I have 12 sheets of Tri-x 8x10 left which I will save to do portraits of my father when I return to Canada. I want to use the remaining film with his new Deardorff camera and the 250mm Fujinon, maybe I can do a bunch of pics on his birthday in April when he turns 80.
Todays shoots were very tiring but rewarding I had several long talks with the people I photographed. We talked about the surgeries and procedures they had or could have, we talked about their familes and growing up as a ladyboy in Thailand family acceptance, we spoke of their customers, boyfriends, looking for love etc.
One worker Noi told me about how she recently spent 10 days in jail and had to have her hair cut. I guess when ladyboys are put into jail they are forced to get their hair cut to protect themselves from the sexual advances of other inmates. Noi will have to wait several more months before her hair is long enough for extensions (she wore a wig for the photos). I have known Noi since 2003, I photographed her in a short time room back then, recently she got silicone breast implants for 45000 baht ($1470.00 CAD). Noi told me she gets more repeat business since the implants.
Thai society is much more tolerant of homosexuality as compared to countries like Canada. Thou Thailand is more open the ladyboys still do face prejudice and hostility at times. Noi for example when she left the hotel after the shoot was made fun of by a Thai man at a nearby restaurant.
My comfort level has gone way up when it comes to photographing, joking, talking, learning from and general interacting with the ladyboy workers, hopefully that will be reflected in the quality of photographs I made of them this trip. I hope my portraits will honestly speak to their inner humanity, I hope that the work will be true to who they are as people.
Now I need to take apart the studio, pack it away in 3 large suitcases for storage here in Thailand and pack my 8x10 camera, lens and film for transport back to the land of snow and ice. Check out time is 1pm tomorrow and if I overstay I will have to pay a penalty of 500 baht ($16.30 CAD).
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| Noi 29 |
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| Maeyly 32 (With Hair Down) |
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| Gai 36 |
