10 Beautiful Portraits Of People Experiencing Homelessness
Leah denBok is just 17 years old, but she has the eye of an old soul. Her photographs of people who are living on the street are both sage and commanding; it is impossible to stop looking at them, searching the faces, absorbing their massive emotional power.
And yet they almost didn't happen — denBok almost gave up photography when she was only 12, despairing that she would ever be any good at it. Fortunately, denBok heard from Joel Sartore, a National Geographic photographer whose lecture series denBok had been watching. "If [Leah] sticks with it she is well on her way to becoming not just a good photographer but a great photographer. And I'm not kidding," Sartore wrote to denBok's father, Tim.
Her portraits appear in a new book called Nowhere to Call Home: Photographs & Stories of the Homeless, which publishes this month (a second volume is scheduled to publish in May 2018). They were taken on the streets of New York and Toronto, as well as other Ontario cities, including Kitchener and Barrie. (DenBok lives with her parents and older brother in Collingwood, Ont.) Before DenBok shot them, her father would ask for permission from the person being photographed.
DenBok's interest in homelessness stems, in part, from her mother, Sara's, experience as an orphan in Calcutta. When Sara was three years old, she was discovered living on the streets by a police officer and was brought to the orphanage run by Saint Theresa (formerly known as Mother Theresa). Two years later, she was adopted by a couple who lived in Stayner, Ont. DenBok hopes that her work will help people see those experiencing homelessness as no different from them.
Below are 10 of denBok's favourite portraits. She shares a bit of each person's story and describes the moment the photo was taken.
Homelessness Portraits
Lucy
When I first photographed Lucy, she told us that her opioid addiction had taken over her life, but that she was looking forward to getting a room through transitional housing.
A couple of months after this photo was taken, we saw Lucy again and I mentioned to her that her photo would be on the cover of my book. She was ecstatic and began dancing around.
The last time we saw Lucy was about four months ago. She was in very bad health and my dad commented to me that he didn’t see how she could survive the winter.
We are both worried about her and wonder, often, how she is doing. I would like to give her a copy of my book, but I’m afraid I may never get the opportunity.
Rhylie
Rhylie, who is Lucy’s boyfriend, told us he almost died from a drug overdose. After he passed out, the candle that he was holding melted onto his finger, causing fourth-degree burns. The pain revived him, which saved his life. But, unfortunately, he had to have his finger amputated.
The loss of a finger has not stopped Rhylie from making money washing car windows on the streets. The day after I posted this photograph online, a person commented that Rhylie had just, a few hours earlier, washed his car windows when he was stopped at a traffic light in Toronto.
Leslie and McLovin
You may have seen Leslie and McLovin if you live in or have visited, Toronto. They are regulars at the corner of Young and Dundas. Leslie told us that five years ago, he found McLovin half starved outside of an abandoned house that was boarded up. Unfortunately, McLovin’s sisters didn’t make it.
Leslie is working toward getting his own apartment. In the meantime, he and McLovin have been moving back and forth between a friend’s house and Seaton House, a shelter in downtown Toronto.
Peter
We saw Peter sitting beside a busy street in New York City, his face in his right hand. My dad approached him and asked if I could take his picture. There was no response. Again my dad put the question to him. This time, without opening his eyes or lifting his head, Peter gave us permission with an ever-so-slight nod of his head.
Kathryn
My dad and I met Kathryn beside the World’s Largest Bookstore (since demolished) in Toronto. Kathryn told us that she is of Scottish descent, and that her sisters had inherited their blond hair from their mother, but all she inherited was her mother’s arthritis. When the photo shoot was finished and my dad and I said good-bye to Kathryn, she grabbed my dad’s hand and said, “Thank you so much for doing this. Most people just ignore me.”
Janice
The sun was beginning to set in New York City when my dad and I came across Janice standing in front of a park bench. We stood and watched her for a minute or two as she very meticulously covered the bench with newspapers. She may have been preparing her bed for the night. She happily agreed to have her photograph taken. Throughout the photo shoot she seldom lifted her head or even opened her eyes. However, she was very friendly. She told us that she is Aboriginal and has lived in the city all of her life.
Homeless man and dog
This photograph was taken in New York City in 2016. It almost didn’t happen. All the photographs I had taken of this man and his dog were too posed for my satisfaction. It wasn’t until I was walking away that my dad, who just happened to glance back, saw this man grab his dog in a spontaneous, loving embrace. I ran back and began snapping away.
Ronny
Ronny told us that his young daughter died of cancer. Unable to cope with her grief, his wife took her own life. Devastated, Ronny turned to drugs and alcohol, running up a huge bill. One day he arrived home to find himself locked out of his house. He had nowhere to go but the streets. When we met him he had only been panhandling for a short period of time.
John
John has a very interesting face and I really wanted to photograph him. When my dad asked for his permission, he said:
“Why?”
“She’s planning to study photography at university and is trying to build up her portfolio.”
“Not good enough.”
“Well, lately, she’s been photographing homeless people in several North American cities, such as Kitchener, New York, and Toronto.”
“Still not good enough.”
“She hopes, with these photographs, to both humanize the homeless and draw attention to their plight.”
“Okay.”
Woman with walker
While standing at the busy intersection of Yonge and Dundas in Toronto, my dad and I noticed a woman wearing a winter coat and hat, as well as a scarf and gloves, despite it being the middle of the summer. She was stooped over, and pushing a walker filled with bags. She moved at an extremely slow pace, shuffling without lifting her feet. The light turned green while she was still in the middle of the road. Fortunately, the drivers waited patiently until she was completely across before advancing.
Nowhere to Call Home is available for purchase online through Friesen Press. All royalties will be given to the Salvation Army and the Barrie Bayside Mission Centre.
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