So-pen-nii......6 Faces

I have been thinking a lot lately about Jock's recommendation that I need to humanize the photographs more. A project idea grew out of his suggestions.

Am thinking of finding 6 people (6 friends hopefully!) working as sex workers (so-pen-nii = prostitute in the Thai language) and spending as much time with them as I can.

2 lady sex workers
2 men sex workers
2 ladyboy sex workers

I would need 1 year at least in Thai to accomplish my goal. The problem with long term relationships with people in the scene is they tend to get used up and spit out. In 2003 I knew over 50 people working a certain road of bars in Thailand when I went back in 2007 only 6 people remembered who I was and came to talk to me. In about a 3 and 1/2 year period the entire working population of the street had changed. Where did all the people go? I think to do a long term project with the same people would be very difficult, 1 year or a bit longer with 6 friends working the scene would be possible thou.

I would want to photograph them on the street, in the bars, in their homes, in their family homes, with friends, with family, with customers etc. the whole gamut of who and what they are. To make the people I photograph more human will help tell their stories in a more truthful way. I would honestly be showing who they are, and as Jock says:

"At the very least this would humanize them and move you away from the blank stare with which people defend themselves from photographers whom they do not know."

It would be important to find the right people. People who would be comfortable being photographed, people that had a certain visual strength (someone that could hold a wall as Richard Avedon used to say). I think a younger (18-22) and a older (35+) person from each group of 2 might be the way to go.

Will continue to think about this idea and see how it develops. I would not be able to go to Thai for 1 year until at least 2010 maybe later. I will be taking some short trips before that time, hopefully I can meet some new people and also renew some old friendships.