended those who wished to post, I personally don’t photograph tramps, in the latter I made lame jokes mainly; I was not party to the contentious issues. If you find I speak too plainly to be acceptable then you are probably best to censor it.

With apologies, have a good year
 
Are all homeless or poorly dressed people considered drunks for the purposes of this thread? Or do I have to determine that they are in fact drunk? What if they're on drugs, mentally ill or merely eccentric?
 
A friend of mine about two years ago.

At that time he was drunk pretty much 24/7, but then he cleaned up, went on a government training course and now is into mountain biking.

He's a completely different person.
 

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