Topic: On the edge

[Daniel Emami]

I have for a while now been visiting a group of homeless/alcoholics/drug addicts/former drug addicts.
The first time I went there I had no idea how it would be - would they be nice and have a chat, would they just tell me to go or in worst case take my camera?
Loaded with my Canon FTb and a pack of cigarrettes (I don't smoke but I hoped it would work as an icebreaker) I headed down to their place.
First i met a 54 year old man who was sitting on a bench all by himself smoking for 200 DKK (around 34 USD) of heroin. He presented himself as Ole - I was later told by others his name was Carsten. It was a setback to him smoking dope again this was the first time in six months, six months where he has been in rehab and prescribed 80 mg of methadone
a day at a clinic. Whether this was just another lie and he in fact has been smoking regularly i cannot tell.
As he finished up his dope he pulled out a pint of Carlsberg lager, curious as I was I asked him how many of those he poured down a day. "I drink 15 pints a day and have been doing so for about 30 years." I quickly subtracted that from his age and realized he had been drinking like that since he was 24.
At one time Carsten was a working boy at furniture factory in fact he told me he was offered an internship to become a carpenter, despite the fact that he in the longer run would achieve a better salary he turned down the offer due to a large dept and salary as an internship where significantly lower compared to his current position.

Carsten doesn't appear in any of the photos below.
If you are interested in some more stories let me know. Pardon my English it is a bit rusty.































Everyone on the photos except for the man in the couch are or have been abusing either alcohol, hash, heroin, coke or other kinds of drugs.

[tani.P]

Great work, Daniel.
The graininess of the film works well with the gritty subject matter. I feel like photo essays are the most effective way to raise awareness about social issues like this. Are you going to try to get this published/shown anywhere? You totally should.

[Daniel Emami]

I had them published at a small happening in a really small town, so not really. I was planning to publish them at the house were they hang out. I don't really know how to get other to publish them unfortunately

But I'm really happy you like them, they are my first real series I have made myself from idea to actual photos!

[charles binns]

It's a lovely series and very moving,  you should keep going with it.  Maybe follow individuals and tell their story in detail.