Through the lens of photographer Gerardo Vázquez, we are drawn into the harsh reality our unhoused population face day after day. Looking closely at each face you see the stress, the exhaustion of the round-the-clock struggle to meet basic needs in freezing temperatures or unrelenting heat. Their eyes expose their pain in feeling vulnerable, ignored, and unwanted. The photographs are not intended to make you feel comfortable. Rather, it is hoped they evoke a discomfort that opens your eyes and your heart to the brutal conditions that exist and prompt you to offer help and hope to your unhoused neighbors.
Gerardo Vázquez bought his first camera to photograph his children growing up, playing sports, and celebrating birthdays. Entering pictures into the Tulare County Fair of his 10-year-old son running in the National Junior Olympic Championships, Gerardo won a 1st Place Ribbon. With lots of practical experience and a passion for the creative process of photography, Gerardo has honed his skills. His photographs have been published in magazines and on the cover of the 1979 Hispanic Times along with a two-page write up on Vázquez’ work. For Gerardo Vázquez photographing and interviewing the unhoused to bring greater awareness is a calling.