Blog Post: Finding connection with others through photography

We’re sharing Michael’s story, about his love for photography and how it led to being part of an open exhibition with the AH Collective. The AH Collective is made up of a group of clients from across our services who all contributed towards an exhibition of their work which went on display in one of our community spaces at our Client Celebration event this year. Clients, staff, trustees and volunteers were all invited to view the exhibition. 

Michael joined Action Homeless just over a year ago after finding himself with no safe place to stay after losing his home. He not only lost his home, but the majority of his possessions too. Thankfully, outreach teams in the city were able to connect Michael with the right support when he had been sleeping rough in a local park, and he was soon referred to Action Homeless. Michael now has his own tenancy, and support when he needs it from his key worker and the team in our A+ service.

Michael has had an interest in photography for almost two decades now, which was sparked after winning a Nikon compact camera in a work Christmas raffle. As his interest in takings photographs grew, he was even able to travel to Australia to visit family, and take photographs there of the wildlife. When he lost his home, his camera was one of the things he made sure to bring with him, but sadly he lost other equipment and framed prints of his photographs that were very important to him.

Michael enjoys the striking visual effect that photography can create, such as the sun hitting the horizon just at the right time at a summer equinox or similar natural event.

He also enjoys photographing the local wildlife, regularly heading to Leicester’s variety of green spaces. He doesn’t enjoy taking posed photos of people most of the time, but he does appreciate getting out in nature with the local cycling group he is a part of, and they are sometimes included in photos that he takes. Michael has been attending our regular EmpowerMENt Presents photography sessions where clients from across our services get out and about in Leicester with a chance to use a variety of cameras and get support with taking photographs.

Our recent AH Collective exhibition included work from clients who had attended these sessions, and it was the first time Michael had had his pictures included in an exhibition.

He was quite nervous at first, but once he got into it on the day of the exhibition he was fine, and happy to discuss his photos with everyone who came to visit. This included clients, staff, volunteers and trustees. Michael really enjoyed getting to use different cameras and equipment in the lead up to the exhibition, as well as getting to see all of his work up on the walls.

He says that being part of the EmpowerMENt Presents sessions is something that has provided him with a sense of connection to others, and improved his mental health and wellbeing.  

He likes to get out and about rather than staring at four walls, going to his local park most mornings to feed the squirrels and the robins. He says they are normally waiting for him and have got to know and trust him from his regular visits. In terms of what’s next for his photography journey, Michael is looking forward to taking some more images of unique steam trains, a special interest of his. He has travelled in the past to join crowds of people waiting for a particular train to come past. He says you have to know the right direction of the train, and its speed, to get just the right shot. He is looking forward to taking on more challenges like this, as well as continuing to attend the EmpowerMENt presents photography sessions when they take place.

You can view the full gallery of images from our recent AH Collective exhibition here.