$2 Portraits Pool

Zack

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:47:32 -0700

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I saw him sitting on the corner by Union Station strumming his ukulele with his hat out on the sidewalk. I stopped to listen. When he finished his song, we started talking.

Zack is not homeless. In fact, he's on his way to make a gazillion dollars. He hails from Asheville, NC, just graduated from UNC with a degree in software engineering and is just passing through Chicago on his way to Seattle by train where he's going to look for a job.

We talked for a short while longer and he let me take some shots for the $2 Portrait project. I put the bills in his hat and wished him luck.

Taken 5/19/13
Submitted for SliderSunday. HSS!

John

nobody@flickr.com (stephen cosh) — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:56:36 -0700

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Glasgow, Scotland
Leica M Monochrom - 50mm Summilux

John has been a homeless heroin addict for 19 years and has been clean for 19 months. I asked him how hard it was coming off it and he told me it was the second hardest thing he has ever done. I asked him what was the hardest and he said coming off the drink as every time he did he started heroin again.
He was reading a novel and asking folk for change when they went by. I gave him a fiver and asked what he would do with it and he said it would go towards his £30 per night bed and breakfast. He goes to a B&B every night so that he doesn't have to sleep in homeless shelters as they are full of addicts and they would just end getting him back on the drug.
I asked if I could take his photo and he said fire away. Nice guy dealt a bad hand.

Please view on black - Hit "L"

Robert...Two Years Later

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:56:27 -0700

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I was hoping to take him to breakfast in March for our two year "anniversary", but it hadn't worked out. I've seen him a few times since, always stopping to say hi or to buy him a sandwich. Today, I was hoping to see him again and grab that "2 year" photo.

As I was leaving the train toward the spot he's usually at, there was Robert on his way into Union Station. I asked him if he wanted to sit down and have a McGriddle to which he readily agreed. I picked up the sandwich at McDonalds and Robert led me to the Great Hall where we sat on a bench and talked.

Since first encountering Robert 2 years ago and seeing him often since, I wondered about his day to day life. So I began to ask. What's the shelter like? How much does it cost you to stay there? Are there meals provided? How much money do you typically take in daily? Through these questions, I learned a little more about the person.

Robert usually hangs out in a couple of locations, but oftentimes others take those spots when he's not there. When he shows up, they go elsewhere. "I'm not trying to make a lot of money like those other guys looking for drug money. I'm just trying to get enough money for food. I'm not a greedy guy." Robert says he collects about $20-$25 a day and hopes that at the end of the week he has enough to get through the weekend. Robert said that if he's not out on Monday mornings, it's usually because someone was very generous on a Friday afternoon. Otherwise the weekends can be difficult. The shelter serves meals "…if you can call them that. For me, it's just a snack <grin>." Truly a day to day, hand to mouth existence.

Sometimes people will give him food. That's always better In the winter since the cold weather will prevent any leftover food from spoiling. Robert says he's perfectly happy when someone gives him a McDonald's gift card…to him it's as good as cash. He has no other income and as such lives at the shelter rent-free. They are helping him apply for SSI and disability from his old injury.

I asked Robert if I could take a few pictures. In return, he asked if I would make copies for him. "Absolutely", I told him. "I'm traveling this week so I'll bring them next Monday morning…if you're out here." I snapped a few shots and gave Robert the change from the sawbuck. He thanked me profusely as I headed out toward the office.

Taken 4/29/13

Randy

nobody@flickr.com (LVshooter) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:29:45 -0700

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I met Randy, who's homeless, in downtown Las Vegas. He's now part of the $2 Portrait project. bit.ly/zY5kMD

Henry

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 07:15:51 -0700

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Today is the 2 year anniversary of my involvement in the $2 Portrait project. I had arranged to meet up with my very first subject and take him to breakfast. Unfortunately, Robert (aka Superman) was a "no show". As I got back to my car, Henry approached me and asked if I could help him. I told him about the $2 Portrait project and he began posing for the picture. After taking a few shots, we talked for a short while.

Henry Lee Williams is 64 years old and a Vietnam War veteran. He is from Chicago and has been unable to find work. Henry said he's a plumber and electrician and has gone to different construction sites in the City and hasn't been able to get hired on.

Henry asked if I could stretch the $2 a little because all he wants to do is to get a flea bag hotel room and sleep on a pillow for 12 hours. He said he typically sleeps in an alley or loading dock by Presidential Towers and hasn't slept in a bed for weeks. I gave Henry $5 and he shook my hand with a strong grip, thanking me profusely.

Taken 3/23/13

Roderick

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 19:13:19 -0700

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It must have be veteran's night in San Francisco. He was the second veteran to approach me this evening asking if I could spare some change for a bite to eat. "Support your Vets" was his plea. His demeanor and articulate speech reminded me very much of Larry, who I spoke with last December and wrote about. It was funny though; Roderick had the same kind of Veteran's Affairs card that Francis did this evening. Hmmm….are they legit? He offered to show me his California ID, but I declined.

Roderick is 54 years old and is from Mobile, Alabama and has been in San Francisco for 8 years. He was in the Army but never saw any kind of combat. Prior to moving to California, he lived in Texas. I asked him what kind of work he's done and he said he can't work because he's disabled. When I responded that he didn't appear to be disabled, he said, "looks can be deceiving." Roderick then told me he is doing the work of "God" and that he really likes San Francisco because there is a lot of love in the people here. He really enjoys talking to people on the street. We walked down Market Street together for a couple of blocks before I headed back to Union Square. I gave Roderick $2 and wished him luck. We shook hands and he walked on to Carl's Jr. to get something to eat.

Taken 3/14/13

Francis

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:52:38 -0700

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I was walking along Market Street, taking pictures of buses loading and unloading passengers as they pulled into their stops. He approached me from the side while I was waiting for the next photo op and and asked, "Sonny, wanna buy a bagel?" I looked over and he was dragging a large plastic bag full of bagels, which he said he received from a bakery at the end of the day. When I told him I wasn't interested in a bagel but I'd give him $2 if he let me take his picture and told me a little about himself, he readily agreed and set down his bag of bagels.

Francis Gallagher began his story by emptying his sling bag and telling me about its contents. His identification showed he was a disabled veteran who served in the marines in Vietnam. It was there he became mentally disabled and has since never held a job. He showed me a book on fortune telling from a regular deck of cards and was prepared to test it out on me. And he showed me a book of "Homeless Poems" that he claimed he authored.

Francis is 64 years old and has been in San Francisco since 1982. He's originally from Detroit and we talked a bit about midwesterners. I asked him about family and he's never been married. His parents lived in Pennsylvania when he was very young and his dad worked in the coal mines but died from black lung disease when Francis was 12. He didn't talk much about his mom other than to say she was a sophisticated woman.

Francis could have gone on a long time, but folks started to come around due to the sweet smell of bagels, so I thought that would be a good time to make an exit. I gave him $2 and wished him luck.

Taken 3/14/13

poser

nobody@flickr.com (werner.mossig) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 14:45:36 -0800

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i ran into this guy near the Torre Latinoamericana im mexico city. he posed and colored my hand with red white green chalk for my donation.

Aaron

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 22:06:02 -0800

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I was walking down Powell Street enjoying the holiday window displays when I saw from a distance the back of a person that looked vaguely familiar. My heart skipped a beat as I crossed the street to see if it was the person I hoped it wasn't. Thankfully, it was not. With long dark hair and slight build, he sat on the side walk with a sign that read, "Hungry & Broke". I told him about the $2 Portrait project and he agreed to tell me a little of his story.

Aaron is 41 years old and has been in San Francisco for 7 years. He was born in Korea (and is Korean) and came to the US when he was 3. His parents were in the US military so he moved around a lot. I asked how he came to be hungry and broke and he replied that he recently quit his job because it was getting really bad. Aaron didn't describe what kind of work he did, only saying he worked at the place where he got his meds. I figured that was a line of questioning not to pursue. Family was also a topic he didn't talk about only saying he didn't have any family around to help him.

Aaron was not too talkative, so I gave him two dollars, snapped a few shots and wished him luck.

Taken 12/11/12

Larry

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:09:18 -0800

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About to depart from my evening in Union Square, I spotted him approaching several groups of people wheeling his travel suitcase and carrying a large plastic bag over his shoulder. As each group shunned him, I decided to plant myself "downstream" to his path and see if he would approach me.

"Excuse me sir, my name is Larry Daryl Jones. May I talk to you for a moment?" Upon my approval, Larry began to tell me his story of military and prison service. Larry, originally from Richmond, VA, was in the US Army and served in both Desert Storm and Desert Shield, achieving the rank of corporal. After discharge he worked as a warehouseman. Larry talked about being in the Tenderloin and the target of an attempted robbery. With his military training as a martial arts specialist, he decided to teach his assailant a lesson and was subsequently charged and convicted of attempted murder. Larry served 8 years in prison and has been in San Francisco now for 2 years since his release. He then asked me if I could spare some money for something to eat. I told him about the $2 Portrait project and his face lit up. He immediately stepped in front of me and went into his military salute pose.

I took a few shots and we talked a bit longer. Larry was respectful and articulate. His demeanor and etiquette were totally disarming. Had I been in a more regular $2 Portrait mode, I probably could have talked with him for an hour. As it was, I was tongue-tied, not asking my usual questions about age, living arrangements and family. I gave him a few dollars, we shook hands, and I wished him good luck as he picked up his belongings and continued down Geary. In retrospect, it was a missed opportunity as I would have really liked to learn more about him.

Taken 12/11/12

Butch, Take Two

nobody@flickr.com (Jeremy Brooks) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 14:59:43 -0800

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This is part of the Two Dollar Portrait Project.

Butch has lived in Boston for years. He said that he lived in Hollywood for a while. He left Boston in 40 degree weather wearing a heavy coat, and when he got to Hollywood it was 90 degrees. He says someday he will get back to California.

Jesse James

nobody@flickr.com (Thomas Hawk) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 05:57:14 -0700

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Did a $2 Portrait with Jesse James on the G+ one year anniversary photo walk in Denver a few weeks back. Jesse James was running up and down the street asking for money. His pitch was a combination of religious encouragement and personal capability. He was an hard working colorful individual with a giant personality. Quite the entertainer.

Jasper

nobody@flickr.com (Thomas Hawk) — Sun, 27 May 2012 12:51:25 -0700

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Jasper -- San Francisco, CA

Yesterday while out photowalking with Jordana Wright for her America by Rail photowalk I ran into Jasper. Jasper approached me and asked if I would be willing to listen to him. He explained that he was homeless but that he had a unique talent, that he was a human beatbox. He wanted to perform for us and see if we'd help him out so he could get a sandwich.

I told Jasper about my $2 Portrait Project and he agreed to pose but wanted to keep that a separate thing from his beatboxing. After beat boxing for a bit Jasper said we could do a portrait, but he wanted to go out in the sun because he wanted to show us another of his unique talents.

Jasper the beatboxer said he had a unique ability to stare straight into the sun without it hurting his eyes. He said he had rare different colors eyes that gave him this special ability. For about 30 seconds Jasper posed for us with his eyes directly into the sun. He did an encore performance of this but took his shirt off this time because he wanted to show us his muscles.

Jasper was a talkative guy. He kept referring to himself as Jasper the random black dude and kept talking about this sandwich he was going to get with the money from this portrait session. He seemed fixated on the fact that it couldn't have any sauce on it.

Jasper is originally from St. Louis. He said he was a product of the American education system.

After Jasper posed for a while I gave him $10. I usually only pay $2 for street portraits, but Jasper was more of an entertainer to me than a random homeless guy. I told him I was giving $2 for the portrait and $8 for the beatboxing. Others in our group gave him some money too, so hopefully he was able to get his sandwich and a few more today.

Tony

nobody@flickr.com (Thomas Hawk) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:24:33 -0800

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Yesterday I had a great day out shooting with sly vegas, Jonathan Goody, Michael Bonocore, Suzanne Haggerty (and her friend Kristie) and of course the lovely Charli Blake. After we finished up shooting this amazing structure on Treasure Island we decided to go grab some dinner and so we went to pick up some pizza and beer to eat at my house.

While at the Safeway getting the beer we ran into Tony. Tony was panhandling out in front of the Safeway and said he just needed some money so that he could get himself some Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner and go watch a movie.

Tony said that he was born and raised in Berekely. He said he had one daughter who still lived in the area and that he was on disability and hadn't worked in a long time.

Sly gave him some money on the way into the store and on the way out I asked him if he wanted to do a $2 Portrait -- so both Jonathan Goody and I gave him some more money and got a few shots. Hopefully between the three of us he had enough for his KFC and movie.

William's Pacemaker 1434HDRv121004

nobody@flickr.com (jimhairphoto) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:58:36 -0700

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As I came to work this afternoon, I met William outside in the alley. He said he was collecting things to earn some money to help pay for his wife's medicine as she has siezures. We were talking about doctors and medication and he showed me his pacemaker. I said that I was surprised to see it so close to the surface. He explained that he had two rejected previously that had been implanted deeper in his chest on his left side, closer to his heart. He showed me those scars too.

Thomas and Buddy 0101v120915

nobody@flickr.com (jimhairphoto) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 20:07:41 -0700

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I have been in this small town for four months but have only seen Thomas once. I just made the photograph this evening and posted it, so will have a print made tomorrow in case I do run into him again. I have a few prints I carry around in case I do see people I have photographed, but there are only a few I have seen more than once. I usually spend a few minutes talking with someone as I make a photograph, and I offer them $2. I don't think people here are allowed to ask for money on the street (used to be called "panhandling" in America) but I know most of the people I talk with can use some help.
"Character Image" isn't the way I would refer to what I do though, as I consider myself a portrait photographer. I generally shoot with a wide-angle lens that has an 85mm zoom for portraits, but tend to get very close to the people I meet. Robert Capa said that if a photograph wasn't successful, it was because the photographer wasn't close enough.
I am also interested in stories, and how people came to the point where we meet. I am generally interested in older people as they have more stories, and it is rare that I don't learn something from everyone I talk with.
I feel like the best photographs are a collaboration between the photographer and the subject, and the closer a photographer can get to understanding the person, the better the photograph will be. I admire the work of Lewis Hine and Dorthea Lange.
We all have value. I would like my photographs to communicate that.
For the stories though, you will have to buy the book, if I ever get around to writing it.

Kewu

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:18:19 -0700

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Walking down Lake Street under the "L" tracks I heard the familiar sound of a djembe. The high pitched raps along with the deep base were ear catching as he pounded out the African beats. I asked him if I could take some pictures; he nodded yes and continued to play. When he stopped, we talked for a bit and I told him about the $2 Portrait project.

He goes by Kewu, but his tag as a registered Chicago street performer had a different name. Kewu is 65 years old and has been playing percussion since he was 9. Born and raised in Chicago, he's worked odd jobs all his life. He said he went to school but had no formal musical training. He's picked up everything by just playing and listening to others. As I put $2 into his bucket and shook his hand, Kewu offered me his business card. Along with a phone number, it said "Percussionist Extraordinaire". Couldn't agree more.

Taken 8/24/12

Svetlio

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:04:09 -0700

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Added to ClicheSaturday for 9/1/12 - Don't let appearances fool you. HCS!

I had planned on a decent dinner in downtown San Francisco but got distracted by some great street entertainment in Union Square. Then before going to eat, I decided to take one quick walk down Powell Street. It was there that I heard this amazing operatic voice. I stopped to listen and could hardly believe my ears. When he took a break, I walked up to him and we began to talk.

Svetlio (goes by Steve in the U.S.) is from Bulgaria and has been in San Francisco on and off for a couple of years. He's 35 years old and has been singing for about 15 years, but opera for only a year. I told him with his voice, he should be singing professionally. Steve said he is homeless in San Francisco but is going to New York next Tuesday for an audition with Disney, where they have an opening in Tokyo. He may decide to stay in New York for a while since he has some friends there. I suggested he check out Ellen's Stardust Diner where all the wait staff are aspiring Broadway performers. I told him he was as good as any of the performers we've heard there and many of them have successfully ended up on Broadway.

Steve told me he has sung quite a bit in Bulgaria and directed me to a YouTube video of him on X-Factor. Check this out. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKC-U2F3Wvk. Also, check out this documentary on Svetlio - apparently he had some notariety in Bulgaria as reported in San Francisco. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYXugYeBSRo.

We continued to talk and I told him about the $2 Portrait project. He'd never heard about it; referred to it as must being some crazy American thing. Nonetheless he allowed me to take his picture as we bantered about a whole myriad of subjects ranging from energy prices to politics. After a while, I felt bad monopolizing his time and placed some money in his backpack, telling him I'll step back and listen for a while longer. He thanked me and we shook hands. As I backed away and he began to sing, a small crowd gathered. The looks on their faces mirrored my initial amazement and contributions began to slowly flow for Svetlio. He caught my eye and smiled.

Taken 8/29/12

Gerald

nobody@flickr.com (jeffm211) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 21:25:47 -0700

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SPNC - Year 2 - Instruction #24
"Surprise Yourself!" - Damien Chrobak
This image selection for the theme is not obvious, so please read on.

Near the corner of State and Lake in Chicago's Loop, he stood in the middle of the sidewalk, cup and sign in hand, asking every passerby for help. As he approached me, I told him about the $2 Portrait project. "Oh man, can't you do more than two?", he asked. We settled on $3 and began what turned out to be a lengthy conversation (surprise #1). When I gave him the money during the early part of our conversation, he counted it - making sure I was living up to our deal. We both laughed when I asked if he really thought I was going to rip him off (surprise #2).

Gerald was born in Mississippi but came to Chicago as a young child and has lived here ever since. He's 58 years old and was diagnosed with the AIDS virus about 4 years ago. On his wrist was what appeared to be a hospital wristband, but I couldn't read it and tell for sure.

Gerald lives on the streets and sometimes sleeps on the "L" trains. He used to work as a packer many years ago at a warehouse in Franklin Park. He was very proud of this job and continued to describe in great detail how he packed the boxes, taped them up and stacked them 5 or 7 high, depending on what was in them. Gerald wishes he could get that old job back, but when things slowed down many years ago, he was laid off.

I asked him if he had any family that could help him. He shook his head no and began to tell me about some of his family. He has a child who lives in Detroit who is 25 or 30 years old who he hasn't seen in several years. He also has a grandbaby who suffers from sickle cell. Gerald talked about his younger brother who died from sickle cell at the age of 23. And he talked about his father who was an "upstanding man" who at the age of 10 could name every car on the street.

Gerald asked me why I take photos of the people I talk to (surprise #3). I told him that it is a way to tell a story about people who are often forgotten and that I've met a lot of interesting folks. He wondered if some of the people I've met like being homeless because he doesn't, even though he's been so for a long time. I told him that some do and some don't…everyone's story is a little different.

We talked for about 15 minutes. Our conversation started on a more downtrodden note, but by the time it was over, Gerald seemed in better spirits. We shook hands and walked our separate ways.

For the surprises noted above, I decided to submit this for SPNC-Year 2-Instruction #24.

Taken 8/24/12

_DSC9347

nobody@flickr.com (Rick Paulline) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:24:01 -0700

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This is Ray. I found him on Sutter and Sansome in S.F. I asked him for directions. He answered my question and asked if I could help him out with some change. I told him about the $2 portrait project he agreed. he said that he has been in the city for 10 years , and had left Vallejo so he could straighten out his life. He said that he is doing o.k. now that he gets S.S.I.