My response to a question about photographers who seek dark subjects for shock value and money (I often catch hell for my photos. I was accused of exploiting people just the other day):
I can’t speak for anyone else. All I know about is what I do, and why I do it. When I was 13 (I’m now pushing 50), I ran away from home to volunteer at Pacific Garden Mission (Homeless shelter that was on 11th and State). This is part of my life’s workflow, not some temporary endeavor designed for self-promotion and sensationalism. I’m a philosopher who uses a camera to tell a story. I think if you ask the subjects that I photograph (or people who actually know me), they will tell you that I am a man of true compassion. Authenticity is a leading value in my morality. That’s why they so openly allow me to photograph them.
One of the quotes that I often repeat to myself:
“The worst thing is to feel that as a photographer I’m benefiting from someone else’s tragedy. This idea haunts me. It’s something I have to reckon with every day, because I know that if I ever allow genuine compassion to be overtaken by personal ambition, I will have sold my soul.” -James Nachtwey
Me – My soul, is not for sale.
This is the photo that caused the controversy, this time:
Junkie- John, Thanksgiving, 2013
This is John on Thanksgiving morning attempting to hit the main artery in his groin. John can’t use the needles that I get because they are not long enough to hit that deep vein that he seeks. It can take as long as an hour for someone like John to finely hit.
John told me he had just ran out of the money that a gentlemen had given him about two weeks ago. Some man gave John $500.00 while he was panhandling. John told him many tragic stories (leaving out the Heroin addiction part) about how he ended up on the streets. The man was then compelled to go to the nearest ATM and withdraw $500.000, which he gave to John. This is called “hustling.”
