Shooting the homeless

[Hardrock40]

If I were to try it. I'd let them come to me and ask for whatever and then pop the question.

Then say here is all I have and only have what your willing to give out in your wallet, for them to see that its empty when you open it up and hand it over.

Stay on the outskirts of several not to get in the middle and take a friend. Older cloths, unshaven and bad hair would help.

Even go hang around without a camera, talk some first.

[RPCrowe]

I tend not to shoot persons who are obviously homeless because I feel that it is taking advantage of their situation in life. They are often photogenic but, it is their poverty and lack of personal hygiene and decent clothing that results in them being photogenic...

[RDKirk]

Originally Posted by Mike Panic

This has nothing to do with morals. I'm actually offended you are suggesting that.

Rather then enable someone by simply giving them money because I feel bad, I want to actually pay someone for working for me, as many of their signs say will work for food. I'm not asking them to do work I don't want to do like heavy lifting, yard work or anything else, I'm just asking them let me capture what's already happening, and giving them something in return.

I guess every photojournalist in the world is pretty patronizing and capitalize on others' misfortunes too, and they do it to tell a story and get paid by advertising dollars from their publications.

Mike, what you described did not sound like photojournalism to me. I do think you should consider what your real intentions are. If you consider yourself another Lewis Hine or even Diane Arbus, then stock (even "editorial stock") isn't the way you would go. Given the Internet, you can easily self-publish their plight.