Off To Thai

Well I am off to Thai and Laos for a 5 week trip soon. Got my bags mostly packed, have to weigh and transfer stuff around a bit and that will be it. My biggest concern is getting all my film to there, I am taking about 400 sheets of 8x10 (various films mostly outdated), 600-700 sheets of 4x5 Tri-x and 3-100 foot rolls of 35mm Tri-x. I need to carry all of the film plus my 300mm Nikon lens (for the 8x10) my Leica, meters, ground glass etc. in the 2 carry on bags. In 2009 I placed my 8x10 ground glass in the check in luggage and it arrived broken so I need to carry it on and watch over it myself this time. Last trip I had my Banarama camera stolen so am trying to get as much gear as I can into my carry on bags. I am learning from my mistakes but it leads to some pretty heavy carry on bags, hopefully I can get them through without any problems.

The plan is to start off the trip with a week of making 8x10 white background sex worker portraits (maybe all ladyboy workers this time). I also want to do a series of 4x5 heads with the 300mm. Later on I will try to make up a separate submission of just these head-shots.

After the week of white background stuff I will head north to Chiang Rai and Laos where I will photograph with the Linhof 4x5 and Leica M6 along the Mekong river, this is a continuation of "Common Lives". When I return to Bangkok I also want to take 2-4 trips to Klong Toey to hand out the photos I did last trip and to create new work. I might also travel  to southern Thailand and do some portrait work with the 4x5. I expect to shoot all the film I take with me and to return to Canada pretty spent.

When I get back home I will go directly back to working nightshifts and on my first week off I will need to work my ass off in the darkroom to complete the printing for my group show at the VAAA which opens on April 19th. I also need to put together all the framing, corner mounting and also cut all the matting for the photographs in the show.

Finally after the 19th of April I will be able to take a deep breath and relax! It makes me tired to think of it all!! Life is pretty great thou, I will be doing exactly what I love most in the world, I will be meeting folks, learning, interpreting and photographing, life does not get much better than that! : )

This trip will be my last for quite a while, I need to make some strong photographs while I have the opportunity. After this trip I will have to work and save money for a long time before I can return to continue these projects, while I have the chance I need to make the most of it!