ABOUT THIS PHOTO:
Canon T5i
18-55mm @55mm f/5.6 1/200 ISO 100
As Virginia Beach weather goes, this was a fine, sunny day in the 70s. I came across this person between 1st and 10th streets on the Boardwalk and had to take a picture. This is part of the side of Virginia Beach the tourists don’t often see. In season, by the time the sun is up, the homeless are either shooed away from the beach, or they know the game well enough to know where to go during the day. This person is a seasoned homeless person. Look at all the gear. The umbrella to protect from not only the sun, but protecting their identity, their dignity. They even chose a bench where they wouldn’t have to fight over territory, or they brought that tape themselves to cover the adjacent bench.
I took this picture because I want people to see this. Sometimes I believe we think we’ve solved the homeless problem in this city—and this country—by ignoring it completely. it hasn’t gone away. At the lowest point in my life I slept on one of these benches, and I’m here to tell you that each of us is no more than few bad days away from having Atlantic Avenue as your temporary address.
Think about who this could be. Could this be a vet? Could this be a survivor of abuse? Could this be someone who hit rock bottom? Once you fill in that blank, ask yourself if this person is worth redemption.
Your answer will say more about you than about this homeless person.