The Story Behind The Photos: Sanitation Workers

These men (one lady was also part of the crew) worked in the Klong Toey market garbage collection area in Bangkok Thailand. I became friendly with the late dayshift crew, I ended up photographing them with the 4x5 and the 35mm Leica. I went back to this area where they crushed the garbage from trucks and market vendors several times. It was a terrible smelling and very dirty place, lots of stagnant and foul water. Everyone there was wearing white rubber boots, I had to watch out where I stepped in my sandals. They had a little rest area where they waited for the garbage trucks, this little sitting/laying area was filled with pictures of the king of Thailand, Thais show respect for their king in all places.

One man I talked to was embarrassed that he worked this job, he told me he used to work an important position in the government and took out a picture from  his wallet. In the photograph from his former life he wore the official beautiful clean white military government style uniform. I wondered how his life had changed so drastically, from an important government official to a garbage worker.

Living in that garbage day after day has to be very hard, how do you get the smell off of you? The smell must stay under your nails and in your hair and skin no matter how much you wash. People do what they have to do to survive, they need to feed their families, such is life. Guess I should not whine so much about my grant problem crap and just be happy with what I have. I just need to continue to tell important stories and make pictures of what matters, pictures like the ones below. I am a very lucky guy.