Documentary photographers dream

This kid is sixteen he's on curfew. He has to be home between
10pm and 7:30 am everyday while he's on bail for charges relating to relieving students of their mobile phones.

He could be looking at a couple of years if found guilty. Should that happen, he'll be the fifth member of his immediate family to have served time. That includes his absent father, his mother and his two sisters. One of his sisters is currently in a psychiatric unit, her three year old daughter is being looked after by family members. His other sister has a baby & a toddler to look after on her own, her fella is serving time and is not around when he's free.

If you saw that in a drama you'd think, nah... they've gone too far. Well it's true and a documentary photographers dream it may be. But the kids life
is basically a nightmare. I know too much about this boy, I know everything about him. That's because he's part of my family, his mother is my sister.


I don't get to wave my camera about and leave. I get kept awake at night
burdened by guilt and frustration and a feeling I could have and should have done more. More than this, this is not enough.
I once had a dream of becoming a documentary photographer, but I'm
having trouble not seeing them as self serving. They will dream of stories like
this, be great for their career then onwards and upwards


Lets face it, the biggest life changing impact that photographic stories have is on the photographers life, not "The Subject". What a shit term, every bit as bad as "The Victim, The Patient, The Client.

Or The Accused


Edit


Maybe it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Defending the boy is not defending his actions. Couldn't & wouldn't