# Homelessness Awareness-Raising Photography 'I Am Somebody' Aims to Humanize the Less Fortunate By Mishal Omar | Published 2017-05-19 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/i-am-somebody References: [kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edfreeman/i-am-somebody-portraits-of-homelessness-by-ed-free?ref=category_recommended) & [edfreeman](https://www.edfreeman.com/) The famous photographer Ed Freeman has a newly developed project titled 'I Am Somebody,' a [fine art photography book](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/still-life-1) 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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beauty-2-the-streetz), 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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rhino-dolly) 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 Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.0/10 - Popularity: 42% | Activity: 39% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **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. - **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. - **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. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Photography:** Photographers can explore using their skills and creativity to bring attention to important social issues like homelessness. - **Publishing:** Publishers can seize the opportunity to support and promote fine art photography books that tackle social issues and drive positive change. - **Nonprofit Organizations:** Nonprofits working on addressing social issues can collaborate with photographers and artists to create powerful media campaigns that garner attention and empathy. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Homelessness Metaverse Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/metaverse-campaign.md) - [Homelessness-Supporting Blanket Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paul-klein.md) - [British Youth-Culture Photography Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-and-away.md) - [Collaborative Homelessness Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/homelessness-crisis.md) - [Homeless Support Backpacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-makeshift-traveler-backpack.md) - [Public Art Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paul-anthony-smith.md) - [Domestic Awareness Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/this-is-not-a-home.md) - [Skateboard-Themed Photography Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rabbit-hole-1.md) - [Mental Health-Supporting Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-last-photo.md)