Carol Guzy

This arresting close-up portrait captures a man John Sinatra living on the margins of Miami in 1982, his face filling the frame with a depth that borders on the sculptural. Deep lines crease his forehead and cheeks; his eyes, alert yet worn, carry the accumulated weight of hardship, exposure, and endurance. The photograph was taken by Carol Guzy (four‑time Pulitzer Prize winner then) a staff photographer for the Miami Herald, and published as an oversize press photograph.

Unlike conventional news imagery, this photograph approaches its subject with an almost classical intimacy. There is no surrounding context—no street, no shelter, no visible possessions—only the human face itself. In doing so, the image shifts from reportage toward portraiture, asking the viewer to confront homelessness not as a statistic or condition, but as lived experience etched into flesh and time.

Interviewed by Miami Herald's Journalist Matthew Greelman, a homeless man John Sinatra says: "Loneliness is a terrible thing"

The verso bears period newsroom markings, including the subject’s name, photographer's name and the date of publication (April 15, 1982). Such annotations reflect the working language of editorial environments of the era and are preserved today for archival accuracy. The photograph itself, however, resists labels. It neither pleads nor accuses. It simply insists on being seen.

Created at a moment when homelessness was becoming increasingly visible across American cities—amid economic instability, inadequate.

Carol Guzy is a highly respected photojournalist who worked as a staff photographer for the Miami Herald early in her career and later at The Washington Post where she produced many deeply impactful photo essays covering war, natural disasters, social issues, and human suffering. She is one of the most decorated newspaper photographers in history. Four‑time Pulitzer Prize winner — one of the only photographers in history to receive this many. Her portfolio includes: The Haitian migration crisis, The Rwandan genocide, Kosovo conflict, The 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina.