Photo exhibit raises awareness about homeless
Posted: 11/11/05
| Holy Condiments, from the photography exhibit at Wilshire Baptist Church. "Both the spices and Bible were found just as they were captured in the photo underneath the I-35 bridge," said photographer Hal Samples. "Even though many homeless people go without the luxuries we take for granted, I found it interesting that this person made room in his makeshift home for the two items in this photograph that add flavor in our lives." (Photo by Hal Samples) |
Photo exhibit raises awareness about homeless
By Mark Wingfield
Special to the Baptist Standard
DALLAS–Duane is the reason Hal Samples started photographing homelessness in Dallas.
Not long after Samples first picked up a camera–soon after he returned to Dallas from a stint in a drug rehab program–he met Duane downtown. Samples had been photographing Dallas buildings almost on a lark.
Duane spotted Samples driving a nice car and offered to be his assistant–perhaps a means of making a few bucks.
The two talked, and Samples became fascinated with Duane's story.
They went down the street to a coffee shop to talk more and quickly cleared out everyone else from the business because Duane hadn't bathed in months.
Undeterred, Samples asked Duane what he would ask for if he could have anything he wanted. The question didn't register. So he tried another angle.
If he could be any superhero or have any superpower, what would it be?
Duane knew the answer: “I just want the power to be visible.”
Samples thought Duane meant he wanted the power to be invisible, like a comic book character. No, Duane said, he really wanted to be visible–for people walking down the street to see him, to know he was there.
That sparked an idea for Samples. The result is Hero to Zero, his means of using photography to raise awareness of homelessness.
He has photographed more than 800 homeless people and exhibits and sells the photos to advance awareness–to make people like Duane visible.
Twenty-four of these photographs are on display at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas through Nov. 23. The exhibit in James Gallery is open to the public without charge.
The matted and framed prints also are available for sale, with 30 percent of the proceeds going to support work with the homeless through the Wilkinson Center, one of Wilshire's mission partners.
The name Hero to Zero is taken from one of Samples' trademark expressions from his former life as a high-flying salesman at an auto dealership.
Every sales person, even the hero of the previous month, begins each new month at zero. It's a new challenge every month.
Samples has a strong identification with the people he now photographs, because he, too, seemingly has been to hell and back in his personal life.
After rocketing to success in car sales at a young age–moving from washboy to top salesman before he was 21–life came crashing down due to a drug problem.
Samples lost his wife, his home, his job and his money. He landed in an empty apartment as a shell of his former self.
With help from an uncle, he entered the House of Isaiah, an East Texas drug rehabilitation program. From there, he hit bottom and began to climb back up.
Today, Samples is an artist missionary with an inner-city ministry in Dallas.
Samples will tell more of his story and the story of homelessness in Dallas during a Thanksgiving worship service at Wilshire Nov. 20 at 6 p.m.
To read more about his journey and see samples of his photographs, visit www.herotozero.org.