“Los nadie “ or the nobodies. People condemned by bad decisions in their past are often left and ignored by society. Here, Pedro, a homeless man in the city of Guanajuato, Mexico, watching the time and the people pass by, tired and defeated by loneliness.
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Like a rock in a stream of people.
In order for anyone to progress as a photographer it is important to be aware of your power and responsibilities. Your gaze is important and we shouldn't exploit homelessness for artistic gratification. I don't mean to criticise the image but the general school of thought behind imagery like this is it's not OK to do. Might be something to think about next time you're out and about.
Hi Darcy!! I'm new into photography so i am not able to discuss about the "general school". That being said, could you please tell me more about your thoughts about this image? Because for me: 1. the image is not overexposing the man, since his face is not being showed (it could be...); 2. I liked the fact that the shutter speed gave movement to the world around the man, while he is still "waiting". 3. Poverty, pain, suffering are hard things to register, BUT someone must do it, it is reality, if it wasn't like this, those major war photographers would not bring that reality to our conscientiousness. Once again, forgive me coz i'm very new into photography. Thanks!!
Hey ! Yeah sure thing, I don't mean to bring down your work in anyway and this applies to everyone who creates this style of work, but
I think generally it can be seen as a manipulative practice to gain a reaction from the viewer through one persons disadvantage rather than anything else, regardless of it's intention. Anonymous homelessness doesn't help either party in anyway, it doesn't solve homelessness and it cannot be compared to war photography at all, it doesn't give this person a face, name or story - it is the simplest effort of photo journalist photography to gage an immediate emotional reaction from a viewer and it takes advantage of both the subject and the viewer to reach that goal. I think technically sure it's fine, as you've mentioned motion effect to drive a narrative of passing world perhaps. Remember people look at photographs on average of about 6 seconds (don't quote me on that it could be more or less). So to bring this "Pain and suffering" you're referring to, to the viewer it might be a better practice to get some serious portraits of these people, along with some hand written words of their stories and release that as a series perhaps to really bridge the connection between subject and viewer, rather than anonymity because thats then how you're painting this person, who has a real story, who has real suffering, you're showing them as a blank slate. So without a real graspable narrative in the imagery it just becomes an image mixed in with the billions out there and because you're showing obvious struggle, you're saying that if the viewer doesn't feel anything then they must be cold and emotionless and that's taking advantage of a subject, bringing it to the viewer in a manipulative way, to notice your work. But if thats how you want to spend time, then hats off to you and wish you all the luck with it, it's just such a tricky area that it needs to be done carefully :)
Hola Darcy, thank you for your comment. I appreciate your words, I honestly think our only responsability as photographers is to make an impact on people and not to hide reality. With that being said, poverty, homelessness and other problems in my opinion SHOULD be shown as tho social problem they are. Hiding social problems will never help to solve them. I respect your opinion, but thats not how I see life, cheers!
Hey there, I see your point however I think when it comes to photographing homelessness we'll have to agree to disagree. I think the viewers are smarter than this kind of imagery might suggest, people are aware socio economic issues exist and putting another B&W photo into the world of another anonymous person in need isn't a way to solve it or does it any longer make an impact, maybe a portrait series would be better? however if this is the kind of work you wish to put your time into then thats fine as well.