Every day, as we go through our lives, we usually keep to ourselves. We keep our heads down as we pass each other on the streets and fail to notice the unique and diverse characters that fill our city. Lindy Drew and Caroline Fish decided to break down the walls we put up to take a glimpse into strangers’ lives for their project “Humans of St. Louis”. “Humans of St. Louis” is a way to share photos and stories of the people of St. Louis. Inspired by the popular Facebook page “Humans of New York”, Drew and Fish created their site back in May 2014. Since then, they have posted countless inspiring stories and have gained an impressive 28,000 followers in only six months.

Drew is a second-year graduate student at Washington University, and Fish recently moved to New York after getting her Masters of Social Work at Washington University. Fish helps handle online duties and Drew conquers the tasks on the street. Drew studied photography at the International Center of Photography n New York City and has mastered her raw, documentary-style street photography. Drew also lived in South America for three years and taught photography at an orphanage. It is clear that Drew has a keen eye for combining her art skill with the desire to help those in need. Drew’s empathetic heart shines bright when she strives to hear the stories of the people of St. Louis.

There is a lot more behind the process for the pair than just simply posting the photos. First, Drew heads out, camera in hand, to a neighborhood of St. Louis. There are no areas off-limits for Drew.
She will journey from the Central West End, to North St. Louis, to the Delmar Loop. Each distinct section of St. Louis provides an array of intriguing people. Often unaccompanied on her journeys, Drew has never felt threatened.

She is not there to judge, but to instead capture a moment. Most recently, she journeyed to Ferguson to cover the protests and riots from a community-arts perspective.

Accompanying Drew during a walk through the Loop, I was able to see the process unfold. Drew keeps her eye out for those passing by around her. She notices their body language and their actions, things that could potentially lead to a great story. Drew simply approaches people and explains the project. Responses to Drew’s project vary; one man was not interested and continued on with his day. Others do not want their photo taken, and Drew understands that. Once people consent to being interviewed, something magical takes place. Drew begins asking a series of questions: “What’s your biggest struggle? What is your favorite thing about St. Louis? What is one piece of advice you would give to a large group of people?” The questions flow seamlessly from Drew’s lips.

Drew reflects on people’s answers and gauges their responses. Sometimes their answers are short and simple, but the best posts come from individuals who show vulnerability and allow themselves to be truly open to the questions.

Drew and I met one man in particular who made an impression. He was homeless and struggling to find a stable job. At first he was standoffish, but he removed the sunglasses he was hiding behind, and shared his story of heartbreak and addiction. Drew snapped a touching close-up shot of the man perched on the sidewalk. Drew captured his story in his picture, as each life hardship was reflected in the soft lines of his face.
Once the picture is taken, we part ways. It is not likely that we will ever meet again, but Drew has managed to give this man a voice through a simple five-minute conversation. Drew sorts through the interview for quotes that will match the picture, and sends it to Caroline who edits and posts it to their Facebook and Instagram.

The pictures spark important conversations in the comment section and allow those experiencing similar situations to share their stories.

One photograph at a time, “Humans of St. Louis” is bringing the city together.
No matter what, each and every person has a story to share, and, through “Humans of St. Louis”, everyone has the chance hear it.