"Camping" by Tom Stone

This photo entitled, "Camping," was taken by Tom Stone, a photographer who is "devastated by the separation of human existence." He photographs those who are on the "skirt" of society. On his website(tomstonegallery.com,) Stone states:

"And what of them; these ones who don’t belong or who are excluded; who don’t fit or don’t try? Is there nothing they value? Is there nothing of them we value? I count it as a measure of our ignorance, the depth of poverty in the world. It’s a glaring marker to how far we have not come. Yet it has also driven our advance; on less fortunate backs and against less fortunate fate."

Taking extreme close-up shots of homeless people, Stone has the ability to convey the raw emotion of the faces of those who are hurting. In his gallery, he gives descriptions of his interactions with the subjects of the photo. For the photo "Camping," he writes, "homeless kaylyn from dallas sitting on sidewalk panhandling. she was thrown out of school and out of home when she was 15.she'd been on her own until last year when, at 17, she got engaged to a boy she met in san diego. they're living together now in a tent in the park.(5/17/06)" He gives a whole new meaning to the term "camping..."

Formally speaking, we are immediately drawn to Kaylyn's eyes. The directness of her stare is unavoidable. Because of the tightness of the shot, and the contrast between her black hood and pale face, we are able to focus on the details of her face. Her numerous freckles are dispersed across her face, creating a sense of chaos, but her slight smirk is playful.

We could interpret this photo, and wonder how it relates to camping, but Stone very clearly defines it for us. This photo is not complete without the others in its series. Individually they tell a story, but together they scream "crisis."