November 2012
| Farrah by Mike McNeeley Best Colour Photo (tie) Mike McNeeley remembers how natural Farrah Cardinal was in front of the camera the day he approached her and asked to take her portrait. Farrah says she’s been photographed before for newspapers, once about the opening of a drop-in-centre for women and another time for Homelessness Awareness week. “You don’t need to ask her to pose because every moment she puts out such beautiful expressions,” says Mike. “I guess it’s the honesty that comes through her face.” Looking at the photograph, Farrah pauses then says, “I was in my addiction in that photograph… I’m clean now and I want to stay clean.” After living in the Downtown Eastside for four years, Farrah recently moved to Abbottsford to be with her mother for support in addressing her health and addiction issues. Mike McNeeley loves tennis and art. He studied the latter at Emily Carr and recently enrolled in a part-time course to learn animation. Mike made the Downtown Eastside home for almost three years, and now lives in an apartment managed by B.C. Housing. While it’s outside the Downtown Eastside, he stays connected to the community, participating in arts and theatre activities. “I’m still living in poverty,” says Mike, who appreciates the opportunity to participate in the photo contest. “I have people approach me and go ‘Wow, you’re the guy that did this last year’,” he says about a previous winning photo that appeared in the 2011 calendar. “It’s cool to become famous in my neighbourhood.” From the Hope in Shadows collection |
