No Room for Homeless in Greenville

“Homelessness and poverty are very present in the USA – millions of people have no roof over their heads. My pictures are a faithful representation of their living conditions. Living in tents without heating, this group works hard to find food, warmth and shelter. Many of them suffer from psychological challenges or drug addiction.

This temporary community must learn to deal with the weather in Greenville, South Carolina. The winters are cold and the summers can be very hot and humid. Around 150 to 200 people live here during the summer months. Many of them are seasonal workers, while others are day labourers. The number of people living here sinks significantly in winter, but there are still many who spend the cold months here, as they have no other place to go.

When I started this project, I just went straight in and joined them. I treated them all with great respect and, once they realized I had come to help rather than to gawk, I also developed friendships with a number of them.

I took the pictures with my Leica M Monochrom. I love the sharpness you get with the camera and it quite simply takes the best black and white pictures of any digital camera. I always take my Leicas with me when I leave the house. They allow me to photograph discreetly, quickly and unobtrusively. That’s particularly important when an assignment is taking me into unknown terrain.

After completing my 15-month project, I made a first presentation on the subject on April 10, 2015. It is titled Mother of Exiles: Street Asylum, and I want it to draw attention to the real problems and needs of the homeless in America today.

My images aim to give the homeless a human face – a face which often gets lost during public debates and in statistical presentations.”