The document discusses photographer Lee Jeffries and his portraits of homeless people. Jeffries interviews his subjects first to understand their stories and ensure their facial expressions convey the right emotions. His portraits use high contrast with dark backgrounds and lighter subjects, representing the struggles they have endured but their inner strength. The portraits focus closely on the subjects' faces and eyes, creating empathy by showing the emotions of people often ignored by society.

1. Unit 57: Photography and
Photographic Practice
Research of other photographers
work (P1, M1, D1)
Photographer: Lee Jeffries

4. Theme or focus of images
All the above portraits are of homeless people, when capturing these images Lee Jeffries
intention is to reveal the misfortune of others that is often ignored by society. Before taking
the pictures, Lee Jefferies conducts an interview with the people he is going to
photograph, gaining an insight of their lives therefore allowing him to effectively express
their emotions and stories through his portraits.
His portraits often feature the person staring directly into the camera, having a massive
impact on the way we view his portraits. This direct approach automatically makes the
persons eyes the focal point of the image, the subjects eyes in Lee Jeffries portraits express
a lot of emotion including, fear, courage, sadness and pain. Before taking a photograph
Lee ensures that the persons facial expressions, posture and gestures are a certain way to
show the persons story.
Lee Jeffries portraits are high contrast with the background being black which i feel
represents the negative connotations commonly associated with being homeless and the
dark lives that the people in the portraits have suffered. Whereas the subjects themselves
consist of a lot of white which i feel represents the fact that these people are actually
strong people who have come through their struggles and that they are just the same as
ordinary people and feel the same emotions, they just haven't been as fortunate as
others.
Image one: It is clear that the person within it although he has had a tough life and
struggled, he is a religious man who still has hope and still sees a light at the end of the
tunnel, not only because the person within the photo is looking up whilst holding his hands
together as if he is praying, but also because Lee Jeffries has decided to include light
shining in from the top of the image in contrast to the rest of the image which is dark.
Images two and three: Both portraits 2 and 3 include elderly people, in which everyone of
there wrinkles is defined, creating the sense that each wrinkle represents a different
struggle they have faced within their lives. Also their scrunched eyes portray a lot of pain.
Image four: This portrait features Margo Stevens who is a former porn star living on the
streets, her facial expression, gesture and fur coat automatically emphasizes this.
Image five and six: Both these portraits feature a child. Although they are children it is
obvious from the images that they too haven't had an easy life, this is emphasized by the
definition of the black under their eyes suggesting that they are tired of living in the
circumstances they do and also suggests that these children have experienced a lot
more troubles than a child should have to. Also due to their sad facial expressions and
direct mode of address and fear in their eyes makes us viewing it feel sympathetic
towards these children.
Composition
Lee Jeffries focuses primarily on the person within his portraits, capturing close ups of his
subjects faces, standing up close to them with nothing in the background. By choosing to
stand up close to the subjects faces it creates a sense of being up close and personal with
the person within the portrait, anchoring the fact that Lee Jeffries portraits are portraying
the stories and struggles of the person in the image, therefore making us feel empathetic
towards them and as a result effectively achieving Lee Jeffries intentions of raising
awareness by revealing the misfortune of others which is often ignored by society.
Techniques used

5. The rule of thirds applies to most of Lee Jeffries portraits with the corner of the subjects
eyes being on the top intersecting lines making their eyes the main focus of his images,
which portray a lot of emotion.
Strengths & Weaknesses
I particularly like the fact that Lee Jeffries portraits are very simple, however by focusing on
the persons eyes and defining their facial features it expresses the emotions of people
who's misfortune is often ignored by society. Also the people and their emotions which are
expressed through his portraits are real.

6. The rule of thirds applies to most of Lee Jeffries portraits with the corner of the subjects
eyes being on the top intersecting lines making their eyes the main focus of his images,
which portray a lot of emotion.
Strengths & Weaknesses
I particularly like the fact that Lee Jeffries portraits are very simple, however by focusing on
the persons eyes and defining their facial features it expresses the emotions of people
who's misfortune is often ignored by society. Also the people and their emotions which are
expressed through his portraits are real.