How did your interest in photography begin?
It started when I was in Junior High School and took a darkroom course. The darkroom seemed like a magical place to me, and after I entered that red light lit room I never wanted to leave. Later on I learned how to operate a camera and things really took off. That was 35 years ago, with each passing year my desire to make pictures has grown stronger and stronger.
How long have you been a photographer?
I started to study photography when I was 14 but I did not consider myself a photographer until I was 21. I am now 49 so I guess you can say I have been a photographer for 28 years.
What sparked your interest in this particular subject matter?
I have always had an insatiable curiosity about people. In about 1994-5 I watched a documentary on the sex worker bar scene in Thailand, seeing the documentary sparked my curiosity, I needed to understand that very foreign world. I wanted to tell the bargirls story, learn who they were, what they felt, their backgrounds etc. My first trip to Thailand was shortly after that in 1996.
Describe your technique for this series.
I use a 8x10 Kodak Masterview camera in studio with a 300mm Nikon lens, a 4800w Speedotron pack unit with 4 flashes on a white background and Tri-x film. Each session lasts 1 to 2 hours, followed by and hour or so to change out the 8x10 film before the next session, I usually shoot 2- 3 sessions a day.
Why this particular technique?
Short Answer:
I wanted to show the viewer a maximum of detail with a minimum of distraction. The large 8x10 black and white negative and white background simplifies and yet shows everything.
Long Answer:
My basic camera technique was initially inspired by the work of Richard Avedon. I changed up his lighting a bit giving a more flatter even light, I also use a wider lens (300mm versus 360mm). I wanted the portraits to communicate the slightest change of expression and feeling. With 8x10 negs you see everything, it is surprising how from one negative to another a very slight change in expression can alter the whole mood of the photograph.
My basic technique with the subject is to introduce myself, and explain in detail what I want to do and why I want to do it. I carry around a small album with photos from back in Canada as well as the photos I made in Thai which I show to each potential subject. The best way to make photographs is to be honest, kind, polite and treat people with respect. In Thai society like everywhere else if you speak and act politely your going to usually get the same politeness and respect in return. When I make the portraits I never try to coerce my subject, if they wanted to do something we did it, if not then we did not. You see that in the shots of the ladyboy workers, some subjects were shy and I shot them that way, others were like " Here I am!" with a big smile on their faces so I shot them that way.
Has your approach to the subjects changed as the project matured? If so, how?
Through the years the project has changed because my view of that world has evolved, over time I grew more jaded by it all, I responded in the same way many workers do. Early on I was a bit naive and unsure of what was what but with time I saw so much pain and heartache it became an oppressive place to be. I think that’s reflected in the photographs, there are a much higher percentage of sad cynical portraits in the 2012 work as compared to the earlier 2007 sessions.
Photographing in that world is difficult, it wears on you, the abuse, the addictions the sadness of the bar scene takes its toll on everyone involved in it, especially the worker who is often damaged for life both physically and mentally. Through the years I think the portraits have become less optimistic, less hopeful. In 2010 I became burnt out by it all and went on to photograph other subjects in Thailand, I returned briefly to the project in 2012 for a few weeks, some of those 2012 images are in this show.
Describe the logistics of photographing in another country.
Getting the equipment to Thailand in 2007 was very difficult, I had to transport 3 overweight check-in bags of flash and camera gear, and 2 overweight carry-on bags. Setting up large photo studios in small hotel rooms is also rather challenging. I have found if you put your mind to things, if you want it bad enough and work hard enough most things are possible.
The photo sessions in 2009 and 2012 were physically easier as I only had to bring over the camera, tripod, meter, holders and film from Canada, the rest of the gear I stored in Thailand. It was always a bit of a mystery whether the equipment would all be in working order after being stored for so long in the heat and humidity. So far everything has worked great and I have not had any equipment failures. The only major problem I have had is that the ground glass on my 8x10 keeps breaking, I had that happen both in 2009 (1 ground glass) and 2012 (2 ground glass). All the photos made in those years were made using a broken ground glass. The ground glass I used is actually 2 separate pieces filled with cracks that is held together with scotch tape and glue.
How many people have you photographed?
I have photographed 65 different subjects for this project, several of those people I have photographed multiple times over different years, some as many as 8 times. Sometimes these sessions were groups of up to 3 but most sessions was one worker at a time.
How do you find subjects? Do you pay them? Send them prints?
I found the subjects for this project at the places they work, the gogo bars, the beer bars, the shortime sex bars or on the street working as freelancers. Another way I find many of the subjects was through their friends. Once I photograph someone I almost always get asked to do another session and often they would bring friends who work in the bars to be photographed as well. Trust builds trust, like I said before when you treat people with respect and kindness you usually get it right back, most often I had more people to photograph than film available.
Yes I paid the subject and also would give a tip for motorcycle taxi costs to and from the studio sessions. The workers are struggling through life often working to support their children and families, I wish I could afford to pay them more for their time.
Sometimes I send emails with scans of the photos to the subjects, other times if I could find them I would hand out hard copy prints as gifts. I found thou that many times I could not find the people who I had photographed. There is lots of turnover in the bar scene world, the worker might have changed bars, gone back up country to be with their families, be living or travelling with their customers, some were in jail, others were sick or had left Thailand.
How do the subjects respond to the final images?
Most often the they felt the photos were honest to who they were and they enjoyed the images.
Do you speak Thai?
I have studied Thai since 1999 I am not fluent but can speak basic conversational Thai, I can also read and write in Thai at a child's level. When I meet and speak to my subjects and explain what I want and show them samples of the work, I do it all in the Thai language. The photo sessions are also 95% done in Thai. I find that my language skills have opened up new opportunities for my photography, everything comes a bit easier when you can speak to your subject in their own language. One of the things I try to do when making photographs is to understand as much as I can about the culture and history of the people I am photographing. Speaking Thai helps that process, it also builds trust, friendship and empathy.
The more time you spend studying the language, culture, history and life of your subjects the better the photographs are. Currently I am studying Burma and learning to speak some of the language for a new series I am working on. Photography offers me a doorway into all kinds of different worlds, it is wonderful to have all of these experiences and meet and spend time with such a wide variety of people.
Will you continue this series?
Yes I will but I need some time away, I plan on continuing the process possibly sometime in 2015. Some of my subjects such as the female worker Long, the male worker Ti and ladyboy workers, Bee, Matt, Betty and Jiji I have photographed multiple times over different years, I would like to continue telling those stories.
What is your ultimate goal for this work?
My ultimate goal is to tell the true story of the worker, to humanize them, to show who they are and what they are about, I want to give them a voice.
