Homeless Guy

[usayit]

There's a lot more to Jacob Riis' work than sleeping conditions....

His most powerful work was featuring the poor working in harsh conditions including child labor. That's what I meant about telling a story beyond a person sleeping.

 

[Destin]

There's a lot more to Jacob Riis' work than sleeping conditions....

Correct, but I've seen some of his work, and alot of it is sleeping homeless people... just saying. I don't see a problem with taking photos like this, because it can help raise awareness.

 

[usayit]

Neither do I... actually...

BUT

I simply would like people to try to get beyond sleeping people...... actually tell a story.


I've been known to take a photo of a homeless person (doing something), then tip them a $20. They are very thankful.. for the most part. The thing is.... I'm usually not really satisfied with the results. Its tough actually. Taking a person while asleep and EXTREMELY vulnerable... as already mentioned, these people live on the streets... is way to freakin easy, its been done, and doesn't really bring awareness any longer. Back in Mr. Riis' time perhaps.. but not now.

 

[Destin]

Neither do I... actually...

BUT

I simply would like people to try to get beyond sleeping people...... actually tell a story.


I've been known to take a photo of a homeless person (doing something), then tip them a $20. They are very thankful.. for the most part. The thing is.... I'm usually not really satisfied with the results. Its tough actually. Taking a person while asleep and EXTREMELY vulnerable... as already mentioned, these people live on the streets... is way to freakin easy, its been done, and doesn't really bring awareness any longer. Back in Mr. Riis' time perhaps.. but not now.

Honestly, I can't disagree with you at all on any of this.

 

[Virtuosos]

I think the idea of taking photo's of homeless people are fine...I do not think, however, the description for the photo was appropriate.

Using a homeless person as a method of showing other people how better off their life is? No thanks. Its distasteful. It's like taking a photo of a kid riddled with disease and saying "Well, atleast you aren't him".

Taking a photo of a homeless guy and simply stating "Down on his luck, but still sleeps soundly" would of been much more appropriate, atleast to me.



Anyways, the photo itself is pretty well-done...especially for using a phone camera. I am willing to bet the 2 pages this picture caused would of been avoided with a little more tact in the comment though.

 

[bogeyguy]

Somebody needs a nappy! i don't think the OP was trying to exploit the person in the photo.

 

[shortpants]

I'm not saying homeless people shouldn't be photographed. To me, a drive-by shot of some guy sleeping in an alley is exactly what it is, exactly what people see every single day in the city. It's not meaningful. It's not opening anyone's eyes unless they've been living under a rock, and to me it's disrespectful. Like they're not human and some exhibit for sheltered people to gawk at.

I had a friend that did a documentary series with some less fortunate people in our area. She got to know them, talked to them, listened to them cry, actually found out what their life stories were and who they were as people. She didn't just shoot some guy sleeping in an alley and act like it was something profound.

I don't know, I'm sorry if I can't explain myself well. Of course nothing is just black and white, so I can't say where to draw the line with street photography.
To the OP, I'm not trying to attack you, I honestly don't think you meant any harm. This is just how I feel about the subject, very much my opinion so feel free to ignore.

 

[Edsport]

A photograph of a sleeping person do tell a story...

 

[The_Traveler]

A photograph of a sleeping person do tell a story...

yes, Ed, and if I caught a picture of you while you were bareass naked, sleeping in your bed, it would tell a story.
Here is this grandfather, lots of wrinkles, maybe a little extra weight, hair all mussed, dick shrunken to a nub - ho, ho, ho - all asleep in a strange position

But you would be really pissed because your helplessness while you were asleep and your vulnerability was exploited.

That's my point.
Not everyone and every situation should be exploited for nothing, for adding nothing to the sum of our knowledge, there is a balance and most homeless porn goes over it.

Treat every person, no matter their circumstance, with the same respect that you would give your father or mother. Don't use their dignity for yet another in an infinite chain of meaningless photos.

 

[SensePhoto]

Somebody needs a nappy! i don't think the OP was trying to exploit the person in the photo.

Not at all and i feel bad that ppl took it as if i was.

 

[vtf]

I've seen this shot a thousand times, going to have to do better and different than this to capture my interest, up the game.
Better luck next time. :thumbup:

 

[Hooligan Dan]

Traveler, I have to ask, since you are so passionately taking a stand against this guys shot, how is coldfire's shot any different from your shot of the old , not homeless looking man sleeping on the bench, taken from far away, the homeless man eating, taken from far away, or your closeup of the homeless man sleeping?

As a photojournalist who has done a lot of work with the homeless, beyond just seeing one on the street and snapping a photo, I do prefer, like you, photos of the homeless to be taken for a purpose and not just because one can take the photo, but to call someone out for something that it appears you have done yourself is quite hypocritical.

As far as the Coldfire's photo goes, I'd say it's not a bad since it was taken with an iPhone. Interesting composure and the noise level is better than I would have expected.

 

[The_Traveler]

Traveler, I have to ask, since you are so passionately taking a stand against this guys shot, how is coldfire's shot any different from your shot of the old , not homeless looking man sleeping on the bench, taken from far away, the homeless man eating, taken from far away, or your closeup of the homeless man sleeping?

Since I can only assume that you were talking about pictures I took in SEA, all of those are part of documenting life as I saw it in that part of the world and showing all of it to people that haven't seen it up close. It is not any different, except in quality, from any PJ in shoots in a foreign country or in a difficult situation. When I do shoot people in extremis, I try to show more about the person than just 'here he is a homeless guy and that's all there is' so look. I don't do them casually and I don't do lots of it. I do enough of the ugly things where I travel to show that real and sometimes unpleasant life exists behind the scenic stuff.

 

[Timoris]

I am planning to shoot the homeless, but, the way I am going to go about it is hand them a cigarette or dollar as payment for a few shots. That seems fair.

The homeless, when staring, have interesting faces. Cracked, scarred, deep. Interesting to explore with a Red filter in B&W.

While asleep, it makes them seem more like a zoo exhibit, IMO.

 

[joealcantar]

I imagine if we were to interview both the subject and the photographer as to why the shot was taken in front of each other it would be another story. We really don't know what was going through the photographers head when they took the shoot , were they with friends and laughing "hold on let me get this homeless guy". Was he walking around putting together something so he could make a statement of conditions? Was he showing off on what the I-Phone could do? To me it does not tell me a story , just a shot of a guy down on his luck that could be any of us at any time. Is the guy a victim of our government since he is wearing a GI's Field Jacket?
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Shoot well, Joe