Continuing With "Common Lives"

Been thinking a lot about what I want most with my photography, what I want most of of my photographs, what work I want most to create with the rest of my life. "Common Lives" is what I want to do, I do not want to do the gimmicky flashy photography that is so prevalent in this digi photo age. What I want is to do is to go back to the roots of photography to create using large format cameras/film and make darkroom silver gelatin prints. I want the photographs to pay tribute to my subjects but also be honest to who they are as people, I need the images to honestly tell the subjects story. It is important to be true to the subject, at least true as it can be, after all my portrait work is still my personal interpretation of who that person is. I need the body of "Common Lives"to work together and speak as a whole. I am thinking of expanding the project past Cambodia and Thailand to other countries in South East Asia, Laos and Burma.

I am 47 years old, 48 next week, I need to plan and use my time wisely. Hopefully I can get a grant from the Foundation For The Arts here in Alberta which would enable me to shoot the Issan Thailand portion of "Common Lives"starting early next year. If I can add to the series every year, if I can continue shooting actively until at least 70, then I can get this done, I can tell the story the way I want and need to tell it. First things first I need to work myself out of my personal debt and also get in better physical shape, next year "Common Lives" will continue, I can't wait!, its all so exciting!!

Step by step builds the cathedral.