InFocus project gives homeless creative voice through photography
When Sean von Dehn was handed a notepad and disposable camera for a social homeless project, he thought less about the pictures he’d take, and more about the message he wanted to convey.
“I want people to know that really for a lot of people who don’t know how to speak up for themselves and who don’t know how to exercise their rights to tap into their own right to dignity and respect,” said von Dehn, 44.
Von Dehn was a participant in InFocus, a project which provided disposable cameras and notepads to people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa.
Von Dehn said he is voluntarily homeless, after moving to Ottawa from Guelph because of “political” issues with his local MP there.
Organizers Elizabeth Fitzpatrick and Nina Garacci were inspired to create InFocus by a similar project in Vancouver called Hopes in Shadows.
“We thought it was something that Ottawa could really benefit from,” said Fitzpatrick, 24. “We decided to go about it a bit differently and it worked out nicely.”
InFocus’ version of the project includes assembling a photo book of all of the pictures participants took and celebrating their experiences and art at a gala at Studio Sixty Six on Sunday, Sept. 3.
“It’s just a different way to see Ottawa in a sense that I don’t think a lot of people would be taking these specific pictures if they had a disposable camera,” Fitzpatrick said.
The project lasted several weeks, beginning in mid-June with the distribution of cameras to the final stages of developing the film and organizing the gala in September. Garacci and Fitzpatrick orchestrated the entire project themselves. Their Kickstarter campaign reached its goal of $7,000, which helped with the costs of running the project.
“Now we have the film developed, we are going to put the pictures into a gala to bring people together and … provide a platform for creative expression,” said Garacci, 24.
While participating in InFocus, von Dehn had an important realization after two people he photographed asked him to take another picture of them.
“I believe the universe is talking to us at every opportunity … I honestly thought that people were going to think that this was off the wall and too controversial to write or take interest in, so I felt honoured that they had asked me to (take another photo of them),” von Dehn said.
“That was the universe’s way of telling me that art is the best way to express my intentions … Forget writing politicians letters because that won’t do a thing. Maybe artwork can make the kind of impression I want to make. That gave me a new perspective,” von Dehn said.
Von Dehn, who also paints, has always had an interest in art, but he said InFocus gave him a chance to amplify his creative voice.
“(We want people) to be aware that there’s people that go throughout their day without basic needs and to stop turning a blind-eye to that and show a bit of humility towards them,” Fitzpatrick said.
“There’s also a lot of people who have talent and that should be expressed and have the right to express that.”