The past

My taste of squalor

I ounce was a professional Photographer working for a very big New paper agencies
Up town whom will be nameless to avoid being sued by them.
Until one day My life went pear shaped.
It all happened when I returned from an assignment covering famine aid in
Africa finding that My Wife after 10 years of Marriage had walked out on Me and issuing Me with Divorce papers
saying that since the house is in both our names and that I'm not there 90% of the time
then legally that house is hers.
I fought long and hard in the courts spent every penny I earned on the lawyer Fees only to find out that the judge was more sympathetic to her than my plight gessh Now I was with out a home to go and no food and
I had till the next day to get My things out and move out.
After that I and waiting till My next pay cheque which wouldn't be until the end of the Month I got to thinking what could go wrong now.
At the end of the month living on what mere food I could buy and living rough in my camper van my appearance had changed. I could shave and wash but those long nights sleeping rough paid its toll
when finally I was told My boss wanted to speak with Me You guessed it I was told to evict the desk and never come back. Now I was jobless and among those in card board City begging for money.

The present

Make or break

Many years past I decided to Make the break for it, Packed My Things in the camper van
and started touring around.
No one knew Me or Didn't want to Know Me cause the way I looked.And all I had was My camera with Me So I could blend in easy no one was none the wiser.

Charities functions

Until I came across Fannie on my travels.
She was doing a local charities in Cal. at the time and We became great friends and in the course of a few months I was often called upon to take pictures of the does and sell it to them to the public and press which is how i got the revenue back it wasn't much at the time but it kept me fed and watered.
But I was still Living rough
It was then after a year or so I got this phone call from her saying that She's holding a local charity do in CA again And would I like to be there photographer
With a proposition like that who could refuse So I headed down to CA

My first introduction to Val

It was there That I met Val whom was going to be My very best friend We got talking after the shoot at some bar with Fannie whom We exchanged stories about our divorce over a good stiff drink.
Val just turned 19 and old enough to go in the bar but not drink. As it happens all three of us had tales of woe to tell at that time.And at the end of the day I didn't want to be intrusive
So I said My farewells and up left to go to my van parked somewhere in the park then headed off the next day to tour around a bit
It wasn't until until May or June this year that I had a call from some one in the COPS that I was asked to attend a another charity do this time in the City at First I thought Cops was the Met or febs chasing Me but no It was a Charity Organisation funded By the City it self
Any way I drove down there to meet some one and get some background details then woo Who should turn up but Val whom after hearing that I was still homeless gave Me shelter until i found my feet

The Future

Many months has passed and no new jobs on the horizon and I was getting uneasy So I let my self out and left note on the table telling her why I left and then toured around a bit taking photographs of real people and selling the photos to get money.when all of a sudden I was getting phone calls from the people asking me for more pictures. it was then I came up with a idea of setting up a gallery my self looking in to my account I had enough to rent a single room for a few months if I just lived at i was. saving all my money to pay the rent.
it was a shell of a building to start with but with toil and sweat the room was clean up and ready to exhibit my pictures and from the first two weeks of my pictures being up i managed to pay off the rent and made a hefty profit to boot.
So I eventually had enough revenue to pay for the building my self and from there I managed to open several gallery all over the world.
Today I returned to My roots to pay off My debts to Val and society By opening up a gallery in the City and start a complete rejuvenation program to help the City poor and needy
The story continues..........