<p>I live in a fairly affluent county in Maryland. I didn’t grow up here; I used to live in Flushing, NYC. I grew up rather poor, but my parents managed to save up and get new jobs so we could move here.</p>
<p>Anyway, I always thought it was scary that so many people in my county aren’t aware that there are poor people…especially in their own region. I want to do a photojournalism project this summer, documenting the homeless or the poor. I really want to raise awareness about it, because it makes me feel so helpless when I hear people say, “No one’s poor here. It’s just not a problem.” </p>
<p>I don’t know where to start, though, because I can’t figure out how I’m going to get my message across. Help, please?</p>
<p>If you do your project, is there an arts council in your town you could submit it to? What about your City Hall, church group of synagogue? Or some philanthropic organization in your area (we have many here, such as Project Bread and others that are more national in scope). Perhaps some photography competition? </p>
<p>There were some excellent photojournalism projects done during the New Deal. Check those out. One of the best was by “Life” photographer Gordon Parks</p>
<p>Hi, Sounds like a wonderful project. Duke University has a documentary film program that I believe includes a community outreach project that involves photojournalism for high school students. My impression is that the people there are very nice and helpful to students whether or not they are in the program. You could probably find them online and email, or telephone for the person who is in charge of the high school project. I imagine that they would be able to point you to a lot of different resources, and maybe even people in your area who might be helpful. Good luck!</p>
<p>How far are you from Baltimore? You don’t have to go to Appalachia or the Deep South to find poor and homeless people (we get them in Cambridge, MA; some of them right outside the gates of Harvard Yard).</p>
<p>Can you link up with someone at the Baltimore Sun? Does your art teacher have connections? Our school has an annual exhibition of photographs taken by students in the photography class.</p>
<p>I was thinking along the same lines as marite, but was guessing that you might be closer to The Washington Post. Whichever. Or the Washington Times or Washingtonian Magazine. Your art teacher might have the connections or you might try looking through those papers/magazines and looking at the photo credits. Contact one whose work you admire and see if they won’t mentor you.</p>
<p>Depending on where you live (say Montgomery County), you won’t have to go far to find what you seek - neighboring Prince Georges County, parts of DC, or - a somewhat longer drive, but a more rural exposure to poverty - would be St. Mary’s County, Maryland.</p>
<p>If you belong to a particular religion, contact their representatives. Most religious groups also have programs, outreach, social workers for the poor-homeless and might like to have their work documented with photos and publicity–or you could do it based on several different religious groups. Also check out groups helping new immigrants or organizing for rights of the undocumented–they are also often poor. If you are in an affluent area, talk to maids, gardeners, childcare workers, waitresses…etc. Have you read Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickleled and Dimed?</p>