Everyone has a story , and this is always first and foremost in my mind . Having come from a back ground with not much money ( born in Africa ) and having grown up in a home where my parents often reached out to the homeless with the little that we did have , it birthed something of a compassion towards people less fortunate than ourselves . Growing up I realised sadly a lot of these people are in these positions due to poor decision making , however when you actually take the time to hear their stories one can ’ t but help be moved by the humanity aspect that we are in the end all human , we the same .
Be it Adelaide , Melbourne , Sydney - whenever I go on a business trip I always make sure I have my camera with me . Usually after a day ’ s work and evening dinner with work colleagues I head out into the streets to capture whatever I may find in the city night life . For many years my canon 550D and 50mm 1.8 was my faithful companion on these adventures . Recently I have moved to Fujifilm Xpro2 with the 23mm 1.4 lens . The build of the Fujifilm set up certainly comes across less intrusive as a camera set up .
Earlier this year I started I personal photography series called “ The homeless and the homeless ”. The inspiration behind this was driven by a compassion for people on the streets and to give ear to their stories and then with their permissions grab some photographs of their raw reality environments . Homeless and homeless to me meant that most often it is not only their physical bodies that were homeless and living on the streets , but their dignity and identity as human beings and sense of belonging was also homeless . We all have a story and we all know the sense of warmth it brings to feel accepted and heard . My humble efforts were to be something of this to these men and woman on the streets .
Like most often in life , you can start out with good intentions and learn that their are dangers along the way . Someone who is coming off a high or having had a hit of ice can pose genuine safety issues . It would be advisable to pursue such photography with a friend by your side . I have been cursed , had things thrown at me and even chased on my adventures in night street photography with the homeless . One gentleman sleeping on the floor inside a Westpac ATM foyer was delighted when a small group of us gave him a hamper of food and clothes in a kit bag . I asked If I could take a few photos to which he nodded with a smile in what I interpreted as approval ( as did those around me ). I was taking a few shots and decided to get really low and lie down on the ground and get a lower more creative angle looking up . I would have been about 4 meters away from this gentleman so I was not in his private space by any means . The next thing like a African Nile crocodile launching out of the water to grab a zebra , this gentleman shot up with screaming fits of rage and headed straight towards me . Fortunately my reflexes were sharp ( like the lucky zebra that got away ) and managed to escape a swinging leg intended to kick me . Once I was on my feet this gentleman proceeded to chase me . At this point his obvious intoxication gave me the clear advantage to get away as I sprinted down the side street . Moral of the story - always be alert and aware .
But then there are the awesome connections one has that are more moving than watching Slumdog Millionaire with a hot box of popcorn . One gentleman had lost his entire business , factory , and family and was now on the streets with nothing . Yes there were a series of unhelpful decisions that led to this point , but in that moment , being in the pres-
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