If a picture says a thousand words the prose in DTES seems to speak only of abject despair.
Do a Google search for images of Vancouvers most infamous neighbourhood youll find pages and pages of people scoring and selling drugs, shooting up in the alleys and sleeping on the sidewalks. Theyre haunting images for sure, and a big draw for the journalists, bloggers, and tourists who frequent the neighbourhood with cameras in search of gritty photos.
Photographer Jonathan Cruz was particularly conscious of that when he set out to do a different kind of portrait series in the DTES one that celebrated, rather than exploited, residents of the low-income neighbourhood. Three years ago, Cruz set up shop in the Carnegie Community Centre for one day in December to shoot free portraits of residents of the DTES, complete with hair styling, makeup and a free framed print. On Dec. 10, Cruz returns with an army of volunteers ready to shoot some more.
It has become a Christmas tradition in the DTES that helps combat the feelings of worthlessness and isolation afflicting a lot of people in the neighbourhood who are living with poverty and often have a history of abuse, says Cruz.
I had my own little feeling that some of these people in the Downtown Eastside dont think that they deserve anything better than this, so I thought we have an opportunity to show them no, here you are, you are worth something, says Cruz.
While he rubs shoulders with the rich and famous as a professional photog (clients include Bill Clinton, Jamie Kennedy, Trevor Linden and Darryl Hannah, to name a few), Cruz keeps a studio in Gastown and lives with his wife in the DTES where hes a part of the community. At the end of the day this is our community. In my home we believe that if someone has a problem we all have a problem, he says.
Shooting the portraits has been as meaningful for the photographer as it has been for the subjects, he says, listing many touching stories, such as capturing the mother and daughter whod never been photographed together; the young man with a shy smile who was told growing up that was too ugly to be photographed; or the woman who planned to give her portrait to the mother she hadnt seen in 30 years.
The impact on our volunteers is huge, he says.
Gaining the communitys trust was very important and so it was crucial Cruz get the blessing of the Carnegie Community Centre Association in order to make sure residents felt comfortable in their community space. Gena Thompson, president of the CCCA, says she was dubious of Cruzs intentions at first, but the event has proven an important addition to the neighbourhood and has done a lot to restore dignity and self-worth for residents.
Being a Native person living under occupation or being a homeless person or being poor or mentally ill, it takes a chunk out of your self-esteem, just never feeling quite normal, she says. With this, they just kind of offer people an opportunity to see themselves looking really good and being looked after.
Perhaps thats why the events popularity has exploded. More than 300 people went away with a free portrait on the inaugural day in 2009. Last year more than 600 people went in front of the lens while Aveda came on board to do hair and makeup, Gastown Photo did free prints and Homewerx supplied free glass frames. This year Cruz has enlisted 20 photographers to help out and Future Shop has come on board to do onsite printing, but Cruz is still hoping for in-kind donations to help with printing costs for posters and fliers so his team of volunteers can get the word out and cover other hard costs. Anyone interested in donating or volunteering can contact [email protected].
And for the photographer himself, there is no greater gift than capturing someones image for an irreplaceable keepsake.
This is something that I can do. This is what Im told Im good at, so if I can do that then Im ahead of the game.
