Lee Jeffries, Homeless, 2013
When you see a homeless man on the street what is your initial reaction? You look the other way don’t you? Everyone does it, but why? It has been ingrained into our culture to believe that those on the streets are thieves and crooks, but the truth is so much deeper than that.
Homelessness has become an increasing issue in today’s society. In the course of the 2013-2014 school year the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimated 138,575 Chicagoans were homeless. That is an increase of 19.4% in only a year. Out of all of these homeless it was reported that 12% were employed but homeless, 6% were veterans, 4% were HIV positive, 30% physically disabled, and 28% severely mentally ill. Those statistics cover a total of 80% of the homeless. These are not lazy ungrateful people. They are going through times more difficult than many of us could ever imagine and photographer Lee Jeffries saw that.
Jeffries is a self-taught amateur street photographer who became inspired by a homeless woman he met in London. She shared her story of loss with him that then veered his work into a new direction. His recent project focuses on photographing the homeless in hope that someone will take something from their situations. In an interview with Time Magazine he stated, “I can’t change these people’s lives, I can’t wave a magic wand but it doesn’t mean I can’t take a photograph of them and try to raise awareness and bring attention to their plight.” Jeffries’ takes close up, black and white headshots of the homeless. His images hold a sharp focus on the eyes of each individual. He gives them the time to share their stories with him and in return he is able to capture the raw emotion that lies within them, the emotion we miss when we look the other way.
by Jennifer Bronson
