Streets of Rotterdam

There are so many photography projects about homeless people out there and I understand the problem of the documentary photographer that walks around to portray pain, poorness, or more anything which is not familiar with himself. This project is not so different, but I put it here because I learned a lot during this process. Why should a photographer create a proj- ect? Who are they helping with it? Is it changing anything? All these questions and more I had to answer in long discussions with my teachers which were fundamental to understand the importance of thinking and questioning our own moral attitude.

I started and changed the project while being in this learning process which made it evolve into a more inclusive storyline.
I resisted the urge to see my motifs as “storytelling-faces”, but as fellow in- habitants of the city, I’m living in. I wanted to understand what happened to them and how they think about their own portrayal. Over the course of two weeks, I walked around Rotterdam and talked to several homeless people. While approaching them I wanted them to feel included in the story. I asked them if they would like to share their story or anything they want with me.

I didn’t judge or put any opinion in these talks with them. I tried to stay as objective as possible.