Weather-beaten, ignored, humiliated: Photographer spends a month taking shots of the homeless in New Jersey's affluent Cape May, who struggle to survive just meters from million-dollar houses and yachts
- The powerful black and white pictures were captured by American photographer Donato DiCamillo, 50
- The pictures offer an insight into the hardships and struggles of those left to sleep rough in the affluent city
- Mr Di Camillo spent a month in the city trying to document the lives of rough sleepers with care and dignity
These heart-wrenching images show the plight of homeless people in an otherwise affluent coastal city and the injustice of the system.
The powerful black and white pictures, captured by American photographer Donato Di Camillo, 50, in Cape May, New Jersey, offer an insight into the hardships and struggles of those who have been left to sleep rough in the historic seaside resort that lies around 160 miles south of New York City.
The internationally recognised photographer, who earned global acclaim in 2016 for his candid images of fringe society in the United States, had set out to document the lives of those living on the streets with dignity and care.
In search of how they ended up on the streets of the quaint holiday attraction with its 19th century architecture, the photographer, who is based in New York City but spent over a month in Cape May this winter, spoke with every person he photographed and tried to portray their plight through his images.

Weather-beaten rough sleeper Charlize raises her hands in front of her as American photographer Donato Di Camillo, 50, sets out to capture her personal struggles and hardships. The incredible photos offer an insight into the silent plight of those sleeping rough in the historic seaside resort in America

This image shows rough sleeper Troy as he pulls at the strings on his hood with a hint of sadness and despair in his eyes. During his month in the coastal city photographer Donato Di Camillo aimed to document the lives of those living on the streets and portray them with dignity and kindness

Homeless man Chickie holds a cup of liquid in his hand as he sits down for a photo with Mr Di Camillo in the coastal resort. The homeless man rests the drink on his knee as he casts a upwards glance and shows the sadness in his eyes. The internationally recognised photographer tried to capture the homeless community with dignity and respect during his month in the city

In this heart-wrenching photo homeless man Stoney clenches his fist as he looks into the distance with a look of sadness in his eyes. The incredible photo captures Stoney's struggles and the injustice of the system as he is left to fend for himself in the affluent coastal holiday destination of Cape May in New Jersey
He said: 'They're all human beings and they all have a story to tell, I could show you dozens of photos of the horrific conditions they are living in, but I wanted to take portraits, to give each person some dignity.
'They were just so thrilled that someone was paying attention to them, they're so used to being ignored or humiliated, I felt guilty, I'm not some bleeding heart guy, but I wound up putting some of them up in motels, at my own expense.
'With my photos, I wanted to show the injustice of the system.
'I met a pregnant teenager with slight autism who had nowhere to go, she'd run away from home because her father had been raping her since she was four years old, she had no one to turn to.
'What kind of sick society doesn't provide shelter for a pregnant teenage girl with autism?
The historic Victorian city is known for its beautiful beaches and million dollar houses but behind its wealth lies a dark truth.

Rough sleeper Britney wipes her eyes as photographer Donato Di Camillo tries to capture her personal struggles and hardships. Believing that all those living on the streets had a story to tell, the photographer did not want to show the horrific conditions they were living in but give each person some dignity

In this photo Dana and Mike stand for a picture as the widely acclaimed photographer gives an insight into the hardships in the historic seaside resort about 160 miles south of New York City. The photographer spoke with every person he photographed and tried to portray their plight through his breathtaking black and white images

This black and white image shows homeless person Tim as he casts a downward glance in front of the lens. While the city he lives in is known for its stunning beaches and million dollar houses, the rough sleeper is one of many living in the city without a roof over their head

In this photo, Mr Di Camilla captures Dennis as he sits down with his cat. Frustrated with the injustice of the system the photographer set out to portray the city's homeless community with dignity and kindness and try and portray the sadness with which they live. Mr Di Camilla said: 'They're all human beings and they all have a story to tell, I could show you dozens of photos of the horrific conditions they are living in, but I wanted to take portraits, to give each person some dignity'
Mr Di Camillo added: 'There's no homeless shelter to speak of in Cape May, they only have warming stations so they don't freeze to death right there on the streets.
'The warming stations are only open from 6pm to 6am, so at 6am they have to hit the bricks again.
'It's a little resort for the elite, most people are very wealthy there, they don't want to deal with these people, they want them swept away, out of sight, it's bad for business.

Cape May in New Jersey is a popular tourist destination and is known for its picturesque beaches and million dollar houses

The quaint holiday resort is known for its 19th century architecture and rich houses. Pictured: Rich houses along Beach Avenue, in Cape May, New Jersey

A visit to the historic Victorian city reveals enormous houses and yachts lining its shores but behind its affluent image lies a story of despair and homelessness
'I'm from the streets myself, so I don't find it shocking, I'm not even surprised by it, I just think it's disgusting.
'Homeless people aren't even allowed to put up tents in Cape May.
'If they put up a tent they have their tents ripped down, they get hassled and abused for standing in a bus station.
'The whole thing angered me.'
Sam Kelly, 74, has been an independent advocate for homeless people in Cape May for decades and works alongside the The Branches Episcopal Outreach Center, a philanthropic organisation run on public donations.
He said: 'There's really no comprehensive program for homeless people here.
'It's appalling, but we've been working to change that. Society has created this mess, society is going to have to get it fixed.
'It's been a long hard battle to try and get these people some help, but we're not going to stop.'
It isn't just meters that separate the rich from t...
by SGinNC 310