Photographer Aaron Draper believes it is the duty of artists to use their talents to illuminate social issues and inspire change.

He shared on his website that the beloved American author John Steinbeck is one of his inspirations:

“Steinbeck has influenced me and informed my view of the world. In Grapes of Wrath and Mice of Men, I was introduced to a philosophy regarding society, about economic disparity and Steinbeck’s efforts to shed light on the problems of the poor in our society. Steinbeck hoped to bring about societal change, just as I hope to enable people to gain a more humane view of the homeless.”

Draper believes it is the duty of artists to use their talents to illuminate social issues and inspire change. “I use lighting as a way to interest the viewer in the subjects shown,” Draper says. “I hope to enable people to gain a more humane view of the homeless.”

The story of each individual is etched in the lines of their face, the fabric of their clothes, and conveyed through the way they hold their body.

“When it comes to social activism, you achieve greater public awareness by communicating hope as opposed to hopelessness.”

“When something is underexposed, it means it’s lacking light; there are few details in the shadows.”

“If I’m able to affect the way that one person views the homeless, I will have considered my series a success.”

According to endhomelessness.org, 578,424 homeless individuals lived on the streets in 2014. of those, 177,373 “lived in a place not meant for human habitation such as the street or an abandoned building”; about 50,000 of those 578,424 are homeless veterans.

Draper’s extraordinary work is helping to illuminate the homelessness crisis. If you believe change is needed, share this article and be the change by getting involved.

You can also follow his work on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Written by Amanda Froelich of www.trueactivist.com

This article (California Photographer Captures Lit Portraits Of Homeless To Remind Us They’re People Too) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com.