new project
Wednesday was the start of something that I hope will be a long-term project. For six months, I’ve been volunteering at our local drop-in centre, which provides a safe, warm or cool (depending on the season) place to eat two hot meals a day, drink cheap coffee, and gain access to housing, mental health, and other resources. On Wednesday, I had the day off and it was overcast, so I decided to go for a visit and take my camera with me. A couple of people have agreed in principle to let me photograph them, but we’ve been stuck on logistics. I figured it was more than time to just take the plunge.
So I spent a couple of hours in the smoking area, and talked and listened and occasionally shot pictures. Here are a few of my early favourites:
I like that the images don’t scream HERE IS A POOR PERSON. They say Here is a Person. I also see the trust they have in me and the respect I have for them, and that makes me so proud of these images. They were a true exchange, exactly like I wanted them to be.
It’s obvious I have no emotional distance from these images. They’re so entwined with the conversations we had that I can’t really judge them properly. But I think (and hope!) they’re the start of something wonderful and exciting. If you want to see a slide show of all the images so far, click here.
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Wow. I love 3 and 4 the most.
August 4th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I’d say they’re images of happy people. These are lovely!
August 5th, 2008 at 7:16 am
They’re beautiful. As you said, these are everyday people and you’ve captured who they are and not just the situation they’re in. They’re dignified shots and I think that your subjects will be thrilled that you’ve managed to capture them so open and unguarded. Well done – it was worth the wait!
October 11th, 2008 at 6:36 am
[...] bring my camera with my 50 mm lens, but until last Saturday I never actually took it out. The one time I’ve taken pictures there was a special trip, not one of my volunteer [...]