Exiles on Main Street
Exiles on Main Street was shot on the western end of Main Street in Ventura, California. Although some are homeless, some have a roof over their head, among the working poor. People looking for a meal, their next fix or drink, a job, some clothing for their kids, a chance to maintain their lives. All of them agreed to have their photograph taken when asked. They were all shot with a 135mm lens as it performs excellently as a portrait lens without invading personal space.
In these photographs I am erasing the black and white reality barrier so often chosen when photographing these folks. I choose color to bring forward who they are – living, breathing, people. They are disregarded and marginalized by some - becoming all but invisible on the street. However, they each have a story to tell.
Elliott Erwitt, in the final words of his introduction to “Personal Exposures”, when describing a photo of a man that was not selected for his book by editors: “ Look at the man's eyes when that happened. They speak.”
Yes, they do. Listen.....
