Junkie, Ciera, Hepatitis Boulevard, Chicago 2013 – Minolta SRT 202, 50mm, Tri-X 1600 Push
Ciera is a 22 year old girl from rural Indianan. She washed up onto the concrete shores of Hepatitis Boulevard for the first time about six years ago. Ciera is out of veins, so she injects directly into her buttocks. I’ll have much more on the life of Ciera in the near future. She is so sweet. It kills me to look at this…
UPDATE: 1-21-2014
As of this writing, Ciera has been clean for almost a month. She was able to complete a 4 day detox with methadone, and then after that, she went cold turkey.
Don’t do junk! The number one message that Heroin addicts wish for me to pass along is: “Don’t Do Junk!” Don’t think that you can just snort heroin one time, it’s NOT worth the risk. That one time, soon turns into fifty – fifty turns into injection rather than snorting. Six months later, you look back and wonder what the fuck happened…
I have been working on a Heroin addiction photography project here in Chicago for the past six months. During this time, I have come to know several addicts on a deep and personal level. We’ve built a relationship, and are working together to tell their story. These photos on my blog are but a small glimpse into the dark and dirty world of Heroin addiction.
Cold Turkey