A Celebrity Portrait Artist Photographs L.A.’s Homeless

Martin Schoeller is perhaps best known for his celebrity portraiture—beautiful, tight portraits of well-known figures from Paris Hilton to Bill Clinton, images that provide intimate views of familiar faces.

“Like most portrait photographers, I aim to record the instant the subject is not thinking about being photographed, striving to get beyond the practiced facial performance, reaching for something unplanned,” Schoeller told me.

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“I am interested in the idea of documenting faces of our times, building a catalogue—photographing people from many different backgrounds in the exact same style, revealing glimpses of humanity that are universal,” he says.

Friends of Schoeller’s have volunteered at the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition for the past 28 years. It was their dedication that inspired him to photograph the recipients of the program, which serves a nightly meal to the homeless and hungry of Los Angeles.

When jobs take him to L.A., Schoeller stays extra days to photograph. He’s been setting up a portable studio on the corner of Sycamore and Romaine, photographing the faces and recording the stories of the homeless who come to GWHFC for food. He’s been posting the photographs, along with excerpts from his interviews, to his Instagram feed, @martinschoeller.

Proceeds from all image usage and sales of this work are donated to the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition, and you can also donate to GWHFC here.

Watch an interview with Martin Schoeller on Proof, see more of his work on his website, and follow him on Instagram @martinschoeller.