14 DAY TRIAL // Homeless people are usually regarded as individuals that “enjoy” their condition and simply like to get the sympathy of bystanders without doing anything to improve their life.
In addition to that, most people avoid them because they smell badly, and because at the same time, they are seen as drug addicts, alcoholics or criminals who don't deserve to be helped by anyone. While this might not always be the case, homeless people will always suffer if the society doesn't change its beliefs.
London-based photographer, Rosie Holtom, who is working as a volunteer for London's only free homeless shelter, “Shelter from the Storm,” decided to change our view about these unfortunate people with a one-of-a-kind photo session.
To address this issue, Rosie decided to invite more than 10 homeless people into her studio for a unique portrait session meant to put them into a more familiar light. The results were more than impressive as neither of them looks like not having a home and they could easily pass as “ordinary” folks if one didn’t know their true condition.
Through the SFTS project, Rosie wanted to show another face of the homeless and drew the attention of the media as well. As you can see from this series of portraits, the homeless that walked into Rosie's studio had the chance to forget for a brief moment about their problems and even managed to have a little fun.
If you want to view the entire photo gallery, you could visit Rosie's Official Flickr page. These portraits were also part of an exhibition held in London back in November.
We definitely need more projects like this to raise everyone's awareness about the world we live and the hardships encountered by many homeless people even if they want to overcome their condition.