Need To Get Down to 225 Pounds Before Thailand

2 weeks ago I weighed myself here at work and I came in at 250 pounds (252 with clothes and shoes). That is the heaviest I have ever been. The number frightened me, shocked me. Being in the dump, walking the garbage carrying donations and camera gear at 54 years of age and 250 pounds is NOT a good idea. I need to make a change.

I therefore decided to try to lose weight. I want to get down to 225 pounds before I leave for Thailand in May. For the last 2 weeks I have been watching my calories as well as doing more exercising (only pushups-sit ups and stairs so far). Stopped eating too much bread, higher calorie foods, no candies-sweets etc. That no sweet thing is difficult at Xmas time when free chocolates, cookies are everywhere. Need to maintain my discipline. Got offered pizza and other free foods over the last 4 days as well, thanked the people but turned it all down.

Just weighed myself for the first time since the start of the calorie watch. Am now sitting at 242 pounds (244 with clothes and shoes), down 8 pounds. Seem to be on the right track.

One good thing is that after my stop sign tickets I am too depressed to eat!

2 Yes 2 Running A Stop Sign Tickets!

Got hit with 2 running a stop sign tickets on the way to work tonight from a very zealous, unthinking machine like PEACE OFFICER. I feel like shit as a result, $388 for each ticket. The first ticket was probably my fault, a running stop (signaled but running stop), a guy in front of me was also pulled over for the same offense. The second ticket was highly debatable. The Peace Officer (cop wannabe) guy was just being jerk with the second ticket. He said I stopped at the second stop sign but inside the T intersection. As I drove away from the first ticket I was blinded by the Peace Officers lights behind me (he drove a truck with high beam head lights on) and I missed the next stop sign in the dark (signaled but stopped a bit late,  was pissed at the first ticket and late for work). I did stop but too late in the officers opinion. It was a completely empty country road, with no traffic or street lights. This all happened near the plant where I work Security, the remote isolated stop sign he was watching is used a money grab funding location by the local peace officer ticket brigade. Doubt there has ever been an accident of any kind at that location.

I lost over a 1/2 weeks wages as a result of tonight's tickets. These are the first tickets I have received for driving in about 20 years. I was polite after the first one, argued after the second one. I even asked the Peace Officer guy. "Do you enjoy being a DICK!?". Let my temper get the best of me there, thou now I am glad I said it :). He could have used a bit of discretion, a warning of some kind, especially for the iffy second ticket. I should have got his name and badge number to lodge a complaint, missed opportunity there.

In security you often see a bunch of wanna be cops that could not make the grade, they are usually very aggressive and obnoxious, it seems that goes for Peace Officers also. This guy tonight was not a real police officer but used the power he did have with an iron fist. In 23 years of being a full time guard I have always found it is best to be strong but soft. You need to have a certain amount of authority and strength but also a certain amount of common sense, friendliness, and kindness.. Have found this to be the most effective way to do my job properly. This dude tonight lacked those qualities. Doubt he will ever become a real; police officer, I hope not. Thou I have to give him credit for not overreacting to my DICK comment :). Hard not to call a dick, a dick :), that could have escalated into something more nasty.

A terrible waste of dollars on my part, could have helped the families with that money. Feel like a fool. Need to get over it, need to do my best to forget this incident. Also need to be more careful at stopping  at stop signs, on roads with no traffic, out in the middle of no where in the dark.

Got My Thai Air Ticket!!!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a good new year. I have been busy working, spending time with mom and painting darkroom #2 (orange, yellow and black).

Just bought my 2019 Thailand air ticket. Will be off in May, returning in July, a 7 week trip of photography and donation work at the dump. We have raised $1110 to help the families so I intend to be buying boots, headlamps, medicines and food supplies again for the people who work the garbage. Also looking forward to returning and making photographs with my friends again.

I will probably try to go the motorbike rental way this trip. It is very dangerous to ride a bike in Thai but it allows so much more freedom. Will have to be as careful as I can and take my chances that someone does not run me over. Will be renting hotel rooms this time at $20-$30 a night, so my costs will be a bit higher than last trip where I rented an apartment for less than $300 a month.

I will need to find another major subject to photograph this trip as well. Will continue making photos at the dump, at the Bangkok Klong Toey slum (people who live under the freeway), the Muay Thai gym etc. But I need a new project, a new series of work to dive into. Preferably something where we can also do some donation work connected to it. There is a monk I vaguely know in Bangkok who works with abandoned animals that might fit the bill. I could make photos of his life, his work and also could do donation work to help the dogs, cats, and all the other living lovely creatures he takes care of. Another option  might be to do something on migrant workers (family, children), drug addiction in the slums, or the poor women condemned to lives in the brothels or possibly homeless street people, or children (one child? one older persons life?) in Bangkok. Not sure which direction to go. Maybe an entirely different idea will come to mind. I would also like to continue the Sukhumvit at night photographic series.

Anyway, got my ticket! Am off to Bangkok again! Wonder how many trips I have taken to Thailand? Probably 20 or more now.

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

Long short time bar sex worker, Pattaya Thailand 2007

Khune Goh Bangkok, Thailand 2014

Boxers in slum gym, Bangkok Thailand 2014

Child begging on walking bridge, Bangkok Thailand 1999

My Goal

Just watched this wonderfully inspirational video talk by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Please check it out, it is worth a few minutes of your time.
 Arnold Work Your Ass Off, Talk Video

MY GOAL IS TO GET MY WORK SHOWN AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA AND COLLECTED BY THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA.

Quote: Psalm 30:5

“weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

The Painting Of Darkroom #2 Continues

Darkroom #2 is starting to look a bit like a real darkroom. Been painting black paint on the walls and roof areas near where I plan to place my 3-5 enlargers. Also been working on another metal stand for my 3rd darkroom sink. I can see the darkroom in my mind now but lots to do yet, painting, cleaning, hauling stuff etc. It will be fun to teach workshops here.

Looking from far side of darkroom, where I have 3 large deep freezers (dad used these for his cooking)

Newly painted yellow cupboards to the left with spray gun sink

One of dads old table set ups with old cupboards, need to paint these

Legs for the second sink support

Where I plan to put the long plastic sink, was painting above so moved it

Will use one of these 2  temperature control valves, will let the plumber choose which

Newly painted black area, still requires at least 1 more coat, will need to buy another can of paint

Dads old sink area, with spray gun

The non used portion of the room, not sure how this will be developed yet

Another view

Dads large stainless metal sink on the right, will try to add a second spray gun here

View of the sink area, they will be against the wall, the enlargers on the table to the left them, with unit fatigue floor mats

Safety Net!

Picked up 2 small safes today, used off Kijiji. One key suitcase type cost $60 CAD another combination key type was $50. My intention is to uses one in darkroom #1 and the second in darkroom #2. The idea being to protect negatives from a fire. Both safes are rated to save the goods inside for 1 hour during a fire. Not sure this will work, maybe the negs will just melt, but thought it was worth the effort. $110 CAD to help protect my most valuable negatives from fire seems like a smart idea. I will need to choose only the top negs as the safes are small. These things at least give me a bit of peace of mind. I have always worried about a fire destroying my life’s work.

Note both safes an interior size of around 11x14 inches plus the height.



$50 safe

$60 safe suitcase

A Very Large Donation For The People In "Families Of The Dump"

Today was a very good day. The "Families of the Dump" social documentary photo series helped raised another $700 CAD to help the people living in the Mae Sot Thailand garbage dump. A donation check from the anonymous couple I wrote about a few days ago arrived in the mail.
Another Donation Coming

I was expecting $100 maybe $200, they gave $700!!! I will deposit the check tomorrow and later use the money when I am back in Thailand, in the dump with the families. I can buy more headlamps, rubber boots, rice, medicine etc. Thank you so much my wonderful anonymous friends. And thanks to all the others who donated as well.

This large donation pushes me above my dreamed of donation goal total. I had hoped to raise $1000 before returning to Thailand, We had already raised $410, now with  this most recent $700 gift, the total sits at an amazing $1110. 100% of that money will go directly back to my friends, the people who work and live in the Mae Sot dump. It will put rubber boots on children's feet and buy headlamps to allow for night work. It will buy rice, medicines for the families and lollipops for the kids. :)

A good day, I am happy. Days like this make the boring and bad days balance out. Am looking forward to returning to the dump and getting back to work with my friends.

Note* The photo is a little boy named Chemeeko. His home is behind him (on the right) where he lived with his young father, mother and a his baby sister. I have known the family since 2013 when I photographed Cheemeko's parents wedding. At that time the bride was 15, the groom 17. A common marrying age for Burmese couples. When I left the dump in March 2018 Chemeeko's mother was 8 months pregnant with her 3rd child.

Little Chemeeko next to his dump home, Mae Sot Garbage Dump 2016

Quote: Howard Carter (Archaeologist)

On discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings 1922

"...everywhere there is the glint of gold"

Quote: Dame Margaret Rutherford (Actress)

"Success is having the hearts of people, and lifting them up!"

My Fav Memory Of 2018

from Facebook.

Gerry Yaum

A unique, fun year for sure. The memory I will cherish most is making photographs in the dump at night. The smells and sounds of the place were so overpowering. Then out of the darkness feeling a tug on my camera bag and hearing a young small child calling out..."Gerry! Solo!!" (lollipop) "Gerry!! Solo!!!". I would look down, point my flashlight and see an oh so small child reaching up with an outstretched hand and a sweet smile. Handed out dozens and dozens of lollipops that way, maybe one hundred or more. I will never forget the looks of those children before and after they received their little treats. A sad place but a beautiful memory that I will keep with the rest of my life.

"Ain't Photography Grand!!" "Ain't Life Grand!!"

2nd Darkroom Coming Along

This week did some more work on my 2nd darkroom. Am cleaning, painting and organizing things. Trying to figure out my darkroom layout. Where the sinks will be, the enlargers, light table, working tables etc. Here are some photos of the recent work and an early layout plan.

I will probably put in a exhaust fan of some kind last, already contacted a electrician about that.  I also have plumber lined up for the sinks, but first need to figure out some kind of platform to place the 3rd sink on (in the photos it is temporarily placed on a table-cupboard).

The idea behind this 2nd darkroom is to have a larger space where I can do Platinum and Wet Plate photography in. I will also teach basic photography workshops here as well as rent the darkroom space. In addition it might turn out to be the best space to organize a lifetime of negatives in. There are lots of storage places to keep negs in, cupboards, cabinets etc.

Note* The wacky paint color choices on the walls and cupboards is because I am using up all my old paint in this darkroom (10 year plus old house paint). I might be buying some black paint to use around the enlargers, to cut down on stray light glare.

Note** The room also has 3 large deep freezers and I will put in a fridge as well.

Note*** My father as always was thinking and worrying about my needs. When he bought the large double stainless sink 15 years or so ago, he asked me if I could use it later. I told him I would in a darkroom. What a great father.

1st and 2nd sinks, got the first big double stainless sink from dad, he bought it years ago will add spray gun..

2 sinks and enlarger table area will hold 3 or 4 enlargers. New orange painted walls.

Heavy duty large light table, $25 CAD.

Old condenser enlarger, $80 CAD.

Large metal filing cabinet I picked up free.

2 of the 3 sinks, $25 and $40 CAD.

Hot water mixing valve, part of a large darkroom gear purchase, $10 CAD.

First coat of yellow paint on the far cupboards.

Dads old wash area, 1 stainless sink, one large sink with spray gun (new head).

L-shaped area of 2nd and 3d sink, 3rd sink allows work from both sides. Orange cupboards

Another Donation Coming

Got some good news donation wise the other day, another check from a kind anonymous donor (an older Canadian couple) is in the mail and on its way. This donor has given many times before and continues to give. Beautiful people who think not only of themselves, who put those in need first. Got to love that!

With the artist talks and some donations from the recent PAG show visitors the total dump family donation number now sits at $410 CAD (not counting the check in the mail). I will use this money during the next trip to the Mae Sot Thailand dump to help the families. My goal is to reach $1000 by the time I leave, probably in around May 2019. This next trip will be around 5-7 weeks. That is the maximum amount of time I can get away from my job as a security guard. During the trip I will hand out free headlamps, boots, medicines, food, and candy to the dump families and children. Thank you all who have donated and will donate.

I feel good that the donation number is rising again because I know how much happiness that money can bring. I go there for my photos of course, to continue to tell this story of my friends visually (2013-2018). But the donation work has become oh so important to me now, it now denominates my thinking, more so than the pictures do. It has grown and grown in scope since those first food bags were handed out in April of 2013. So many photographer types take photos but do not give back, they selfishly take photos for themselves but do not give back to the people in their pictures. That sharing, that return, that giving back, is where it is all at!  Through education, through friendships, through gifts that help to make peoples lives better, that is where the joy and goodness is.  Photographers and others be a giver not only a taker!

What is better in life than making a small child who lives in absolute poverty, smile? The memories of doing just that sustain me now. I can still see all those smiles, hear all those child voices calling my name. Those thoughts of helping, of sharing, fill me with happiness now. There is so much yet to do, let's all jump in together and make the world a better place.

People please in this holiday season of giving, give to those in need, you will find that it not only helps them, it will help you. Giving is a fuel that will feed your own heart and well being!! It is such an unbelievably good feeling to give, the high of highs. Please join in and share your good fortune.

Photos from the children in the Mae Sot Thailand dump made earlier this year.

NOTE* In the bottom self portrait photo Jun Jen is eating a donated lollipop (solo) donated by all of you who helped, thank you

Brother and sister, he carries her everywhere in the garbage.

Self-Portrait with Jen Jun, Mae Sot garbage dump, "Families of the Dump" 2018

Another Darkroom Buy

Did another Kijiji darkroom gear buy today, for $100 CAD got.

- 3 8x10 trays
- dial thermometer
- 2 older style enlarger timers
- one older small safe-light
- multiple print tongs
- Old Ultrafine paper powdered developer (too old?)
- 3 section paper safe 8x10 (has paper inside, exposed?)
- cheap color print enlarging exposure analyzer (useless)
- electric flash meter (made in Japan, possibly useful)
- 3 lens tissue
- 5 different paper easel types (good for rental work with beginners.)
- one nice almost new large dial Grab Lab timer
- various darkroom contrast filters, Ilford, Kodak
- small Durst enlarger (35mm-120mm, might be able to use it in the wet plate travel trailer darkroom)
- nice quality Durst 66 (35mm and 120mm) condenser enlarger with no baseboard.
- all the enlarger accessories, 35nn and 120mm neg carries for both enlargers and a another condenser for the 66 enlarger
- two lower end grain focusing loupes (good to use if the darkroom becomes a rental space).
- several other items, forget them all just now....a nice buy overall at a reasonable price.

I plan on using the large Grab Lab dial timer in the 2nd darkroom. I now have 3 I can spread around the darkroom, including one my dad used to time his baking with.

The 66 enlarger I plan on mounting to a table top allowing for projections onto the floor for extra large prints.  I did not expect this enlarge in the deal, so was happy it was included. Was mainly interested in the Grab Lab timer, and the other smaller things.

Some of today's new darkroom stuff

Trying To Make My First Digi Negs

Spent a few hours over the last week trying to setup up and make my first digi neg. I got it partially done but then hit a snag.  Am using a SC-P800 Epson printer which is a brand new model. The PDF and YouTube video that Bostick&Sullivan have online explain how to make digi negs use an older model Espson printer. I am not seeing the same boxes and layouts as in the PDF and Vid screen captures. Sent several emails to B&S but they have only been partly been able to get me through the confusion. I was able to get their curve working in my Photoshop but cannot set up the printer properly, just yet. I need to get the printer settings exactly right to allow denser inks to be put on the negative substrate material (Pictorico). Will keep on working at it, I will eventually learn how to get into the windows I need to get into. I am currently unable to access the internet at mom and dad's home so that is interfering with my ability to google and solve this problem

2nd Darkroom Coming Along SLOWLY

Did some more work in the 2nd platinum printing darkroom. Moved some heavy cabinets and cleaned out some of dads cooking cupboards. I feel said moving my fathers stuff around, knowing he was the last one to touch each of these items. He  put them in the places they were stored after using them to cook for his farmers market (did that job for a long time 25 years or so). Moving his cooking things is like losing pieces of his memories, it makes me sad.

I will do some cleaning of a second wall mounted cupboard tomorrow, then start painting it. A section of the South wall of the darkroom is now painted a rather shocking orange (left over paint from my home). The orange in a way is soothing and seems neater. I will paint the second set of cupboards, drawers and selves a different color, have to see what is left available in my old paint cans.

Little by little this 2nd darkroom is coming coming together. I hope to be able to work in it by February 2019.

Poem (Tanka): Eddy

Wrote a Tanka, my first, even thou I do not know what they really are. F-ck it, art has no rules :). And I do this for myself, so what does it matter?

Eddy

He laughed and held me close
yelled and pushed me past
slowed and aged and shared
was sick then so so weak
but stared, then stared some more

Quote: Chiune Sugihara

I just read an special book about a beautiful man. It is called "A Special Fate" by Alison Leslie Goad and details how a Japanese diplomat (Chiune Sugihara) saved the lives of over 6000 desperate Jewish refugees during the second world war. He went against the instructions of his government and issued hand written visas that allowed the holder to escape through Russia and eventually Japan and onward. An incredible true story of goodness that brought me to tears.

The eventual known descendants from the people he gave visas number over 40000. They are known as "Sugihara Survivors" In 1985, in Jerusalem a monument to Sugihara was erected and he was awarded the Righteous Among Nations medal by Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust and Museum. On a hillside overlooking Yad Vashem a tree was planted in Chiune Sugihara's honor, over 70 visa recipients attended. In addition a forest of trees was planted in Sugihara's honor South of Jerusalem.

A man of great honor, and modesty, who followed his heart, doing what was right, regardless the consequences. We can all learn so much from such people.

"I didn't do anything special...I made my own decisions, that's all. I followed my own conscience and listened to it."

The endorsements of Chiune Sugihara and Jan Zwartendijk, the Japanese and Dutch consuls, respectively, in Kovno, Lithuania, appear on the Leidimas, or travel document, that allowed Isaac Lewin and his family to escape Lithuania in 1940. (Courtesy of Alyza D. Lewin)

Chiune Sugihara (seated, center) with family and then foreign minister Yitzhak Shamir in Tokyo, 1985. (courtesy Nobuki Sugihara)

Quotes: Albert Einstein

“The word God is for me nothing but the expression of and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends...”

“For me the unadulterated Jewish religion is, like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition."
Einstein "God Letter" For Sale

Einstein by unknown AP photographer

Quote: Jackie Robinson (First African American Major League Baseball Player)

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.'

Quote: Kim Hunter (Actress Playing Chimpanzee Zira In Planet Of The Apes)

Speaking of her studies to become a chimpanzee for the movie.

"I got to know the  one chimp at the Bronx zoo, at the time, very very well and he didn't love me at all, he hated me. Because he didn't like being watched!! And I don't blame him because I certainly felt the same way when I was a chimp!"

Quote: Hollywood Graveyard (Youtube Channel)

"Try to get lost, after all that is the best way to get somewhere you've never been."

Photo Idea, YAUM #1 Portfolio Box

After studying Diane Arbus's "A Box Of Ten Photographs" I decided to try to make up one of these limited edition portfolios myself. The idea would be to Platinum print 8-12 photographs to 11x14 from a selection of images made in all my the photo series I made in my lifetime. Any money raised through portfolio sales would be used for charitable causes, helping those in need, either in the dump or elsewhere.

Not 100% sure of the photo selection or if I can find all the negs and or if I can make them all into Platinum prints. Will see how it goes.

It might look something like this (in Platinum of course, so all images would be b/w, measuring 11x14 inches). There would only probably be around 8 or 10 pics in the portfolio.

Update* The other option would be to do individual 8 print portfolios in platinum or in platinum/silver gelatin/inkjet of all the different series.

Image #1 Long 2009, "Sex Worker On White Series".

Image #1

Image #2 Old Sex Worker 2009, "Sex Worker 2009"

Image #2

Image #3 Young Muay Thai Boxer 2014,  "Muay Thai Boxing Series"

Image #3

Image #4 Anapon 2015, "People Under The Freeway Series"

Image #4

Image #5 Dad 2015, "My Fathers Last Days"

Image #5

Image #6 Dump Children 2015, "Families of the Dump"

Image #6

Image #7 Dump Child 2016, "Families of the Dump"

Image #7

Image #8 Sex Worker in Sex Room 2003, "Bargirl Thailand Series"

Image #8

Image #9 Child Begging 1999,"Street Life In Bangkok Series"

Image #9

Image #10 Tan Vietnamese Brothel Worker 2003,"Poipet Cambodia Brothel Worker Series"

Image #10

Image #11 Kodoku #1 2017, "Solitude In Japan Series" 

Image #11

Image #12 Sex Tourist On Bangkok Street 2018,"Sukhumvit At Night Series"

Image #12

Image #13 Katmandu Street Kids 2012,"Nepal Street Kid Series"

Image #13

Image #14 Old Man 2012," Klong Toey Slum Series"

Image #14

Image #15 Migrant Worker Family 2013, " Nepal Series"

Image #15

Image #16 Betty Sex Worker 2010, " Ladyboy Sex Worker Series"

Image #16

Image #17 Man With Leprosy 2013, " Nepal Series"

Image #17