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Robert
Published: 2007-03-03 13:06:45 +0000 UTC; Views: 10665; Favourites: 435; Downloads: 157
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I posted this awhile back and wound up deleting it because of a glitch on my account that said it had something like 10000 views on it... That annoyed me so I just got rid of it. Well I decided to bring it back because it's one of my favorite pictures.His name is Robert. I shot this a little over a year and a half ago. He was living on the street in Detroit. A group of local photographers (myself included) had a few run ins with him and his partner Eric and they always seemed willing to pose for a little spare change and some conversation. Well, one time I was out on the streets and ran into them again. I gave them a few bucks and sat with them for about an hour or so and talked stopping to take an occasional photo. I learned that Robert had been in some kind of accident involving a vehicle. We talked about alot of different things like concerts and music, computers, and digital photography. Alot of times you meet people on the street and you just know something is missing, like they have some kind of hole in their brain. This wasn't the case with Robert here... He was the kinda guy you could imagine having a normal life, the kinda guy you could imagine having sunday dinner with. Except for his problem was the drink I believe. It was alchohol that I'm assuming led him to his life on the streets. Addiction is a bitch.
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Comments: 183
I think I'll not say batter things than people before me... But I can't just let it down, without trying to explain my feeling. This kind of photo is like a big slap in the face, the kind of Art which makes you losing your words. I apologize, I'm not good enough in English for giving a better explanation... A feeling is a hard thing to describe, but maybe "Speachless" is the right word for this.
Thanks a lot for your work !
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I wonder what old Robert is up to right now. Probably taking it easy, going with the flow. If he's dead, no one would ever know, so sad. I still love this picture, and have for awhile!
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i've added your photo in my fave folder some time last year, and whenever i stumble upon my favorites to look for some art kick, i am always lured to Robert's portrait.
striking, appalling, somber, wistful... some of the words that would describe your photos.
i am an analog photographer myself, and i know how genuine this captured emotion feels.
tell robert that he's as famous as queen elizabeth here on deviantart.
wish i could help him.
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Thanx I appreciate you look at it more than once.
I've not seen him in a long long time.. Wonder if he moved on. He was talkin of goin to Florida.. Hope he made it. Easier on the street there. No winters.
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we all wish the best for him 
there's hope for everyone. and im hoping to see more of your art soon.
good day.
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Wow...as others have said already, that is one deep photograph. You're 100% right: addiction IS a bitch on wheels, buddy
And his story could happen to anyone...
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Thanx.
It's sad, I wonder what this guy is up to now.
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wow!its ccol how you could get such a pict with such emotion, it is part of a photo journal?
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Thank you. 
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This picture has been featured in the article "Breathtaking Portraits! => [link]
Wonderful work, thanks for sharing
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QUOTE (you):
"...except for his problem was the drink I believe. It was alchohol that I'm assuming led him to his life on the streets. Addiction is a bitch."
--
Having been homeless and helpless twice in my life - and neither time because of addiction or stupidity, I must say that I find your presumptive judgments extremely distasteful. I can tell you that no person ever had the right to judge me in my very weak times of homelessness - and those who did were always wrong.
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I'm not accusing everyone who's homeless of being an addict. I made a point to say that the guy seemed normal to me. Where I'm from people treat homeless like they are aliens from another planet and judge them like you say. I've tried to point at that perception and say these people are real people also. Reread my description and maybe you'll see that's what I've tried to do.
I've encountered several homeless people in my days and they all display varying degrees of functionality. Some seemed perfectly normal like Robert here and I've seen others shooting up in back alleys. This was not intended as a blanket statement about the homeless or people in that position. It's merely one story. And your right I don't know if this guy was a drunk or not, but I could clearly smell the booze on him every time I ran into him. I can only assume that had something to do with his being there. That's why I said as much. I admit it's an assumption, but one I feel is somewhat valid. I'm sure it's a lot more complicated than that. I do know the guy was in prison at one point. So who knows. Sometimes addiction is the symptom and not the cause. Regardless of that fact, it seems there are many people who wind up on the street because of addiction in one form or another. I don't say it's the only reason. But it is A reason for people to wind up homeless. I realize there are a lot of different types of homeless. I'm not applying any sorts of judgments to that and I'm deeply sorry if you took offense. I have nothing but sympathy for people who are homeless or helpless. If I'm guilty of anything it's being too quick to want to find a reason why. I think it makes sense if you assume that most homeless do not choose to live that way. Then it's natural to want to find a reason why. Can I ask.
What happened to you to wind up in the position of being homeless/helpless?
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your 379 words of circuitous bombast, ending with a question, did not in fact manage to misdirect my attention from where I began. As in: no, I dont accept that answer at all.
Just forget it.
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All I can think of when I look at this is; "Sitting on a park bench..."
Damn you, Jethro Tull
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Hehe, that's what I'll think about from now on also... Way to go!
Damn you, Jethro Tull indeed!
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This picture has been featured here : [link]
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one of those shots that is undeniably beautiful and yet so terribly sad all at once...
I like it.
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Beautiful picture, and the story behind it is moving. It's sad when people end up on the street like this.
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Almost reminds me of Karsh a little bit. Wonderfully done.
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Thanx. What's Karsh? Is that a photographer?
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Yousuf Karsh is like the most famous portrait photographer ever.
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Oh yeah! I googled him and recognize some of those images... Don't think I ever knew him by name though. He's pretty amazing, thanx.
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Cool, ya I have his book full of his portraits and he signed it. A lucky find since he's dead.
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Its good to see a picture deserving of a DD receive one.
A cousin of mine gave me a CD from a Local Washington DC band called The Gaskets-- It had a song about a homeless man who wrote poetry in exchange for change, and how he interacted with the song writer. I can't find the CD for the life of me, but I think his name was Robert as well. I think the photo and song compliment each other.
Well. Now I'm off to Google to try and find that song. xD
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Thanx...
I think what's important for me is that people see that homeless people are people. A lot of people I know dehumanize them or make them out to be lazy or inept. The truth from my perspective is anyone can end up there.
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Oh Lawls. [link]
So Easy to find. Perhaps they've gotten a bit bigger since I've heard them. xD
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This left me breathless.. the desolation, sadness.. captured so perfectly.
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God, I want to cry when I see this. Its awful when people are reduced to living on the streets. His expression is perfect, but so melancholy...
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This is a beautiful and immensely sad portrait. Was it cross-processed?
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Thank you.
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Thanks. I ask because the contrast almost makes it seem like an HDR image, yet its on film.
Congrats on the DD!
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Addiction is a bitch...my hubby pushed a shopping cart when he was younger and addicted to tweak.
Beautiful picture, I hope he's able to turn it around.
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I still wonder what happened to the guy. I'd be so happy to run into him again and catch up... Hopefully someday.
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Hopefully someday when he's turned his life around.
My husband went back to Whittier with a carton of cigarettes to hand out, and ran into a few people that had been homeless with him was nine years before. As nice as it was to see them, it was incredibly sad at the same time.
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There's so much feeling to this picture and the story behind it is really touching. You did an amazing job. Congratulations!
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The story behind the shot is fantastic.
I have been to talk to people with addictions, and I do understand the gravity of the issue.
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