About Portrait| Los Angeles Skid Row

::..Documentary photographer William Shepherd has captured images of conflict globally - off and on - for almost 15 years.

Tears, passion, love and a reflection towards humanity provoke him to push deeper, to look closer at the suffering(s) of others.

" Yes, off and on -- that is the only way I can personally deal with the imagery of pain. It embraces your every fear, it can hold you in the pocket of poverty, it can bind you to war in a second, make you understand ethnic gangs in the flash of a moment. Those images are recalled as thoughts and hopes. Yet, the reality is that I can go home."

As a documentary artist, the vision is to simply tell the story of those that have been culturally limited, restricted, bound and confined based on economics, education, ethnic origin, and war.

"...We are frail, yet strong and able to stand against all odds. Still, weak...confused and often lost without supportive love and care..."

The project: Skid Row Portrait -- is a close-up view of humanity trapped in the inner city squalor of Los Angeles. Many of the images from this project display elements of brokeness, drug use, faith, hope and the struggle of humans to find some aspect of peace.

The overarching themes are extreme poverty and race. Morever, when those two factors combine they trap Americans on skid row...down the nickel.

The 5th St Nickel, where some folks only have a nickel bag of hope.

The two year documentary is almost finished; it is a collective of 1000s of still and motion images.

"As a visual artist, this specific body of work has helped to shift my personal hopes, understanding, and care for humanity."

::..This series is simply one element of William Shepherd's documentary photography.

:::Peace:::::::::

Body Of Work Elements; body of concern:

http://www.lightstalkers.org/william_shepherd

Photography Equipment

::..William Shepherd's Documentary Equipment:

::..Still and Motion: Film, Video, CamPhone, Digital.