As seen through the eyes of photographer Kim Watson, who has spent three years on the streets of Los Angeles documenting his intimate and deeply felt relationships with the unhoused, Trespass offers an honest and unflinching depiction of the beauty and humanity of unhoused life.
According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), nearly 70,000 people were unhoused in the city as of September 2022. Writer, director, and photographer Kim Watson began connecting with these unhoused people near his LA neighborhood by delivering food out of the back of his car. As his relationships grew to become trusted friendships, he began to interview and photograph those he encountered, documenting their experiences. Through profiles, essays, and stunning black-and-white photography, Trespass sheds light on the complex situations that lead to homelessness, the individuals who struggle to rise out of it, and those who have resigned themselves to it. Fueled by a deep sense of care, Watson’s portraits capture the hopes and demands of people in need of support and consideration. In this book of extraordinary photo essays, Watson dares us to look inside ourselves and confront our own biases as we consider the conditions of others so, together, we can process our collective trauma and develop sustainable solutions.