James is a photographer and friend online who follows my blog and offers encouragement when things are down. After all the show rejections and me being down he sent me this encouraging email filled with positive thoughts and helpful links. Please visit the links if your interested and want to help those in need. Thanks James for the positives and caring.
Gerry.
Gerry.
Here are some possible leads that may help with your "Families of The Dump Series": The first four links are from a group located in Canada, with the first one listing their contact information:
Here are two possible links for Cambodia:
Here are 4 possible leads from CNN:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/
And are four possible separate links:
It is my fear that you may be focusing too much on getting this project into museums/galleries. It takes time for museums/galleries to soften up to the type of documentary photography you are doing. They are not rejecting your submissions because it is not good in my view, but because it is too real. After all, Salgado, who is admired by the both of us was not initially accepted into museums/galleries for the same reason. He started off by volunteering for NGO's, as I am sure you already know, which gave him access to many areas with similar themes that helped him develop his long term projects. It took 20 years before his work on the Sahel was accepted by them.
If you contact some of the people in the above posted links, and told them what you are doing there is a chance it may lead to some exhibitions and possibly the photographing of some of their dumps also. Previously I wrote: "Have you thought of visiting dumps in other countries and including them in this story as it develops? Maybe 5 dumps in all as a means of showing the parallels and lives of families who live in the dumps in different countries. I don't think anyone has photographed this project extensively in more than one location as of yet. Maybe your are the person to do as such. I think you will gain more interest in this as a long term project if you other locations are included. Check youtube, they have videos of dumps in the Africa, the Phillipines, Nicaragua, Mexico, etc...Type in "Children of the Dump", or "Families of The Dump", in the search engine and many videos will show up. Maybe you can contact the person who uploaded the videos for details about the dump sites". The more dumps that you include in this ongoing series will force the museums/galleries, NGO's, and the general public to take notice.
It is my hope that you do not read this as my attempting to tell you what to do. They are only suggestions that I hope will help you with this wonderful photographic undertaking that exposes these often ignored circumstances of the human condition. I had a chance a few years ago to document a similar project in Africa, South/Central America etc..., but bad health and bodily injuries stopped me from doing as such. I would have used Tri-X film and printed them myself in the wet-darkroom too.
Also, I was already envious of your darkroom setup, but the free stuff that Jack gave you is making me become down right "JEALOUS". Boy was I excited as I read the list of things he gave you! It seems as though you may have to expand your darkroom quicker than you thought which will be helpful for you workshops.
Continue having fun and producing wonderful images with this series. Were I healthy, I'd beg to help you with it.
Best wishes,
James.
