This is a series of images I shot a while back using a Holga camera. They are all shot in a voyeuristic style while literally shooting between my legs as to not alert people to that I was taking pictures. This was a staged set up in which I had one of my friends "dress up" as a homeless individual on the streets in order to examine the human interaction between him and the general public. It was amazing to see the types of people pass by with ignorance and disgust. Even when he "accidentally" knocked over his tray of change into the street, no one passing by even skipped a step. The all just continued to walk by never even looking down, choosing to ignore his suffering. No one even stopped to help. Despite the mass amounts of people passing by pretending that him and the problem didn't exist in their little bubble of a world, there were a few generous and caring individuals who stopped and gave what they could to help. This series is an investigation into the type of people and community we are. Sadly it shows that we like to believe that these types of issues don't exist and we choose to ignore them. Next time you see a person down on their luck, stop, help however you can. Even if its just a kind conversation to lift his or her spirits. All the money collected that day was given to other needy individuals in the area.
All images are copyright Steven Lessick 2011
