I came to Philadelphia in May of 1999. The city was in worse shape than it is today. Abandoned cars were a constant eye sore and the city was filthy. From Washington down to Snyder, the neighborhoods degraded as you went south. The first changes I noticed were when John Street became Mayor. On the city's dime he rode shotgun in a tow truck and started stripping the streets of the abandoned cars and took them to the junkyards. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the mayor turned out to be a crooked politician. During this time I rarely photographed Point Breeze, the neighborhood I have lived in these past 16 years.
However I became drawn to the neighborhoods of Kensington and Center City during my visits to the city. As beautiful as Philadelphia can be at times with its history and heritage, these neighborhoods and other deteriorating areas remain as open sores. My photography by this time had matured in a way that gave me confidence and refined my skill to work with some of the most problematic individuals who lived on the streets. My goal with this project and other projects in the city has always been to find a that thread of story that most people would not care to learn about.
The following photographic series are an indepth look at the lives of the individuals that live, work and hang out in these neighborhoods - some who became my friends and have passed on. My responsibility as a photographer is to convey their story the best way I can.
Kensington Project
Center City Series
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