I took this photo in May of 2013 with the 4x5 Linhof, a 150mm lens and Tri-x. This photograph was made as a result of my ability to speak some Thai, this image shows how some language skills can help gain access to a subject. The first time I tried to photograph this man he was carrying water in a large pail which he had on his shoulder. I asked to take his photo and he shook his head no and walked by me. I asked him again a second time later and he refused again. A day or two later I was in the dump next to him and I found out he spoke and understood a bit of Thai. I immediately launched into an explanation on what I was trying to do and why I was making photos. Even thou he is less fluent in Thai than I am he understood enough, we became friendly and he allowed me to make pictures of him and his family. I have no idea why he was afraid of me before but I am sure he has had a very hard time in his life, he no doubt faced lots of persecution from people in authority both in his country of Burma and also by official people in Thailand. It was very rewarding to be accepted and trusted enough to make this picture, it was a privilege to make his pic.
When I was making this photo he initially thought I wanted the water pail on the shoulder shot and he lifted a full and heavy pail of water up to his shoulder for me. He went from not wanting to have me take his picture to helping me by posing in a difficult way. I took the picture with the pail and followed it up with this close head shot and some 35mm exposures. I like the look at determination on his face, I think its an accurate depiction of the fire in his belly to protect and provide for his family.
He has 3 children and a wife, I would see him working long hours in the dump to make money to support them. One day when I visited his home he was setting up a plastic sheet under his house. I did not understand what he was doing but he tied off a large sheet directly under the stilts (all homes in the dump are raised up on wooden stilts off the ground) raised home, he was smiling and laughing as I questioned him, asking "what is it?" It turns out he was making something for his kids to lay on in the shade. The sheet was above the garbage on the dirt ground and below below the floor of his bamboo/wooden shack. It was a sweet moment when he laid down on it showing me what it was and then had his children come down laughing and giggling as they tried out their new hammock system. It was such a simple thing to do, pick up some scrap from the dump and tie it up under your shack but it made his children so happy, it was just plain joyous and beautiful! Seeing how happy the kids were at that moment is one of my favourite memories from my time at the dump.
In November when I returned to the Mae Sot dump and started handing out some color snaps of other families to various groups, this man (forget his name got to learn it again) asked me to photograph his whole family group as a unit. Later on I printed the photos at a local shop in Mae Sot and came back and gave them to him. I also gave the family some rice and some money before I left. Wonderful people, maybe I can photograph them again with the 5x7 next trip. If they are not there when I return I hope they have found a good life some how somewhere, good people like this deserve happiness, they have earned it.
When I was making this photo he initially thought I wanted the water pail on the shoulder shot and he lifted a full and heavy pail of water up to his shoulder for me. He went from not wanting to have me take his picture to helping me by posing in a difficult way. I took the picture with the pail and followed it up with this close head shot and some 35mm exposures. I like the look at determination on his face, I think its an accurate depiction of the fire in his belly to protect and provide for his family.
He has 3 children and a wife, I would see him working long hours in the dump to make money to support them. One day when I visited his home he was setting up a plastic sheet under his house. I did not understand what he was doing but he tied off a large sheet directly under the stilts (all homes in the dump are raised up on wooden stilts off the ground) raised home, he was smiling and laughing as I questioned him, asking "what is it?" It turns out he was making something for his kids to lay on in the shade. The sheet was above the garbage on the dirt ground and below below the floor of his bamboo/wooden shack. It was a sweet moment when he laid down on it showing me what it was and then had his children come down laughing and giggling as they tried out their new hammock system. It was such a simple thing to do, pick up some scrap from the dump and tie it up under your shack but it made his children so happy, it was just plain joyous and beautiful! Seeing how happy the kids were at that moment is one of my favourite memories from my time at the dump.
In November when I returned to the Mae Sot dump and started handing out some color snaps of other families to various groups, this man (forget his name got to learn it again) asked me to photograph his whole family group as a unit. Later on I printed the photos at a local shop in Mae Sot and came back and gave them to him. I also gave the family some rice and some money before I left. Wonderful people, maybe I can photograph them again with the 5x7 next trip. If they are not there when I return I hope they have found a good life some how somewhere, good people like this deserve happiness, they have earned it.
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| Burmese man, Mae Sot garbage dump, Thailand 2013 |
