Faces of Addiction

Richard S. (rich815) · Dec 4, 2014

What do you think? Good photography?

http://www.thefix.com/content/man-behind-“faces-addiction”

https://www.flickr.com/photos/arnade/sets/72157627894114489/

gone · Dec 4, 2014

This has been done so much already, it's nothing but exploiting people for a buck and "recognition" as a photographer, if you wish to call it that. Whether he is making a dollar on this particular project, and permit me to doubt his word, I guarantee it leads to gigs and media talk, which in turn lead to money in, guess who's, pocket. He isn't one of the addicts he's shooting, he doesn't live on the streets, he doesn't know sh*t about what those people are going through. Is he plowing all profits into addiction treatment centers? Safe houses? Homeless shelters? I think bloody not. Karma baby. No one escapes it.

There are so many people doing good things in the world and they never once shout "look at meeeee. Aren't I great"! The ones making a difference keep their mouths shut and go on about their business. For others, it's just about ego stroking.

Dinesh · Dec 4, 2014

momus said:
There are so many people doing good things in the world and they never once shout "look at meeeee. Aren't I great"! The ones making a difference keep their mouths shut and go on about their business. For others, it's just about ego stroking.

Couldn't I argue that if his images inspired another of "The ones making a difference" to join in and help, it would have been a worthwhile endeavor?

NB23 · Dec 4, 2014

As documentaty, yes.

As Art, no.

cliveh · Dec 4, 2014

Very strong imagery of lost souls. Good photography? Well yes, in the context that this needs to be recorded and shown, as these people need help and this imagery may help.

ewernotme · Dec 4, 2014

Yeah, I'm agreeing with the general consensus here. I feel that from the beginning that drug photography is really just prostituting images of sadness. Though I do enjoy early photos by Larry Clark, I don't think that it is something that needs to be re-done so many times. Perhaps a better approach would be for the drug addicts themselves to take photographs as a means of responding to their addiction and as therapy.

MrBrowning · Dec 4, 2014

I think stuff like this has a place as documentary photography but with some kind of context. I feel this guy is doing the same things as Humans of New York but with the poor and addicted. I don't much care for it and think, like others said, it's taking advantage of the subjects (victims?). What so I know though....

OptiKen · Dec 4, 2014

good photography? As a documentary the images are very powerful, so, yes.
Question you have to ask is, is this exploitation or pornography.
There is no question about the photography. Stark, honesty is often what the documentary photographer is attempting to capture.
Here, the photographer succeeds in that. How we may receive it is more a reflection on us than on the photographer or the subject.

VisualDarkness · Dec 4, 2014

The question is if it is worse to treat people with problems in life like shadows, as if they didn't exist, rather than giving them the same kind of spotlight as you would give any other human being you find interesting? Ignoring and quieting isn't a good way to treat people either.

Photo Engineer · Dec 4, 2014

This goes back to the thread on exploitation. Anyone remember that one?

Is it art, a documentary or exploitation? Read the other thread for opinions.

PE

Hatchetman · Dec 4, 2014

As long as he asks and they are OK with it, I don't see a problem.

tkamiya · Dec 4, 2014

Is it ART? Probably not. But I can almost hear them speak. Isn't that what photography is and photographs supposed to do? Photographers way to tell a story? Forget compositions. Forget lighting, DOF, what camera or lens.... they have nothing to do with these.

On Flicker ones, I was looking at some of the images and thought of what their lives were like. Then clicked on the photograph. Yup, there are stories. Sometimes they matched. I was kind of amazed by that.

There are argument that these things are over done and that this is nothing more than exploitation. I disagree for reasons that most of us still don't know enough about these people. Besides, these subjects posed willingly. None of them were taken with a photographer hiding around the corner.

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 4, 2014

To me they are extremely powerful photographs. No need to put them in a particular bucket or genre. They are photographs.

Viewing many of the photographs lends very strong emotional reactions. That to me is enough to call it good photography.
But in addition it also makes me thing about these humans, these brothers and sisters in precarious situations, in dangerous situations, who are just trying to eke out a life for themselves the best they know how. It really makes me wonder about their fates, where they end up, and to some extent it makes me wonder how I can help, even though I'm not really able to do much.
It makes me think of society as a whole, and how somebody that sold these humans their drugs is probably benefiting from their misfortune, and how cold society can be where something like this can happen because of some poor decisions.

I have other thoughts too, but I'll stop there. Because I have made my point, I think.

Loren Sattler · Dec 4, 2014

When I look at photos of I get two emotions. First, I feel very sorry for the subjects and their problems. Second, I feel more appreciative of all I have and thankful not to be one of those poor souls.

tkamiya · Dec 4, 2014

I read the commentaries that went with many of the photographs and also read a write up by the photographer himself. A lot of addicts claim they suffered childhood abuse and neglect. Do any of you happen to know what the national statistics of child abuse is in United States? A tad less than 1 in 100.

Few years ago, I did an informal survey in one college classes I took as an adult. Granted this was a small sample size and method was unscientific. In class of 36, 4 people claimed they have been abused. Later on, one more person came forward. Granted, some cases may not technically qualify as abuse but those students perceived as such so damages were already done.

Not all abuse cases lead to addiction but something to think about. "Fall from grace" isn't that far away from our boring everyday lives.

eddie · Dec 4, 2014

Did you even read the article? The guy has helped these people, even offering to drive for days, to get them home. He gave up a high paying job to help raise the "public awareness" you disdain.

I'm with Thomas on this. The photos led me to wonder about the circumstances these people have come to know. The fact that the photos have created a discussion (here and elsewhere) leads me to believe the photographer is probably achieving his goals.

MattKing · Dec 4, 2014

It is a lot less easy to ignore the scourge of addiction when it is difficult to treat it as invisible.

Photography is really good at preventing invisibility.

Activists that truly believe in what they do are both invaluable and irritating - and irritation is often what is needed most.

Xmas · Dec 4, 2014

yea I try to not take photos of other photographers cept Bruce Guilden who has called me names...

Xmas · Dec 5, 2014

APUGuser19 said:
There's an 18 trillion dollar deficit and we've got activists running around with an expense account filled at the public trough. April 15 is where the problem is. A doper on the street has nothing to lose. A working man who knows about foreclosures and encumbrances looming over his head, and still gets up everyday and makes reason to live--that man has the harder life by far.

Once again--not picking a bone with anybody here and nobody in mind. I almost went to photojournalism school as my career choice many years ago. I decided against it at the last minute. I smelled "indoctrination" awaiting me. That's one choice I DON'T regret.

I plead the 18th amendment, hic!
John 8:7
One if our air ports is named after a local football player who was up there with Pele and Ronaldo, although he trained with a glass in one hand and a tumbler the other, as they say.
http://www.belfastcityairport.com/

tkamiya · Dec 5, 2014

An issue I have with many (not all) activism and activist is that they take a SMALL piece of a BIG problem and try to present it as a whole picture and push for a solution. They don't seem to step back and look at the whole picture. Many of them are not even scientifically right/plausible/evaluated but emotion driven. They don't seem to care, if doing what they propose, it can make another issue a lot worse. Many of them seem to be trying to satisfy their goal, and does not seem to be interested in making the problem better or solve the problem they promote to solve.

Back to the images on the origianal post, this gentleman is actually IN the problem himself and trying to do what he can to lessen it from inside out, risking his safety and legal standing. I give him a lot of credit for that. That's far more than I'm willing or capable of doing.

Richard S. (rich815) · Dec 5, 2014

tkamiya said:
An issue I have with many (not all) activism and activist is that they take a SMALL piece of a BIG problem and try to present it as a whole picture and push for a solution. They don't seem to step back and look at the whole picture. Many of them are not even scientifically right/plausible/evaluated but emotion driven. They don't seem to care, if doing what they propose, it can make another issue a lot worse. Many of them seem to be trying to satisfy their goal, and does not seem to be interested in making the problem better or solve the problem they promote to solve.

Back to the images on the origianal post, this gentleman is actually IN the problem himself and trying to do what he can to lessen it from inside out, risking his safety and legal standing. I give him a lot of credit for that. That's far more than I'm willing or capable of doing.

Well put.

As documentary I find these photos "useful", maybe even mildly interesting. As art, not at all. As even good? I personally find them lacking creativity and overall skillful composition. But of course that's purely subjective. While I like the concept, his foundational reasons for doing it and so forth I wish he'd push the boundaries some to be more creative and original. Just too many standard perspective and composition taken from eye level. If I was him I'd leave home my zoom lenses and use just a 20mm prime one day, or a 90mm the next and so forth to force a different approach just to shake it up and see if something more interesting can come in presenting what can be such a power subject matter.

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