Lighting Portraits to Bring Exposure to Homelessness in America

Homeless Portrait

Photographer Aaron Draper wants people to see homelessness in a different light — literally. For his project titled Underexposed, he hit the streets with his camera and off-camera strobe in order to capture portraits of the homeless and “bring them into the light and out of the shadows for others to view and appreciate.”

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Draper, a professor of photography at Chico State University, says the goal of the series is to “make the homeless as visually appealing as possible in a society that is visually demanding.”

“I use lighting as a way to interest the viewer in the subjects shown,” Draper says. “I hope to enable people to gain a more humane view of the homeless.”

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Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

Homeless Portrait

“If I’m able to affect the way that one person views the homeless, I will have considered my series a success. And that gives me hope,” Draper says.

This project was recently featured in the latest episode of Seeker Stories:

You can find this project and Draper’s other work over on his website.


Image credits: Photographs by Aaron Draper and used with permission

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