"I sell these hats," he said. "Where did you sleep last night," I asked? He pointed at a concrete wall, "Right over there." He then told me that his boss was on the way and had a push cart filled with hats for him to sell throughout the day in downtown Atlanta.
Sleeping the night off
Sleeping the previous night off... "Why do alcoholics begin down the same hazardous road day after day? They are in search of that elusive window of well-being that opens when you drink your way out of a hangover and aren't yet drunk all over again. The alcoholic's day consists of trying to keep that window open."
-Roger Ebert
Missed the curfew for homeless
He told me, "Is there anyway you could buy me some chips? I would love some chips. I missed my curfew for the shelter." I said, "What do you mean curfew?" He told me if you wanted to stay in the shelter located in downtown Atlanta, GA, you had to check in by 7PM. It was 9PM. He said it was too far to walk tonight. That being said, I walked into the CVS and bought him chips, beef jerky and two Gatorade's.
Can't go hungry
"We come here every Sunday. Churches bring a feast. If you go hungry in downtown Atlanta, you're an idiot, I'm sorry, something is wrong with you. We have food on every corner." That... is what he told me. I looked around and saw ten to fifteen homeless waiting for the good church to show up with food.
Living from day to day
"We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty." - Mother Teresa
What's the tattoo?
Sometimes I want to ask question after question, other times I want to quietly sneak in for a shot and quickly walk away.
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Hello life, who am I?
I don't know if he even realized the world around him. All the questions I have for
Read MoreLost in a book
Have you ever been lost in a book. There may be people moving all around you while you sit in the middle of a busy park, but if the book is good, you don't notice anything but your imagination.
Read MoreI am running for State Representative
I tend to stay out of politics for the most part, but when you are capturing interesting pictures of people while doing street photography...
Read MoreSitting and listening to music
Helping others. This U.S. Veteran was quietly sitting in a park listening to music when a homeless man walked up to him, patted him on the back and stated to me, "This man gave me a coat when I was cold and did not have one."
Read MoreNeed food
I took this picture the other day and noticed that several people stopped to speak with her. One passerby told her, "Free food is being given away one block from here." Instead of walking her to the location, another man went and got her food and actually brought it to her. At times, strangers are awesome.
What song would you like to hear?
This man understands music. This is not to be insulting, but he communicates better with music than with words. He is very talented. He sometimes plays on street corners in Nashville.
I have worked many, many places
This woman was very kind and outgoing. She told me that she has had an interesting life and has worked at a variety of factories all over the country. She said that she is now living in Nashville, TN and likes it very much. She said that she was originally from here to begin with.
I don't like Nashville at all
I asked this man where he was from and he told me Westmoreland, TN. I told him he reminded me of Hank Williams, Jr. He said, "I get that a lot." I said, "Do you like it in Nashville?" He raised his voice, "I HATE IT HERE." I said, "Then why are you still here?" He said he was saving up for a bus ticket to leave.
Interesting faces
I love to search out interesting faces when shooting street photography. If someone has lines and depth to their face, it makes a much more interesting photo. I took this shot in Nashville, Tennessee on Broadway near 2nd Avenue.
I'm not fixed up!
This man started waiving his hand at me as I took a picture. "What," I asked? He said, "I'm not fixed up baby, don't take my picture." I then heard him on the phone, "They can't take your picture, you're on the phone and you're not here with me."
Would you like to see my baseball pose?
As I approached this man he told me that he was once in the Army "Special Forces." He then asked me to put in a good word for him at the recruiting office because he just re-enlisted. I told him, "Of course I will." He then said that major league baseball players are paid by the federal government and they are responsible for marijuana. He said that marijuana comes in strands that you carry on your shoulders. He then asked, "Do you want to see my baseball pose?" I said, "Sure." He then showed me (above). "Can you tell the coach I want to play?" I told him I would. He thanked me and I walked away.
Beat with a 2X4
The night before I ran into this man, he was hit over the head with a 2X4. The entire left side of his face and ear are swollen. He has stitches next to his left eye. You can actually see the mark that the 2X4 left. He was rushed to the hospital after he lost consciousness. He was released after receiving the stitches. He told me the incident occurred under a bridge with other homeless persons in Atlanta. He said they were all drinking when it happened.
The bike ride
This man rides a BMX bike all over downtown Atlanta, GA. His bike has a trailer tied to it to pull all of his personal belongings. His entire life is in his trailer.
Street Music
These two guys were under a bridge near the Atlanta Braves Baseball Stadium (Turner Field). They were fantastic!