you gotta see this, a "homeless" shoe closet

[Frank in JC]

I refuse to photograph homeless people, even when it's a textbook photo-op, and I never them money.  Just my policy.  I'm a dick.

However, I am interested in aging signs of man's presence, urban decay and the effort that time and mother natures both exert to erase it.  I found two interesting things this weekend so I wanted to share.  You can follow the links to the explanations, and you have to read the one about the shoes!

It's nice to see the recent photo-related posts, everybody.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/factisfiction/2172026741/




http://www.flickr.com/photos/factisfiction/2173023109/

[Sanjay]

Very nice!

I had to do a shoot with some homeless people, for the Salvation Army and their advertising pieces.   It was very hard for me, even though they agreed to do it, to be able to photograph them. 

The result was alot of mediocre stuff since I just wanted to get done with it as soon as possible.

[Frank in JC]

Very nice!

I had to do a shoot with some homeless people, for the Salvation Army and their advertising pieces.   It was very hard for me, even though they agreed to do it, to be able to photograph them. 

The result was alot of mediocre stuff since I just wanted to get done with it as soon as possible.

I bear no ill-will toward them, but I can't deny feeling some contempt for people who don't or won't help themselves.  (I despise that very trait in myself.)  Of course their story isn't as simple as that.  Most are in such a deep hole there's very little chance they can  get out of it by themselves. 

[Sanjay]

Course it's not ill will, for me it was just a feeling of being uncomfortable when I am being paid so much to take pictures of those who have so little.

[Frank in JC]

Course it's not ill will, for me it was just a feeling of being uncomfortable when I am being paid so much to take pictures of those who have so little.

I'm don't want to make it seem like I'm too much of a jerk... I'll give a bum food any day.  But money, which seems to be the only thing they need from the rest of us, no.  Living in Philadelphia for several years, I got to recognize many "professionals" whose occupation it seemed was to beg for money.  After a while, and as cynical as it truly is, it's unwise to be an idealist about these issues.

But emotionally, the impact that the "shoe closet" project had on me was real.  The woman who called that place her home lives a tragic existence.  Ironically, her collection shows how marvelously unique an animal we humans are.  Women, especially?