April 5, 2015, 6:04:56 & 6:05:48 am, Mission District, San Francisco

A close friend has called into question, the ethics of these photos. I clearly see his point. Is it exploitative, taking advantage of a poor soul, being disrespectful? The answer, I believe, lies in the intent and audience. My purpose was to create empathy and to show how dreadful addictions can be. I have no audience. But if I did, it would be part of a body of work to show this tragic side of humanity, not to pity, but to empathize and hopefully help such people.