Portraits of the Homeless by Lee Jeffries

Lee Jeffries once spent his talent snapping images of footballers and other elite athletes working at their crafts. After an encounter with a young homeless girl on the London street, and we're assuming the guilt he felt over shooting her photo clandestinely, he has now both changed the subject matter he chooses to shoot, and the way in which he gets the shot. Rather than sneakily skulking off with the photos of the girl curled up in a sleeping bag, he opted to do the right thing and speak with the girl, getting her permission to use the photos and befriending her at the same time. He now makes a point of getting to know every person he photographs, and his perceptions of the people that live with homelessness everyday have forever been changed. The subsequent photos are hauntingly beautiful, gritty and honest. You can view more on his Flickr page here...and we have posted more pics after the jump.