Thanks everyone for the great input .... it's nice to read that some get the same feelings I had/have about the shots.
To me, the "pigeon" shot is very cool... the crack, etc... all leading to the poor soul in the bg... however, I don't think it stands on it's own, ie; needs the other images in the series.
The first one "eye contact" is my favorite... probably due to the reaction I had looking thru the view finder realizing he was looking back... I had stayed in the background, not wanting to be noticed (like a 70-200 2.8 makes that easy, lol); then suddenly "discovered".
Frankly, I felt bad taking that shot, but got some relief knowing WHY I took those shots in the first place... not to make money, but to show real life as it is for some less fortunate. That shot, to me, is an "in-your-face, it's not all good out here" reality check. As in... we all know they are there, but do we really see them? In the big urban landscape, they are just fixtures... akin to a lamp post that you know is there, but never really look at... something you dodge in your hurry to get somewhere.
The other shot "face in hands". I named it "Only If" ... He started out just like the rest of us.. all it took were some bad decisions, bad "luck" if you believe in that kinda thing, to end-up right there on that bench. He can probably tell you in detail about each event that landed him there.
Bottom line, when I shoot street, its not to exploit, it's to attempt to show that these are still people, just one or two bad moves from living the same life "you" do. Whether my stuff instills thoughts such as these for others is neither here nor there... the camera allows me to capture feelings that I don't necessarily get when I see the homeless with just my eyes. Kinda all that matters.
< Spew off >