Homeless people and street photography. Why so common?

10 years 3 months ago #341403 by Jaxwired
What are your thoughts on why homeless people are so popular with street photographers.  


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10 years 3 months ago #341415 by Hassner
Maybe because they are the sunset of landscape photography?


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10 years 3 months ago #341421 by effron
Its trendy and there are so many now. I have a couple other opinions as well, I'll just leave it at that.....:(

Why so serious?
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10 years 2 months ago #341481 by Tim Chiang
Good question, I have wondered the same and come up with the conclusion that homeless people show much more 'interesting' character in their looks.  There's almost a story of hardship and sorrow.  I have personally not taken photos of these people, so only dropping my 2 cents into this thought pool.


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10 years 2 months ago #341485 by Kenta

Hassner wrote: Maybe because they are the sunset of landscape photography?



I think you meant to say "sunset of street photographers"  ;)


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10 years 2 months ago #341501 by Ulrich Brodde
Because most people are dastards and don´t have the balls to take pictures of other people.
It´s easier for them to shoot the homeless without asking or giving some money for a shoot.
So they get their photo and maybe too a feeling of being a good human cause they "care" about the poor and show sympathies and social engagement.
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10 years 2 months ago #341515 by Hassner

Kenta wrote:

Hassner wrote: Maybe because they are the sunset of landscape photography?



I think you meant to say "sunset of street photographers"  ;)


No, but in other words, a longer way to say it: Homeless people are to street photography what sunsets are to landscape photographers.


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10 years 2 months ago #341609 by Tim Dordeck
Didn't know taking photos of homeless people was so popular!


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10 years 2 months ago #341673 by Tuscan Muse
I am very interested in street photography.  I have taken exactly 2 pictures of homeless people.  Both of them saw my camera and asked me to take their picture.  I gave them some money afterwards.  Their motivation in asking for their picture might have been for the money.  I don't know.  I have since learned that taking photos of the homeless is considered poor taste, bad form, etc.  I think it depends on the photographer's intent. If you are trying to make a social statement about the plight of the homeless, why not? If you are taking advantage of the homeless in order to just get an interesting shot, different story.
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10 years 2 months ago #341805 by Ulrich Brodde
Linda, you are one of the very few persons about whom I believe they don´t take pics of homeless to calm down their social consience but just to help them a bit by giving some money.

What I mean with my harsh critic are those who shoot homeless people sleeping or drunken, without any respect or any social engagement - and in the next moment shoot the nice sunset.

Since longer time I have the idea for a project with homeless people in my mind which I may realize when I am back in Berlin.
I feel connected to them cause I have been only a fingers click away from the moment to become one of them.
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10 years 2 months ago #341845 by Richard Taylor
There have been some good projects done where homeless people got to tell their story and get paid from a photographer


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10 years 2 months ago #341919 by Todd Knight

Tim Dordeck wrote: Didn't know taking photos of homeless people was so popular!




:agree:


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10 years 2 months ago #341973 by Little Kate
Depends on how the photos were taking.  I think there is a big difference between how people take these types of photos.  If it's taken in a way to exploit their situation, then yes.  That's wrong.  


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10 years 2 months ago #342073 by Stealthy Ninja
I'm not out hunting down homeless people and mainly I don't photograph them (I think I have a total of about 5 pictures of homeless people), but they can be an interesting part of the street "landscape" and if you're walking around taking street photos and you see something interesting, you photograph it. It's not exploitation (well mostly) it's just photographing something interesting on the streets.

To me at least, street photography is just taking photos on the street. You see interesting stuff and photograph it.

Perhaps the better question is "why are homeless people so interesting to photograph?"
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10 years 2 months ago #342085 by StephanieW
I think this is a very delicate thing to navigate. On the one hand there are a lot of great images to capture and stories to tell. On the other hand it can verge on exploitative if not done right. The poor aren't just there to make those of us who are more fortunate think and reflect on our own lives. It'll happen as a biproduct of doing it, sure, but that's not their purpose. I like Tuscan Muse's thoughts on it. Personally I'm not sure I could ever be comfortable doing it, but if I did I'd do it that way.


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