Extraordinary photos of young hitchhikers and freight train hoppers by Mike Brodie
Mike Brodie (tumblr | facebook) first began photographing in 2004 when he was given a Polaroid camera. Working under the moniker, The Polaroid Kidd, Brodie spent the next four years circumambulating the U.S. amassing an archive of photographs that would go on to make up one of the few, true collections of American travel photography. Having never undergone any formal training, he chose to remained untethered to the pressures and expectations of the art market.
Whoa
“Before landing my role on Pretty Little Liars, I had a modeling contract in Thailand and Hong Kong.While there, I saw local girls with guys who were way older and I knew something just wasn’t right. Then I learned that nearley two million people under 18 across the globe like them are being forced into prostitution. Disgusted, I contacted the Somaly Mam Foundation (SMF), a nonprofit cofounded by a survivor of sex slavery in Cambodia. It rescues girls and helps them deal with issues like pregnancy and injuries caused by abuse, and teaches them how to earn a living. I flew to Cambodia for one week last February to meet survivors in SMF shelters and schools who were learning how to speak English, sew, and cut hair. I brought them books and asked what else they needed. They said, “Don’t judge us. Just give us love. sister.” One girl wouldn’t let go of my hand for hours. When they hugged me, it was the purest love I’ve ever felt. I want to help SMF open more shelters and schools in the Philippines, since I’m half Filipina, and sex trafficking is a problem there, too.”
