Perous Secret Diary - Keep Out: November 10, 2011

semiology

had a 'difficult' morning.

day two of the northern tour on the 'homelessness and the arts' / o2thinkbig gig.

this project started off being about homeless and ex-homeless young people using photography to document their own lives in their eyes for an exhibition to hopefully promote some dialogue amongst people who aren't homeless.

but the more i've got involved and the more i've been speaking to young homeless people, the more i've been feeling the need to do some pictures of my own.

so, based on the conversations i've been having and on the stories i've been told about, i drew out some ideas for some pretty strong images that might hit people hard.
i REALLY want us with homes to think about them without and not just think but also to try to do something about youth homelessness too.

(simple problem being, in case you've missed my previous rants, is that the current UK government is cutting the funding to organisations that are actively trying to help young homeless people back into homes and society before they become lost)

unfortunately our arrival coincided with a young homeless people's inter-organisation football tournament.
the young people we had left (not going to play or watch football) weren't keen to be photographed, at all.

kind of making my ability to make pictures with them, impossible.
and it is REALLY important to me NOT to use actors pretending to be homeless.

we don't need any more faked b/w stereotypical, visual cliches of people begging on the street.
let's address some real issues.

capitalisation

one guy that i'd met and spoke to last time i was in manchester, didn't seem to understand what i was trying to do with one set of pictures.
and in the way that i would try to encourage and gently persuade a celebrity to try something that perhaps they didn't get, i was trying to persuade this guy to do the shot.

'you're dodgy' said this guy.
'hey?' i said
'you want something and you're going to get it: you're just going to say anything to get what you want'

i do try and persuade people to do what i want them to do.
never seen it as 'dodgy' before.
interesting to see this from his perspective.

didn't get very far with the photos though.


had a long lunch break.

did not eat at 'the bay horse'.
although i like the dedication (thanks)

the footballers returned victiorious and in a boyant mood and together we walked around manchester getting some of the key photos done.

did not get everything done that i had planned to.
i think to do these other pictures i would have to spend much more time with the young homeless people.
it's a trust thing.

pretty much the same as photographing celebrities: if people trust you, they are more likely to try a 'difficult' shot that takes them out of their comfort zone.
'let's just try it and see how it looks: we don't have to use it...'

left manchester in rush hour as 'tinchy stryder' was turning on the christmas lights.

one of the guys i had been photographing was planning on throwing a sausage roll at tinchy during his performance.
when i asked why, he said it was mainly because he wasn't from manchester.
and i guess that balances things out because i threw a pork roll at mick hucknall when he was on stage at goodwood vintage last year and he IS from manchester.
the world is back in balance.

took an ass-aching long time to return to london with the redbull shakes.

ate my first KFC fillet burger and fries in over 15 years
and despite the full moon and redbull infusion, passed out fast style.