Hello, all: This is the first time I've written to this board, so excuse me if I'm a bit of a newbie. I'm doing an art project that requires a black and white photograph, and I have a particular layout in mind. I'd like to have a street landscape, with a homeless person sleeping on the ground on the sidewalk or something. B&W, color, it doesn't really matter. If anyone knows of a good picture like this on the web, could you please send the url to me vi email? Thanks very much.

-Tom Lin

-- Tom Lin (tglin@andrew.cmu.edu), October 21, 1997

Answers

Tom, you are running into a few problems with this one. First, are you going to purchase the use of the image? Then, a lot more is needed to judge a fair charge for its use. Then, how are you going to portray these homeless? As one who has shot some I would want to know this. Are you going to make these people look bad? Look heroic? Pitiful? what? The folks I worked with trusted me & many of the other photograhers who have photographed them openly & honestly. We don't do it to demean them & not knowing how you are going to portray them is opening us up to being dishonest with our subjects. Some of them are back in the mainstream while others may never be, but each one has their own dignity & value & isn't a commodity. Why not go out & find someone who will gladly accept $50 to lay down in the scene you need for your project? A model, whether made up to look like what you want, or a preson willing to do so for the pay would solve your need. I won't do it without a lot more info & most shooters I know won't either.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), October 26, 1997.

Hi Dan,

I sent Tom Lin e-mail and referred him to my friend Myatt Lipscome to ask if he could use one of Myatt's photographs. I didn't know you did any street photography. Anyway Myatt sent me e-mail this morning with the URL of the results of Tom's project. You can check it out at: http://revenge.res.cmu.edu/ems1project2.html

-- Dell Elzey (potog@mindspring.com), October 28, 1997.

This dosent answer your question but may help; Don't exploit the homless! Spend a few moments with your subjects, talk to them, dont de-humanize them, and for Heaven's sake, if they dont want thier pitchure taken, find another subject. Oh yeah, dont forget to offer a few bucks for their time. Good luck!

-- RUSSELL LUCAS (RUSSELLLUKE@ATTWORLDNET.ATT.NET), December 02, 1997.

I totally agreed with Mr. Dan Smith. Apart from the fee, photographer should know how the pic is going to be used. Will it be use out of context? You won't get a decent picture with such a vague request.

-- Kevin On Man Lee (kevin.o.m.lee@bc.sympatico.ca), December 18, 1997.

At first I apology for late comer of this question.I agree with Dan Smith and Russell Lucas. If you need it so you can contact with UNITED NATION bodies who works for homeless people.For gods sake don't try to make easy money like NGO's by showing poor peoples as a billboard.

Thank You

Mohammad Irfanul Islam

-- Mohammad Irfanul Islam (darkroom@drik.net), May 12, 1998.