JOLS

A documentary project · New York City

Journey of Lost Soles

A life carried.
A journey worn.

Black-and-white illustrative image of heavily worn shoes, with torn fabric and split seams.
Illustrative reference — visual directionNot a documentary photograph of a project participant
A person lying beside a weathered wooden wall, with bare feet and a worn shoe visible.
This photo was taken in summer 2026 in LA.

The project

The journey in the details.

A documentary photography project tracing the journeys of people experiencing homelessness through their shoes, soles, hands, and belongings.

Through worn soles, split seams, makeshift repairs, and the accounts people choose to share, the project explores the daily realities of distance, exposure, exhaustion, and survival. The work looks closely at that hardship and at the individual living through it.

The intended outcome

To deepen public understanding of the daily realities of homelessness and encourage advocacy for the people living through it. We plan to begin with a small NYC pilot and community presentation, building toward a photography book and traveling exhibition as the work develops.

Start a conversation

The approach

Look closely.
Work with care.

A shoe worn through at the heel. A bag repaired to hold together another day. A sleeping roll carrying the damp of a night outside.

Alongside the experiences people choose to share, these details help tell the story of daily life without stable housing—the distances traveled, the weight carried, the weather endured, and the effort it takes to keep going.

The intended approach keeps faces outside the frame. Protecting privacy also takes meaningful consent and care with how photographs and stories are shared.

What we are committed to

Our commitments include participant compensation, ongoing consent, and paid leadership and review roles for people with lived experience. We will establish community review with real authority over how the work is selected and presented, alongside each participant’s choices about their own contribution.

Illustrative reference of a shopping cart filled with bags, blankets, and belongings on a city sidewalk.
A closer look at what is carried.Illustrative reference

Early development · NYC

The steps ahead.

We’re developing the foundation for a small NYC pilot with an existing nonprofit host and community collaborators. The scope, resources, and timing will be shaped together.

  1. 01 We are here

    Build

    Find an aligned nonprofit host, involve paid lived-experience contributors, and secure the resources for a small NYC pilot.

  2. 02

    Prepare

    Agree on consent, privacy, community review, and an editorial approach. Prepare the team through training and trusted relationships.

  3. 03

    Document

    Create photographs and optional stories with willing participants, supported by compensation, ongoing consent, and opportunities for return visits.

  4. 04

    Share

    Present a small body of work with the community, connect audiences to a useful action, and learn before expanding toward a book and exhibition.

Illustrative close-up of clasped hands resting in a lap, framed by worn clothing.
The evidence of a journey.Illustrative reference
A person lying on a tiled subway floor with their head resting on a pair of shoes.
Taken in summer 2026 in a subway tunnel.

An open invitation

Help shape
what comes next.

A conversation, an introduction, or relevant experience can help move this project forward. We’d love to hear your ideas and explore how we might work together.

A nonprofit home

We are seeking an existing nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness in NYC to help shape and host an initial pilot. Together, we would define its value to the community, staff involvement, resources, and responsibilities.

A formal agreement would protect participant choices and creative independence while establishing shared accountability.

Explore a partnership
Legal guidance

Help establish the framework for consent, privacy, photography permissions, participant review and withdrawal procedures, and image use in print, exhibitions, and online, alongside the agreement with a nonprofit host.

Offer expertise or an introduction
Community leadership

People with lived experience of homelessness must help shape how the work is made and presented. We welcome connections with prospective community leaders, outreach professionals, and documentary ethics advisers. We also welcome feedback on the project’s name, language, and proposed approach.

The plan includes paid lived-experience leadership and review roles, with responsibilities and compensation established before recruitment into those roles.

Connect about community involvement
Creative collaboration

Photographers, writers, designers, and people with book or exhibition experience are welcome to express interest. Initial opportunities will focus on a small pilot, with scope, time commitments, expenses, and terms agreed before anyone commits.

The current plan includes volunteer creative contributions, with expectations and terms made clear before anyone commits.

Express your interest

Journey of Lost Soles

It begins with a conversation.

S.K. Lopossa · Founder
New York City

A project in development.

Get in touch

Follow the journey

@journeyoflostsoles