Can You See Us?
Yesterday I commented on my own presence, and whether I, as a Street Photographer, was seen by those who I photographed, or whether I could blend in and simply disappear from view. Which led me to wonder how many other people there are on the streets who we do not see. How many others seem to simply blend in with their surroundings, or are not seen by those who pass them by, through distraction, ignorance or a desire not to be confronted by the truth.
The header photograph to this post is of an older homeless man on a bench in the centre of Hildesheim, a good supply of cheap beer and cigarettes beside him. The next time I passed him he was lain down in a shop doorway, as if to sleep. A short while later he had disappeared.
A street magazine seller in Bremen. She is one of many who sell the local homeless magazine to anyone who is willing to part with a few euro. Sellers receive a small portion of the money raised.
A woman preparing for her day of begging, of hoping passersby will give her a few spare coins, in the central shopping area in Hannover.
A lone women close to the start of the pedestrian shopping area in Hildesheim, eating a Brezel, with a cap before her for any small change passersby might be willing to sacrifice.
A homeless man in Hildesheim, sitting on a concrete bench in the sun, but in the shadow of a street sign. He remained there for several hours as I moved back and forth through the streets, but not begging.
A woman in a side street in Osnabrück, clearly having a moment or two of anxiety. There is a crutch lying down behind her.
A homeless man in Osnabrück, sitting on a bench for a short while in the sun, his clothes tattered and torn. He moved listlessly on from the bench, not begging, not looking at anyone around him, but not high.
As a Street Photographer moving around in the cities and watching the people around me, seeking subjects for my craft, I see these people in every single city that I visit. And every single city that I visit has the potential to help them, to rehouse them, to see to their medical needs and relieve their anxieties. But how many of these people are pushed out of sight, blended into our unconsciousness as a mere peripheral object we pass by? How many do we see?
