Poverty by Dave John Cole

First, let me begin with what this App is not. It is not associated with any charity. When I set out to take these photos it was as a photography study, not as an expose of the poverty and destitution in Bangkok. It's not intended as some form of poverty handout, a graphic depiction of the poor in order to provide feelings of sadness, or to emotionally blackmail people to take action. It's also not an abuse of the people in the photos for financial gain or recognition in the photography community.

So what is this? This is a portfolio of my photography work over a period of 6 months. But over those months I have learnt that the pictures sometimes alone are not enough. Each photo has its own story. Each person has a story to tell, good or bad, and by combining these stories with my photography work, the result is something much more powerful and meaningful to me, and hopefully to others.

Poverty is rife in Thailand. There are those who visit Bangkok and consider it to be an amazing and well developed city. But behind the major places to visit, there are so many areas full of people living next to canals, train tracks or abandoned land. These people are desperate. But they are also some of the most strong-willed, hardworking and happy people I have ever had the fortune to meet.

*** Please note this app is still under development. Information about each photo is being added in the next release ***