“Photography can’t change the world, but it can give us lots of opportunities to create change…”
– Jack Eames, award-winning London beauty photographer.
As part of a personal project, Jack has been capturing the work that Haircuts4Homeless have been doing over the past 10 years to deliver incredible transformations, both physically and emotionally, to people who are living some of the hardest lives we can imagine.
Together with talented hairdressers like Steven Easton (left), Stewart Roberts MBE (right) and his team have built a charity that’s delivering something really special for those who genuinely need our help.
So when our production company, Evoku, was presented with the opportunity to tell the Haircuts4Homeless story through Jack’s eyes (and lens) for Capture One, Tom and I jumped at the chance.
And as for that story? It’s here:
That phrase – “it’s just a haircut” – is one that’s easily said without a second thought, by many of us, I guess.
But having witnessed just a few days of the impact this team can have on people’s lives, I can say from my own experience at the Salvation Army’s Chalk Farm location (one of many that H4H partner with), it really is so much more.
The power to drive positive change.
Working with Stewart and his team of volunteers in the days and weeks prior, it was clear these guys have such a passion for the change they can bring about – and the fact they’ve turned that focus into such a well run process in locations all across the country is testament to their dedication and commitment to helping others.
They know they can’t fix homelessness with a haircut – it’s one of the first things team members like Belinda, and trustees such as Nicky, will position upfront.
But if that haircut gives someone a better chance at getting a job, or the prospect of maybe impressing a social worker who’s making a decision on whether they can see their kids, or even just allowing them to walk a little bit taller down the street the next day – then surely, it’s all been worth it?
Once those doors open, it’s quite literally all hands-on deck.
Yes, we were there to film Jack’s involvement with the charity, but the sole focus of the centre for those few hours is to help people. Some were there for a hot drink; others to pick up donated sleeping bags; many were stopping by for a shower; some for their promised haircut – and a few, simply to grab a couple of hours of warmth.
When I say it was all hands on deck, that also meant Taus from Capture One became a temporary barista for the evening too, along with H4H trustee Nicky. (He also seemed to enjoy it, mind, so pretty sure it wasn’t his first use of a coffee machine…)
Back to filming, and those haircuts – this is a project that sees, and captures, an incredible range of human emotions from such a fleeting moment in time.
From hurt, to anger; from sadness, to joy; from frustration, to relief – and everything you can imagine in-between – what did remain constant, consistent and enduring throughout the evening was the appreciation the guests had for what the team were there to do.
And that element of “fun” and appreciation is made even more clear when you get one of the guests putting on an impromptu “show” for the group in front of Jack’s pop-up studio background…
It’s the most fundamental of human contact – being able to talk to someone, have a conversation with someone, be touched by another person as they style your hair with the skills they’ve honed for years – contact that’s often missing from these peoples lives for days, weeks, or even months on end.
Every single volunteer performing the haircuts is a professional hairdresser from the local area, offering up their time, experience and energy to help others for free. They come from all around the towns and cities that the charity operates within, crowd-sourcing support and assistance through WhatsApp groups and messages.
They’re organised by Team Leaders (such as Steven, below), who have dedicated a large proportion of their own time to deliver a change and service that really does make a difference to other peoples’ lives.
And Jack, through his involvement with the charity, is there to document and capture that change at every step of the way.
He moves around the hall, engaging with guests, offering up a picture or two (if they want to be included) – capturing before and afters in order for them to see the difference in their appearance that’s been delivered during the evening.
With a single mirrorless camera, laptop and his trusty (if somewhat worn!) pop-up background – he makes a point of never using any additional tools or artificial lighting that could intimidate, or add any distance between him and his subject while shooting.
Loading files straight into Capture One, sometimes tethered, Jack instantly adds his own style to each image – meaning he can present near-perfect “finished looks” for every client he shows.
His presence sparks a further element of fun and joviality to the evening – sure, not every guest wants to be photographed (or filmed, which we were extremely sensitive to) – but for those that do, seeing themselves for the first time in recent memory, on-screen, brings about an immediate reaction and happiness that would ripple around the room.
And the pride, strength and determination that he captures in so many of these shots is genuinely heartwarming.
Hear Me, See Me.
A few years back, while pushing to increase the credibility and reach of their work, the Haircuts 4 Homeless team decided to publish a book that would bring to life many of the stories and transformations that Jack had captured for them during their time together; the “Hear Me, See Me” book concept was born.
Crowdfunded, initially, the book itself is now sold by the charity to highlight the work they do and give those who buy it something truly special to understand and enjoy in their own time.
Combined with quotes from some of the guests, the collection of Jack’s images deliver a powerful message of how important even a small change in appearance can be to our self-worth as human beings – and every penny made from the book’s sales goes straight back to delivering that change for even more people who need it.
As a charitable initiative, it’s been a success. As a coffee table book, it’s a wonderful one to own. As a record of a moment in time, for both the guests and the team, it’s priceless.
“It’s just a haircut”.
We do tend to take a haircut for granted, if you really think about it, right?
You look in the mirror one morning and think “I could do with a haircut” – so you book it and go. You look at the before/after results and think “yeah, that’s back to me” or “that’s the new me that I wanted”, pay your money and enjoy the rest of the day.
Now imagine how it feels, when you simply can’t make that happen.
The “you” is fading, your self-confidence is knocked, your identity is changing against your will – and worse – in the case of many of these guests, you have nobody there to help fix it.
And that’s why Stewart, Belinda, Nicky, Steven and Jack and all the others in the Haircuts4Homeless team exist.
To be there.
These sessions aren’t sad, they’re not depressing (of course, they can be challenging at times) – but they’re uplifting, warm, heartfelt moments in time where those who have the ability to help others are offering their time, skills and energy to make those who need help feel just that little bit better.
That, to me, is what I see in Stewart and his team’s passion for his charity – a desire, a wish, a need to leave the world, and its people, a little bit better than it was before.
No, a haircut can’t “fix” homelessness. But if there was any doubt that Haircuts4Homeless can bring a bit of extra joy into peoples’ lives – just look at the smiles as people head out from the centre.
And it’s not just from the guests. Those same smiles are mirrored on the faces of each and every person who’s involved at the end of a session.
They give everything they can for that event, make a real difference, and get straight on to planning the next.
So no – it’s not “just a haircut” – and heading to their website above will explain why in a much better way than I can in this short post.
If you want to help – a donation goes a long way.
If you want to enjoy the stories, as well as help, then buy the book:
And if you’re a hairstylist with some time available to give to others (they’re looking for teams in lots of locations around the country) – click here to learn more.
Sadly, my skills aren’t yet good enough to be able to cut hair in a way that can benefit anyone – neither are they any good at making coffee.
But it does make you think – watching Jack at work – as a photographer, as a filmmaker, as any form of creative out there; what can we do to help make other people’s lives just that little bit better?
Turns out, a personal project can be one of the most valuable journeys we embark upon throughout our otherwise, commercial, careers.
