One of the most talented and sought after photographers in New York, Josh Lehrer, is entering his second stage of his work with Transgender youth. The New York Times wrote of his first effort,

What is evident in the portraits Mr. Lehrer shared with Lens is that the photographer and the sitter do enjoy an unusual rapport, and that many of the subjects have made themselves just about as vulnerable as they are ever likely to be with a relative stranger. But it is also clear — and the antiquarian patina of the prints underscores this — that there is a distance, too, that may never be bridged.

Lehrer, who has already mounted one high acclaimed major show of his work, is now continuing with his important work in the streets of New York. His haunting photography of the faces of our homeless children was emblazoned into our minds forever. As Mr. Lehrer put it in the New York Times story, " “Nothing has taught me more about light than being in the dark.” The highly praised Lehrer describes his next stage for "Becoming Visible."

Bring faces out from the shadows by placing them front and center in my portraits. Many homeless transgendered teens have been traumatized by the loss of their families, their homes and often, their dignity. I will use lovingly produced photographs as a way to help heal some of the pain caused by all of that loss and create images that reveal their humanity. A humanity that we can share and connect to.

Working directly with the two largest organizations that work tirelessly to help this under-served community, I will make both studio and exterior portraits of the kids, shot on film and then enlarged into outsized platinum and palladium prints; far and away the most elegant of all photographic processes.

The money will go to provide stipends for the kids, direct contributions to the service organizations and help me to pay for film, studio time and to retro-fit a lab to create these oversized prints -and to purchase the chemicals to create handmade emulsion (literally pulverized platinum!) and to import paper from France.

The resulting series will culminate with a large gallery show in New York City and throughout the world. Expanding recognition, awareness and compassion.

You can watch a video of this important project and how you can help by clicking here. 

There is a thirty day drive for $30,000.  I hope you can give. I have given to this worthy project.