Way back in 1999 I made these photos, photos of Nong in a pool in Thailand. I recently thought about these pics and wondered what had happened to them. Last night when I was developing some ring flash film of dad I threw in a roll of Agfapan 100 film I had sitting in my darkroom for over a decade, guess what? There was Nong in the pool. I have one more roll of undeveloped Agfapan most likely of the same subject, I will try developing that this weekend as well. The last time I saw her in 2003 Nong was living with her 3 children and Thai husband/boyfriend in a slum in Bangkok. She was living in very poor conditions and had lost weight, her father was an alcoholic and her mother and the rest of her family barely surviving day to day.
Back then I jumped from film to film like so many of my photo acquaintances did and still do, I wish I had shot this on straight Tri-x but instead it was shot on Agfapan 100 b/w film (no longer made). Still the images are OK and a new look back to something I shot 15 years ago. I hope Nong and her family are happy and in a good way. She is (was?) a vulnerable, sweet, kind person, just trying to get through life with the poor cards she had been dealt, as best she could.
Back then I jumped from film to film like so many of my photo acquaintances did and still do, I wish I had shot this on straight Tri-x but instead it was shot on Agfapan 100 b/w film (no longer made). Still the images are OK and a new look back to something I shot 15 years ago. I hope Nong and her family are happy and in a good way. She is (was?) a vulnerable, sweet, kind person, just trying to get through life with the poor cards she had been dealt, as best she could.
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| Nong 1999, Thailand |
