Gripping photos capture the hardship, danger and pain of homeless people sleeping rough in London
- Lee Jefferies, from Manchester, photographs homeless people
- He spends time with them and gets to know their stories
- Lee has travelled across Europe and the US to find subjects to photograph
A photographer has made it his mission to change the way homeless people are perceived with a striking set of portraits.
Lee Jefferies, from Manchester, first struck upon the idea in 2008 after photographing a young woman living on the streets in London.
He's since travelled around America and Europe to capture the moving images of homeless people and listen to their stories, which has resulted in a book called Lost Angels released next month.
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Lee started taking pictures of homeless people after a chance encounter with a girl on the street. Pictured: Michael was photographed outside Kings Cross station in a tweed hat
Michelle moved to London from Edinburgh, Lee photographed her on the streets around Leicester Square
Lee will spend plenty of time with his subject to gain their trust and make sure he gets the best image possible.
He told the Metro: 'I’m “living” with these people for days, sometimes weeks and only when a mutual respect has been developed does the camera ever get used.’
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Lee is a full-time accountant and amateur photographer but he's become passionate about his project since spotting an 18-year-old sleeping in a doorway in 2008.
He quickly took a picture of the woman, who was lying under a sleeping bag, without her permission.
Katia, originally from Norwich, had a black eye showing the dangers young women face when sleeping rough
The images of a homeless person's hand, dirty and worn, are included in the moving collection
He told Time magazine: 'She spotted me and started shouting, drawing the attention of passersby.
'I could have just walked away in an embarrassed state, or I could have gone over and apologised to her.’
After choosing to do the latter, he discovered she had been left without a roof over her head after both her parents had died.
That conversation changed his life and he decided to continue to focus his attention on those sleeping rough.
But rather than doing so without their permission, he would approach people sat on street corners and connect with them before taking their picture.
This 18-year-old woman was the first homeless person Lee captured and he says her story changed his life
This girl is a refugee who Lee found begging outside theatres in London's Leicester Square
John pictured outside The Connection, one of London’s main homeless charities
His subjects range from young women to old men, many of which are found in the West End and East London.
One girl named Katia is pictured with a black eye, showing the danger many face on a nightly basis.
Lee has worked with and raised money for many homeless charities over the last six years.
He describes the emotional journey as intense and he often cries when processing the image at his computer screen.
The techniques he uses to create the photographs also have overtones of religious imagery.
Lee shares his work on Facebook and Instagram with his book Lost Angels out next month from Yellow Korner.
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