I printed the brother and sister cooking negative today. This photo was made in the early morning about half way through my November (I think) 2013 trip. The picture was quite difficult to print, I think I ended up doing 13 or 14 different dodge/burn steps in the final printing. I made 6 photos, 2 that I know are no good 4 that might work for the exhibition photograph.
I need to get to bed, pretty exhausted after two 12 hour night shifts followed by 2 exhibition printing session. It is much easier to develop film or make contacts after a night shift, that stuff is so mechanical. Making a show print thou is very intense, it requires lots of concentration and thought.
If I did manage to get the print today then I might be finished my dump prints for the show unless I have to do some reprints. I still have many negs I love but I only have room for 14 maybe 15 photos in my part of the gallery so I have to cut off the printing now. I will start up the secondary printing process of bleaching/toning and final wash next week. That will give me a much better idea of where I am.
I feel these photos are the best documentary photography work I have ever done. This is partly the result of hard work, partly the result of the influence of people like Larry, Salgado, Smith, Mark etc. And its partly the result of me finding my own path and not kowtowing to what is expected by the Edmonton amateur photo crowd. By stepping away from those folks and being on my own I feel like I am finally starting to find my own voice.
I need to do up a blurb magazine of the best 50 shots and then try sending that mag around to different publishers, who knows it might lead to something. I also need to continue to shoot the "Families of the Dump". I would like to spend 3 or 4 months with them next year, making photos and hanging out, learning more about their lives.
I need to get to bed, pretty exhausted after two 12 hour night shifts followed by 2 exhibition printing session. It is much easier to develop film or make contacts after a night shift, that stuff is so mechanical. Making a show print thou is very intense, it requires lots of concentration and thought.
If I did manage to get the print today then I might be finished my dump prints for the show unless I have to do some reprints. I still have many negs I love but I only have room for 14 maybe 15 photos in my part of the gallery so I have to cut off the printing now. I will start up the secondary printing process of bleaching/toning and final wash next week. That will give me a much better idea of where I am.
I feel these photos are the best documentary photography work I have ever done. This is partly the result of hard work, partly the result of the influence of people like Larry, Salgado, Smith, Mark etc. And its partly the result of me finding my own path and not kowtowing to what is expected by the Edmonton amateur photo crowd. By stepping away from those folks and being on my own I feel like I am finally starting to find my own voice.
I need to do up a blurb magazine of the best 50 shots and then try sending that mag around to different publishers, who knows it might lead to something. I also need to continue to shoot the "Families of the Dump". I would like to spend 3 or 4 months with them next year, making photos and hanging out, learning more about their lives.
