The Bay Area Native

by Melissa Brooks

How many times have you walked around the bay area and have been asked for money? Enough to make you walk faster, turn a deaf ear and hold your breath? Yeah… me too. Not for Thomas Hawk and a growing number of photographers. You want a couple bucks from him? Let him take your portrait.

After realizing he would avoid people who asked him for money, he decided to change. Hawk’s belief in the goodness of human interaction and desire to celebrate other human beings as human beings motivated him to start the project. Making it a commercial transaction allows him the opportunity to engage with his subjects and makes it a win-win.

What does he do? To make things easier, he keeps $2 reserve money in his wallet.  When asked for money, he offers them $2 in exchange for their portrait.  While shooting, he talks to them to learn their story.  The pictures and story are then posted to the Flickr $2 Portrait Pool.

The $2 Portrait Project has been going on for over two years now, so I asked him a few questions:

How has this project affected your attitude towards people who ask you for money?

Thomas Hawk: I think the biggest thing about this project in terms of my attitude towards people who ask me for money is that I no longer shirk from these people.  I used to really go out of my way to avoid these people.  Now I will no longer try and avoid them but see the interaction as a positive thing and actually welcome it.  There are probably still times that I’ll try somewhat to avoid people asking for money if I’m in a rush or hurry or need to be somewhere or am late. But mostly I view the possibility of an interaction as a good thing.

Have you had any memorable stories while shooting these portraits?

Thomas Hawk: There are so many great stories while shooting. Each portrait carries little tidbits of the interaction. Some are more meaningful than others. I’ve met some real characters. Some that I know were lying to me about things, others who tell me sincere and heartfelt stories of desperation. I’ve been asked for money so someone could make it to a hospice to die. I’ve been told stories about lost children. About being knifed or beaten. About being in jail. About drug abuse. I’ve talked to younger kids and older drunks and lots of people in between. Almost all of them have a story. Some more interesting than others.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone who wants to shoot $2 portraits?

Thomas Hawk: The biggest tip I’d tell people about pursuing a $2 Portrait Project is to relax about it. Don’t feel stressed out about the conversation and confrontation. Almost all of the people who ask will agree to the portrait sitting. I think sometimes people are just afraid to ask another human being to take a portrait. This represents a great opportunity to do just that.

SHAWN by Thomas Hawk read Shawn’s story here

RENEE by Thomas Hawk read Renee’s story here

HARRY by Thomas Hawk read Harry’s story here

RAPHAEL by Jeremy Brooks read Raphael’s story here

BABY ELMO by Troy Holden read Baby Elmo’s story here

David by Erik Wilson – read David’s story here

Walt by Scott Roeben/LVShooter- Read Walt’s story here

Deon by Justin Korn-Read Deon’s story here

To explore more portraits or join the project, visit the $2 Portraits pool on Flickr