I see him before he sees me — hood pulled up, glasses catching the light, sat with a relaxed stillness that makes me want to know his story.
I tell him about the project, how I’m photographing people who’ve been homeless and people who haven’t, so you can’t tell from the image alone. He nods and says, “I’m not homeless, but I’ve been close.” Then he talks about the months of sofa-surfing, the unstable jobs, the feeling that one bit of bad luck could have pushed him over the edge.
He gets the idea straight away — that the way someone looks on the outside isn’t the full picture. I take the photo while he’s sitting as he is, hood framing his face, no pretence. It’s exactly the kind of image that will make people pause and think.