'I Am Somebody' Aims to Humanize the Less Fortunate
Mishal Omar — May 19, 2017 — Social Good
References: edfreeman & kickstarter
The famous photographer Ed Freeman has a newly developed project titled 'I Am Somebody,' a fine art photography book that seeks to help humanize people who are homeless, and contribute towards ending homelessness in America.
The project seeks to address the homeless epidemic in America, citing statistics that reveal that there are over half a million people living on the streets, with 47,000 homeless men, women and children in Los Angeles alone. For Freeman, this is a personal issue – as just a few years ago he too was homeless. He spent a year shooting portraits of homeless people and getting to know them, and seeks to humanize these less fortunate individuals in the I Am Somebody photography book. Freeman is currently raising money on Kickstarter to publish the book, and has paid his subjects a small sum of money and given some of them some essential items.
The I Am Somebody book seeks to tell the stories of people who are too often overlooked in society, and will hopefully contribute to more positive and constructive dialogues around resolving this epidemic – or at the very least increase fortunate people's ability to empathize with those who are less so.
The project seeks to address the homeless epidemic in America, citing statistics that reveal that there are over half a million people living on the streets, with 47,000 homeless men, women and children in Los Angeles alone. For Freeman, this is a personal issue – as just a few years ago he too was homeless. He spent a year shooting portraits of homeless people and getting to know them, and seeks to humanize these less fortunate individuals in the I Am Somebody photography book. Freeman is currently raising money on Kickstarter to publish the book, and has paid his subjects a small sum of money and given some of them some essential items.
The I Am Somebody book seeks to tell the stories of people who are too often overlooked in society, and will hopefully contribute to more positive and constructive dialogues around resolving this epidemic – or at the very least increase fortunate people's ability to empathize with those who are less so.
Trend Themes
1. Homelessness Awareness-raising Photography - Opportunity for photographers to use their craft to bring attention to important social issues like homelessness in a way that humanizes and creates empathy.
2. Fine Art Books for Social Causes - The rise of fine art photography books that tackle social issues can be an effective tool for raising awareness and sparking meaningful conversations.
3. Empathy-based Approaches to Social Issues - There is a growing trend of using art and storytelling to shed light on social issues and foster empathy among the public.
Industry Implications
1. Photography - Photographers can explore using their skills and creativity to bring attention to important social issues like homelessness.
2. Publishing - Publishers can seize the opportunity to support and promote fine art photography books that tackle social issues and drive positive change.
3. Nonprofit Organizations - Nonprofits working on addressing social issues can collaborate with photographers and artists to create powerful media campaigns that garner attention and empathy.
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