This photo was made as part of a continuing project documenting the boxers of a Muay Thai gym (Thai boxing) in Bangkok's Klong Toey slum. Some of the boys and young men in the gym go to school and live in outside slum shacks, many others live and train in the gym full time when they are not in school. This Muay Thai gym is ragged and run down but the spirit of the sport lives on here, the trainers make almost no money, are very dedicated and work their charges hard. The walls of gym are covered with photos and newspaper articles of champion boxers.You can feel the sport alive when you walk into the gym which is built under a freeway in the open air.
I want to return with the 5x7 camera next trip and do more formal portraits with the boxers. In the past I have shot mostly 35mm Leica stuff, with flash and Tri-x (200) or pushed Tri-x (800) without flash. I need to do better work here, I feel like I have not captured the power of the place yet. The devotion and hard work of the boxers and what the feeling of what the Muay Thai life is, need to be shown better in the pics.
I need to spend more time and connect with the boxers better, get to another level with them than I am now. I am an outsider in their eyes. I wonder if I trained with them if that would make a difference, thou a 50 year old fart like myself might hurt himself doing that. Maybe I can accomplish better work if I become a part time boxer and spend more hours in the gym in the future.
Leica M6 with 28mm lens and direct flash on Tri-x (200ASA).
I want to return with the 5x7 camera next trip and do more formal portraits with the boxers. In the past I have shot mostly 35mm Leica stuff, with flash and Tri-x (200) or pushed Tri-x (800) without flash. I need to do better work here, I feel like I have not captured the power of the place yet. The devotion and hard work of the boxers and what the feeling of what the Muay Thai life is, need to be shown better in the pics.
I need to spend more time and connect with the boxers better, get to another level with them than I am now. I am an outsider in their eyes. I wonder if I trained with them if that would make a difference, thou a 50 year old fart like myself might hurt himself doing that. Maybe I can accomplish better work if I become a part time boxer and spend more hours in the gym in the future.
Leica M6 with 28mm lens and direct flash on Tri-x (200ASA).
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| Muay Thai boxer Klong Toey slum, Bangkok Thailand 2012 |
