Growing up in Portland, I’ve seen hundreds of homeless people in my life. I would often offer up a buck or two, if I had it handy. It was always a quick exchange….Painless and emotionless, it gave me a brief moment of satisfaction in doing something, then I was on my way. The homeless I met on the streets seemed so far removed from my life….It was similar to viewing one of the “save The Children” commercials on tv. I pause and watch for a moment, but it’s so far away….Even when it’s standing a foot in front of you, it seems so far away. It helped that they didn’t look like me, they had dirty clothes, some were drunk, some seemed to be mentally ill……It was the face I put on homelessness; the face that maintained the distance and gave me comfort.

On Tuesday I saw the true face of homelessness, which is every face you can imagine. They looked like me, like my uncle or aunt, my cousin, my friend. I discovered that there is no distance, and once you remove “the face” of homelessness, you discover a person who simply needs a little help.

For one day, I met a couple hundred people, who happen to be homeless. In the couple of minutes they spent in front of my camera, it was just another person working it….Some were a little goofy, some went heavy on the attitude. while others simply shared their love for each other. It was awesome. We all had fun.

As I look through the photos, and look at the faces, I can only imagine what it would mean to have that captured moment, become their reality. To remove the homeless equation from their lives, so there is one less thing making their lives difficult. To make it a little easier to laugh, love and live. The goal of Project Homeless Connect is to bring an end to homelessness. Before Tuesday, I couldn’t imagine that being a possibility……Now, I can honestly say, I can’t imagine it not.

Here are a few of the people I met, but you can find them all in the link below. Enjoy and be inspired.

Click Here to View The Gallery

Now, get inspired and do something about it!

To better understand the issues and the goals, please take the time to watch this video…..

It is officially time to work on content, so be sure to check back soon. Right now, I have about 30 weddings from this past year which have not made it to the site. Well, I vow to change that in the next week. The other thing I discovered is the need to fill the “create” section with new work….meaning I need to still create the work to fill it with. I really need people who are open to playing, who need no guarantees of results, and love to be in front of the camera….well, you don’t need to love being in front of the camera, but when we finish, you certainly will.

So, taking a break from the web site today, I went to explore a house with Sarah. I ended up loving the cellar the most….

Truth be told, her favorite place is not in front of the camera, which I just don’t understand….I mean look at her. Can you believe I was once married to her? No, really, I used to be pretty cool.

I felt very privileged that she would humor me, and get her groove on, as we took the tour of Seattle. The only thing I wouldn’t go for, was she really wanted to sit on the pig out front of the fish market…Maybe next time.

For as long as I can remember, I was the person sitting in the background, observing. Sitting in bars and coffee shops, I watched people doing their thing, wishing I had the courage to approach them and learn their story. I can’t say how it began or why I always played such passive roll in the process.  I always knew that I needed more, that I had to find a way in.

When I discovered photography, a new door opened, and I found a way in which I could connect to the people around me. Strangers would come to my studio to be photographed, feeling vulnerable in front of the camera, in a place very few people feel comfortable. I had to learn how to break through that discomfort, in a very short period of time, in order to get the shots we wanted. When I first began, I had no idea how to do this, as I stumbled along, hoping the true personality of the subject would somehow just appear before me.

When I was learning how to take a portrait, I looked at thousands of photographs, observing the angles and lighting. I studied and practiced, hoping to master these skills, and become a great photographer. As my technical skills improved, the photographs looked better, but they just seemed to be falling short of what I wanted. They just didn’t have the life that makes a truly great photograph. I had discovered the single most important element in photographing people.  Far more important than any of the technical skills, is the ability to connect to the subject and bring out of them, what you hope to capture.

Working in the studio or shooting a wedding, the process has become natural, so it’s now time to push things a bit. This is where the love of photographing people and the love of observing strangers finally comes together. While on my little vacation, an idea came to me on Christmas day. I ran to the only open market in Yachats, and picked up a pack of index cards. I then proceeded to the only open bar, which happened to be The Landmark. Inside I found people sharing the love and spirit that is so prevalent in this amazing little town. I sat at the bar, contemplating my idea and building my courage.

It’s really quite simple, and I’m not sure why I felt such fear and hesitation, but here it is. I simply want to photograph people, who I’ve met for a brief moment in a public place. I want to get them in front of my camera, and capture them as I see them. Just a couple of snaps, and take what I get. I then hand them a card, and ask the to write whatever they want to share with the world in that moment. No rules.

This is what we came up with.

As simple as it sounds, I can’t begin to describe just how exciting this experience was for me. It was a moment in which I came full circle, finding the door to move from passive observer to place I’ve always dreamed.

Here are a few snaps from the show….

It was a fabulous show and fanulous night…..Now, it’s time to get back to work.