WATCH ABOVE: Mikael Theimer talks about his amazing photography projects
MONTREAL — Mikael Theimer never planned to be a photographer.
The Montrealer, now known for creating the “Portraits of Montreal” campaign, said he just “sort of fell into the profession.”
Now, he’s creating an inspiring new online project called “Humans of the Street”, which seeks to raise awareness on the issue of homelessness through photographic portraits and videos.
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“We’re not just talking about homelessness,” he told Global Morning News anchor Camille Ross on Monday.
“We’re letting homeless people talk about themselves to give them a voice and to try and change the way people see them.”
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Theimer points out everyone, including the homeless, has a unique, often touching life story.
“When we see a homeless person, that’s what we see: a homeless person,” he explained.
“Humans of the Street” is having a greater impact than Theimer could have ever hoped for.
“We realized that when we share the stories of homeless people, people had very interesting reactions and their perceptions, the way they saw these people, changed,” he said.
“People tell us, ‘Wow, I see that guy on the way to my office every day but I never really talked to him.'”
Theimer said many people were so inspired by the project, they reached out to him to offer help, with some going so far as to offer food, clothes and even an apartment.
“If we don’t turn a blind eye to homelessness, then all together we can make a difference.”
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