You Just Have to Ask
This week when I set out I had a much different mindset and thought deeply about how the questions I ask people might effect them. I spent about five hours this week and walked along railroad tracks near my home picking up garbage. There are many homeless people who live near these tracks and the generate quite a bit of trash. Every hundred yards or so I would stop and take a few minutes to write and reflect on what I was doing. It was surprising how much I was realizing and thinking about while doing such a mundane activity as picking up garbage.
This week I talk to a girl I know who was homeless but is no longer homeless. I haven’t known her for very long so i didn’t really know how to approach her in asking if i could ask her questions about being homeless. I didn’t expect her to be so open with me, especially because I think I was obviously nervous. I didn’t want to as to personal of questions or sound judgmental. I didn’t have a set of questions so I started by just letting her tell me whatever she felt comfortable telling me about being homeless and then from there I tried to ask more specific questions. I found out a lot of things I wasn’t expecting to hear. She was very gracious in talking to me and I took way more out of it than I bargained for. When it came time I asked if could take her picture and she was excited. I showed her the finished images later that day and the look on her face was worth being uncomfortable asking her personal questions for and hour or so. I’m really glad that talking to me was worth it for her and that I got to give her something back.
She helped me a lot not only by getting my project started but I learned so much more, I really feel like I’m starting to better understand homelessness and the things associated with it. It feels good to have a sense of accomplishment about my work and it makes me really excited to be doing this project. I can’t wait to continue working on my photography as well as talking to more people and hearing more stories. they are captivating inspiring and insightful in a way I didn’t realize before and I am not quite sure yet what I am going to do with these stories but I hope I think of something, I am also open to suggestions.
May 30th, 2013 at 8:46 pm
I love this set of photos, Jordan. When you had them up at critique a few weeks ago they really caught my eye. The last three are such intense, close photos with great lighting. I relate to being nervous with meeting new people for your project. I have also been very nervous, though I haven’t been doing interviews, I have been scheduling photo shoots. I’m glad that you had a good experience and that she was happy with the pictures! Good job!