Street Sleeper

I picked this homeless guy up today, jus' round the corner from Trafalgar Square.

Street Sleeper

[IMG]http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j159/paulyrichard/streetsleeperBWcontrastmediumbor-1.jpg[/IMG]

Can't say I am particular fond, of this kind of pictures. I have seen other work of you, and though "Homeless" was also the subject, it was of a totally different order. The portrait you showed us earlier obvious was with consent from the subject. And thereby justifiable. This however is in my opinion a easy kill (no pun......) and totally ignores the human dignity (or what is left of it) in every aspect. I fully understand the motives, and can imagine it is part of a large project to show; the dark side of our civilisation. But even than, there should be borders to consider. They are so easily crossed in a way, we tend to forget these man(and woman) are still human beings.

It is only my opinion, and I am certainly not a member of the "moral police", but I had to say it. Sorry


Martin.

i have to agree with you martin, £1000 camera and a very cheap shot,sorry.

Sorry Paulyrichard I agree with the above also.

Jesus Christ, that is one hell of a 'holier than thou' attitude!

I don't think any of you understand street photography let alone the history of it as a document and a record, when you come out with statements like this.
You really have showed your ignorance here, haven't any of you studied the masters of this type of photography?!

Lee Friedlander, Garry Winogrand and Weegee to name a few. Do any of you know any of the work by these masters?!

How am I degradin' this guys dignity? This is what they do, and this is a document of the problem we have with homeless people in this city.

This is real life!

I had to say this too.

And Parker, I take offence from your statement.

sorry but i take offence from your picture,and your attitude." i picked this guy up...." get a life, and some respect for people less well off than you.did you ask his permission,"would you be offended / mind if i take your photo"?

Reading some of your reactions in other posts, like the Police issue and your view on that matter (which BTW are not that different as mine, though maybe a bit lacking in the nuance section) I am actually not surprised by the way you reacted.

Obviously you pretend to be quite a Guy, using names as Winogrand, Friedlander and Weegee. But I am afraid you didn't do your homework.
Those masters should probably turn in their graves if they heard your remark. IMO, you are the only one with a attitude and not one of a very high standing, if I might add. The fact alone you dare to compare yourself with the big three of street documentary must be the joke of this century.
Maybe it is time to get of your high horse, and Google the difference between street documentary and sewer journalism. There is a difference you know ? Not that you probably notice.

I'm sitting on the fence on this one, but one question -

Why has this picture caused displeasure when another of Pauly's here was well received?

In my view the First old feller was asked if he would mind having his photo taken, how would Pauly feel if later he found out the person he thourght was asleep was dead and not asleep, how would he feel knowing he had taken the photo and put on here with out waking him up.

paulyrichard

To me, your photo is a powerful statement that provokes all sorts of reactions.

.....it didn't fail!



Rob

What are you talkin' about, as far as i'm aware Lee Friedlander is not even dead yet!

You keep makin' all these assumptions and accusations. Where did I say I compare myself to these guys?!
Why am I 'quite the guy' for usin' these guys names, when they are three of my favourite photographers?
I am not in they're league, I used they're names so that maybe you would check them out and see for yourself, but I guess you haven't.
You jus' want to sit there and hurl pointless remarks.

I don't really care what you have to say, 'cos its so wide of the mark!

Your sentiments are nothin' short of antagonisin'.

I know Rob, thats somethin' that these assassins haven't even thought of yet!

What ever gets you off. Nuff said.

And what is that supposed to mean, yet again?!

Have you checked out any of they're images yet so that you have a grasp and an understandin'?!

A fair point Tel, but surely if you take enough pictures, sooner or later you may take one you would rather not have.

I was at Shoreham Airshow in 2007 and while taking a photo of one aircraft I just happen to notice that another aircraft was behaving oddly. I went back to the first aircraft and eventually took the picture only to find the other one had gone in, killing the pilot. When I got the film developed, there was a pall of black smoke in the background.

In the end I destroyed the print and negative.

I'm not sure that the subject of a photo being unpleasant makes it bad.