Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Slow Day

Went down to the drug/drinking area of the slum, made a few photos but not much was happening. I also photographed an old man Khune But-too-un he is 72 years old and might be suffering from a form of dementia/drug/alcohol abuse? Khune But-too-un had some connection to the Vietnam war but I am sure what it was. I started talking to him and he did not stop talking for the next 30 minutes, gesturing wildly, talking serious then joking then serious again, he did not require much encouragement, I smiled and photographed him  as he talked and talked. He might have been just a lonely old man, heck I talk a lot also when I have no one to speak to for a long time.

Not many good photos made today but the one possible positive of the day was I arranged to go with the garbage pickers on the klong (canal) Thursday morning at 9am. I asked permission of a man (Khune Pee-koon) I had talked to a few times  and he said I could go along with them when they worked. What this fellow does is travel up and down the canal in a big boat picking up all the garbage the people throw in the canal, couches, mattresses, bags, bottles etc. There are 2 boats with 4 men who do this job every 2 days.  It might lead to some good photographs.

Tomorrow I am will take out the 4x5 again and see if I can photograph wai pun a disabled man I met a week or so ago, I promised I would return to do his photo so plan on keeping that promise. I hope I can also make some more portraits of the garbage workers and also some people who work in the nearby truck repair yard.