Homeless

[curtyoungblood]

I am curious about what type of program and class you shot this for. I tend to agree with some of these comments that the photographs are a little heavy-handed for a documentary project. The PP clearly changes the subjects, and makes them look quite different than when they were photographed. However, I'm not as convinced as others that your professor agrees with us. Is this how you are being taught to do a documentary project and how heavily is the documentary style focused on in your program/class?

For background, I work at a newspaper, and have been watching the acceptable level of photoshop work in photojournalism change dramatically. I realize that I am very strict and maybe even have old-school beliefs, but am curious about what schools are teaching is acceptable.

 

[o hey tyler]

No, I disagree.
PJ is telling something, placing the faces and people in context, informing the world on something they didn't know.
This is just exploitation specifically because there is nothing more to these pictures than 'look at the grimy, worn faces. they have it really tough. Aren't you happy it isn't you? Now let me make the color grotesque so you really can put them in a different category from you.'

Andrew, as it is his customary behavior, was polite and gentle.
Luckily I'm not like that.

There's obviously something to the photos if they've compelled me to bring canned goods to the local homeless shelter today. Hopefully someone likes sweet potato and chipotle soup as much as I do.

 

[runnah]

Lew,

How is it any less exploitive to show photos of starving children in Africa to spurn donation and encourage relief funds?

All too often we live our comfortable lives hearing about statistics about the world's homeless, poor, mentally ill etc... and we just ignore it or think "sucks to be them". Taking a photo and saying "This person exists and it not just a statistic." is just what society needs.

 

[cgipson1]

Lew,

How is it any less exploitive to show photos of starving children in Africa to spurn donation and encourage relief funds?

All too often we live our comfortable lives hearing about statistics about the world's homeless, poor, mentally ill etc... and we just ignore it or think "sucks to be them". Taking a photo and saying "This person exists and it not just a statistic." is just what society needs.

I agree with that... but purposely processing them or taking them in a manner that exaggerates the bad qualities... that is disgusting! That and most people that shoot the homeless have no intention of anything other than getting an dramatic image... with no humanitarian purposes involved.

 

[oldhippy]

I honestly dislike the images as shown. The photoshop distortion is in itsef a turn off. This is how I felt. Show me a picture of a bag lady, and I'm moved by social inequity.
But don't PS and distort the poor thing.. Just my gut feeling

 

[runnah]

Lew,

How is it any less exploitive to show photos of starving children in Africa to spurn donation and encourage relief funds?

All too often we live our comfortable lives hearing about statistics about the world's homeless, poor, mentally ill etc... and we just ignore it or think "sucks to be them". Taking a photo and saying "This person exists and it not just a statistic." is just what society needs.

I agree with that... but purposely processing them or taking them in a manner that exaggerates the bad qualities... that is disgusting! That and most people that shoot the homeless have no intention of anything other than getting an dramatic image... with no humanitarian purposes involved.

Well yes, like I said the OP processing was dumb. But we cannot say how each person seeing the photo will internalize it. Art means different things to different people. You might see a dirty homeless person, but I might see a person who is in need of my time and effort.

 

[shefjr]

These photos remind me of "Afghan Girl". I like them because they tell me (in my mind) a story of a rough, weathered life. Even with out the context of being homeless.
I do wonder though, is "Afghan girl" considered photojournalism? The way I read what Lew wrote (unless I'm missing something) his opinion would be no.

 

[The_Traveler]

Lew,

How is it any less exploitive to show photos of starving children in Africa to spurn donation and encourage relief funds?

All too often we live our comfortable lives hearing about statistics about the world's homeless, poor, mentally ill etc... and we just ignore it or think "sucks to be them". Taking a photo and saying "This person exists and it not just a statistic." is just what society needs.

I agree with that... but purposely processing them or taking them in a manner that exaggerates the bad qualities... that is disgusting! That and most people that shoot the homeless have no intention of anything other than getting an dramatic image... with no humanitarian purposes involved.

There is clearly a balancing test here.

Showing images of starving children, as they actually are, may verge on exploitative but the greater purpose is to make their situation real and, most importantly, to generate funds to help them.

In this situation, we aren't being shown anything we aren't already aware of, the only purpose is to satisfy a course requirement and the pictures are deliberately distorted.

 

[runnah]

Lew,

How is it any less exploitive to show photos of starving children in Africa to spurn donation and encourage relief funds?

All too often we live our comfortable lives hearing about statistics about the world's homeless, poor, mentally ill etc... and we just ignore it or think "sucks to be them". Taking a photo and saying "This person exists and it not just a statistic." is just what society needs.

I agree with that... but purposely processing them or taking them in a manner that exaggerates the bad qualities... that is disgusting! That and most people that shoot the homeless have no intention of anything other than getting an dramatic image... with no humanitarian purposes involved.

There is clearly a balancing test here.

Showing images of starving children, as they actually are, may verge on exploitative but the greater purpose is to make their situation real and, most importantly, to generate funds to help them.

In this situation, we aren't being shown anything we aren't already aware of, the only purpose is to satisfy a course requirement and the pictures are deliberately distorted.

I feel like we are splitting hairs here.

Yes the OP was heavy handed in his attempts but that doesn't make the subject matter any less valid. Regardless of the intent it still is a real person who needs help.

Again your a presuming that the only result here is a course grade. You certainly cannot predict or presume what effects this or any photo could have on a person.

 

[Mully]

Find a way to use your photography for their cause... some of the images for me are haunting, the first image the mans face has been burned by the cold. I donate a lot of my time for a Bridges Out of Poverty program and suffering is everywhere.... many homeless have found themselves in that situation due to job loss....it splits up families and has an enormous effect on the children. I am not fond of the over processing as it changes the character of the subjects. I work with a group of photographers that help people in need ...... maybe others could do the same.

 

[Rick58]

"Here's a coin starving guy, say cheese"
Maybe the next assigment can be alcoholism and you can offer cans of beer.

 

[sm4him]

Lew,

How is it any less exploitive to show photos of starving children in Africa to spurn donation and encourage relief funds?

All too often we live our comfortable lives hearing about statistics about the world's homeless, poor, mentally ill etc... and we just ignore it or think "sucks to be them". Taking a photo and saying "This person exists and it not just a statistic." is just what society needs.

I agree with that... but purposely processing them or taking them in a manner that exaggerates the bad qualities... that is disgusting! That and most people that shoot the homeless have no intention of anything other than getting an dramatic image... with no humanitarian purposes involved.

^ +1.

When I see photographs of homeless people, the ones that I find compelling are NOT ones that have been processed to show just how grimy and poor and homeless these people are, but rather the ones that show the *character* of that person, the ones that make you look in their eyes and really SEE them, as someone's father, or son, or long-lost brother, as someone with a history, with talents and dreams that could still be dreamt. It often strikes me that I'm never more than a couple of decisions away from being right there with them--for me, in a good photo of a homeless person, I see someone who could BE a relative, someone whose story I'd like to know. When I look at the photos the OP has posted, I see some incredibly interesting faces that tell me there are stories to be told here, fascinating stories, but with the gritty style of processing, all I see is "look at how poor and pitiful these people are."

 

[The_Traveler]

You certainly cannot predict or presume what effects this or any photo could have on a person.

That kind of post hoc justification can be made for almost anything, assuming you can dream up a possible consequence.

"Yup, that earthquake was really terrible but it sure did great things for the construction business."

No newspaper editor would accept this amount of PPing, and the distortion means we aren't seeing the 'real' people, we are seeing caricatures.
I am pretty unshakeable in my opinion.

 

[ThornleyGroves]

Thanks for all the replies guys, it really does interest me on how other perceive the pictures i have taken. For me it has really shown me what photography is about, i feel photography is about debate, and that is certainly what has happened here. Of course theres people suffering the world and people struggling to get by. However if i wasn't taking these photos and neither was anybody else, then these people would be forgotten about. This is the beauty to photography, it lets people see what they wouldn't normally see and it raises issues.

Yes, i agree i feel i might have over processed them and made them look gritty to get a better reaction from the general public. I also probably have vignetting them too much. What i'll do though is post the same six again but far less processed and less vignetted and see what you make of it.

Lew whilst you have a valid point with what you're saying, everyone is entitled to their opinion and some people will love these photos and some will majorly dislike them. Thats what photography is, no one will like every photo and no one will dislike any photo. My lecturers actually mark my piece 3 times with three different lecturers because of this. And i'll share with you what feedback i get from them.

 

[The_Traveler]

Why don't you give the link to this thread to your lecturers and let them respond?