Milo Strangio, Otis' Dream (PEOPLE 2022)

My photograph is derived from my love of capturing the lives of people around me, whether it be my family, friends, or people I stop and talk to on the street. I believe there is something special about making connections to those who we hardly know, strangers, as there is this humaneness shared - if not for a single moment in time. This idea thrives off the spontaneity of life and those who choose to live it to the fullest. I try to capture this feeling through my photography, and found that this idea of hope was one of the most prominent reoccurring themes which stood out to me through my photos. My depiction of Otis, a homeless man living rough on the streets of Brunswick and North Fitzroy, aims to reflect the hope in those who simply walk the streets, anybody who is keen to give life their all and take it in their stride. All my photos are shot on analog 35mm black and white film, with this specific roll being a Kodak T-Max 100. Film to me fully enhances the emotions and desires I am portraying, by the physical imprint of the light from that split moment in time, captured, preserved and then shared. There is something holistic, pure and untainted about it, as there is no post-processing or effects applied - it is as raw and ready as the world it depicts. Again this idea of hope is such a critical notion that people need to hold onto, and I believe my photo has shown how an individual - even when tested after two strenuous years of a global pandemic, something not easy to cope with when you are homeless - can pull together, unite and become one through their collective liberties.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.