One dollar dreams

“To collect photographs is to collect the world.” American essayist  Susan Sontag wrote this long before digital cameras and smart phones existed but this thought has never been more topical than today.

Thanks to the new technologies everybody can take pictures and in doing so, not only they can collect the world but they can also share it with an endless number of strangers.  Apps  like Flickr and Instagram represent a global stage for amateur photographers and  thanks to photosharing  a picture can really make a difference.

Pachi Tamer knows it very well. He is an Argentinian copywriter living in Austin, Texas but more than anything else he is now an Instagram star. In a little over a year he has gained more than 10 thousand followers who have shown great appreciation of his work. Yes, because  “collecting photographs” doesn’t only allow you to collect the world,  but it also gives you the chance to collect other people’s lives. Collecting lives. This is what Pachi Tamer has been doing for a little over a year. Since November 2011 he has taken over 650 portraits of homeless people in three countries: the U.S., Colombia and Mexico. His pictures had such a great response that he has recently created One dollar dream, a non-profit organization to realize the dreams of homeless people.

Based on a crowdfunding platform model, onedollardreams.com allows users to donate a dollar to the cause. Right now there are three dreams that you can help realize: sending Jim to the Oktoberfest next year, buying Bob a motorbike or helping Jim join a rehab program.