Quote: Ralph Waldo Emerson

My Week Off Work Stuff And BODY SELLER Photos

 from Facebook...

Gosh doing lots of computer work this week, trying to figure stuff out. 

 

-Calibrating the Mac and P800 so they speak the same language.

- Working on learning how to make Quad Tone Rip digital negs.

- Installing new software.

- Trying (starting) to build a curve for platinum/palladium printing.

- Dealing with the install of 2 new furnaces in my mom and dads old home. A ton of doe, I used up all my KANATA photo project savings and still am short. The furnaces were 42 and 25 years old and needed to be replaced as both had stopped working, not good in Edmonton wintertime!

 

- Cleaning and setting up the darkroom to do alternative process work in the coming weeks.

- Preparing a suite in the basement to rent out. That will help pay for a house that is so expensive to keep going, taxes, power/gas bills, new furnaces, new garage doors, plumbing issues etc.

 

Gosh its great to be on my days off where things are so laid back and easy! On the good side my boss at work gave me $100 in gift cards, so we ended up having some free Boston Pizza last night!

 

Now back to the Quad Tone digi neg stuff, trying to get my head around it. If it goes right I should be able to do pt/pd printing, carbon transfer photos, Collodion projection plates (using an enlarger) and even gelatin silver images using digital negs made from the process.

 

Cannot wait for spring when the wet plate trailer will be on the road for the first time. 'Ain't Photography Grand!!"

 

Will leave you with a few photos from the BODY SELLERS photo series of a few years ago. Such good people living difficult and mostly forgotten lives. They get used up, thrown out and replaced. More details on the photos in the descriptions.

 

Tatooed male worker. I only photographed him one time, he worked in a gay area of Pattaya but the bar would sometimes have woman visit as much including Thai women. Pattaya, Thailand 2010.

Ladyboy worker, Pattaya 2010. I remember she was so shy and I embarrassed her at one point by saying the wrong thing. She taught be a lesson to be very careful in what I was saying when speaking Thai and joking. We learn from our mistakes.

Smiling/laughing worker in short time room, 2003 Pattaya Thailand. When I did these type pictures in 2003, one of my themes was to get a laughing photo. So with everyone I shot there was a moment where I tried to make the subject laugh. Usually by making a joke at how phony and false the whole thing (customer/worker encounter) was. That always brought a laugh even with people you had just met. It would also make for an understanding and even a friendship. Laughter heals all kinds of stupidity.

Long in short time room with her number and the bikini top she wore in her bar. Pattaya Thailand around 2008

Nit in short time room, where she would go with her customers. Nit worked scene for decades starting out as a young girl in the Gogo bars in the mid 70s. This photo is from around 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Long in short time room, where she would go with her customers. Pattaya, Thailand around 2008

There Is No Other, We Are All The Same

Nice Write Up In The Penticton Gallery Arts Letter, For THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP

I just found this  story today, it dates back to 2018. The nice article about the families was in "The Penticton Gallery Arts Letter" Thanks Paul Crawford for telling the stories of the families to a larger audience.

Penticton Gallery Arts Letter PDF File Vol 41 No.5

 

The write up, from"The Penticton Gallery Arts Letter"

Quote: Keith Walker

 "I was nervous as hell, I'm not going to lie. I was really scared to go in there with all that smoke. But God put me there to save those animals," Walker told CNN. "If you love a dog, you can love anyone in the world. My dog is my best friend, and I wouldn't be here without him, so I knew I had to save all those other dogs." 

The CNN Story

Possible Plantinum-Palladium THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP Roleiflex Photos

 from Facebook...

Some Rolleiflex shots in the dump, from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, 2015

 

I hope to do some of these up in Platinum-Palladium in the coming weeks if I can figure out the digital negative and printing process. Maybe (doubtful) we can sell a few images then donate the money back to the families in the form of goods (headlamps, boots, masks, food, medicine, candy etc.). 

 

If the selling thing does not work. We can at least exhibit the beautiful small platinum- palladium photos alongside the digital ultra large prints at the University of New Brunswick Exhibition in 2022. Got quite a few possible images that might work in this form (if I can find the negs).

 

Quote: Sigmund Freud

 "The most important day in a man's life, is the day his father dies."

Quote: Truman Capote

 "More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones"

Quote: Truman Capote

From the documentary short film "With Love From Truman"

"I always have this theory. That if you want to move someone else, as an artist. You want to. You yourself necessarily must have been deeply moved by what it is your writing but you must keep exploiting that emotion in yourself, over and over and over and over, until you become completely cold about it, or fairly cold. I mean so you no longer laugh say about whatever it is that made you laugh or you don't weep about whatever it is that made you weep, you see is it was an extraordinary specimen, but you know!, that it had that effect on you, personally,  so that that you know if you can reproduce it, you can make it have the same effect on someone else."

"With Love From Truman"

Learning Platinum-Palladium Thoughts And Prints For The New Brunswick Exhibitions?

 from Facebook...

With the wet plate trailer closed for the winter here in Edmonton, I am devoting the COLD SEASON to learning Platinum-Palladium printing with digital negatives. Rather complicated at times (digital negs part) but it should be loads of fun. I will start up again with the wet plate work in April, when the trailer will go on the road and the "KANATA" project starts to get serious.

Platinum prints are so beautiful, you got to love them! I will be making my first digital negative next week, with my first platinum-palladium print to follow soon after. If I can get this working will try to make up 10-20 small prints for the THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP and THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER FREEWAY exhibitions taking place at the University of New Brunswick Art Centre in 2022. It should be cool to see super larger digi prints alongside the super small platinum-palladium photos. It would allow the gallery viewers two unique viewing experiences.
 

Photo by Bill Schwab, digital negative and platinum-palladium print

Bought Me An X-Rite i1

Another necessary item, $149 USD. This is starting to cost too much money. The X-Rite i1 will allow me to calibrate my monitor, so my monitor and printer will speak the same language and the images will print out the same.

X-Rite i1

Digital Negatives with QuadToneRIP: Demystifying QTR for Photographers and Printmakers (Contemporary Practices in Alternative Process Photography) 1st Edition, BOOK

Ordered up my copy of "Digital Negatives with QuadToneRIP: Demystifying QTR for Photographers and Printmakers (Contemporary Practices in Alternative Process Photography) 1st Edition", written by by Ron Reeder, Christina Z Anderson. The book is expensive at $74 CAD but I think necessary. Hopefully it will help me produce a lifetime of images in Platinum.

How To Make Digital Negs By "Northern Light Photographic Workshops"

Been following this online DIGITAL NEGATIVE tutorial by "Northern Light Photographic Workshops" Bill Schwab. The instruction is first class. This is probably the way I will go to make my Platinum Paladin digital negs for prints. Bill is using a Mac and the P-800 Epson printer like I am. He is a great teacher.n

If you want to learn from a master, check out Bill's "Norther Light Photographic Workshop" YouTube page.

Northin Light Photographic On YouTube 

Part 1 (of 3 parts) On Making Digital Negs With Espson P-800 Printer

Bill Schwab Teaching, "Northern Light Photographic Workshops"

Quote: Charlie Pride (African American Country And Western Singer)

"This country is so race-conscious, so ate-up with colors and pigments. I call it 'skin hangups' — it's a disease."

Got My Free "Silvergrain Classics" Magazine - THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP

I got my free issue of Silvergrain Classics magazine yesterday. THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP got 9  photos over 5 pages. The printing of the magazine is nice thou I think a couple of the photos are a tad dark (my fault). The write up I did should be ok but I do not want to read it again, doing that makes me feel uncomfortable. Lots of room was given to the text, which is nice. The families story is the most important thing after all.

My copy of the mag has a hole tear on the back 2 pages and a slight water damage (even thou the magazine came in cardboard package), so I am disappointed with the part of it. I will have to see if I can find a more pristine copy of the issue somewhere else. The magazine has a Canadian price tag on it, so it should be sold off the shelf in Canada, maybe I can check out Indigo Books for it.

Overall a good first publishing effort of the work. I do wish thou that the pics were bigger, that there were more of them, over more pages but we all want that sort of thing. If I had it my way the whole magazine would be only about THE FAMILES OF THE DUMP :)!

Thank you Silvergrain Classics Magazine for telling the story of THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP.

                              

Miss The Children Of The Dump

 from Facebook...

Miss the Children in the dump...Hate the smells, the flies, the heat. But the people at the dump are lovely, the children fun to be around. We lose something when we get older, Children have the ability to find joy anywhere, even in a garbage dump. Being around the children in the dump revitalizes your soul, you get a power boost of happiness.

Children fascinated looking at the LCD of my digi camera.

Handing out lollipops on my last day before returning to Canada.

Group photo with friends last day in the dump that year.

Two boys I have been photographing since 2013.

Children playing. They ran circles around me as I tried to photograph them. GREAT FUN!

Me And Judy

 Another cool moment just happened. I just realized that Judy Dater is interviewed in the coming issue of "Analog Forever Magazine", the same mag that features THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP!

Here is the advert blurb for the issue.

"Inside you will find interviews with Judy Dater, Gerry Yaum, Heidi Kirkpatrick, Lori Vrba, and David Burnett. Featured alongside them are portfolio features of Felicita Russo, Don Whitebread, Ky Lewis, Molly McCall, and Noell Oszvald. This edition is a tantalizing mix of photographic icons, established photojournalists, and emerging photographers that all bring the undying spirit of analog and film photography to our doorstep with their outstanding dedication to their craft."

https://www.analogforevermagazine.com/features-interviews/editon-3-artist-announcement

I had not read this section of the linked page, until today. Reading about myself always gives me the hee- bee-geebies so I tend to gloss over that type text and not read to closely. By accident I found out that Judy Dater is in the same issue as the "Families". JD is a photographer I have admired for a long time. When I was young and just starting out I saw a photo taken by her that made a lasting impression (see picture below). I enjoy her photography and an influenced by her work. Today, all these years later to be in the same magazine issue as Ms Dater, is pretty DAMN COOL!

Photograph by Judy Dater

For those of you that would like to see more of Judy Dater's wonderful world class photography, please visit her webite.

http://judydater.com/

So that means in this issue of "Analog Forever Magazine" the same thing has happened two. times. Photojournalist David Burnett was an early influence, Judy Dater an early influence and now we are all in the same magazine, telling our stories together. How cool is that!

Heck if were counting hanging with cool photogs. I guess you can include the online mag "Shades of Grey", as I am in that mag with my friend Larry Louie. Larry is a world class photographer, it is an honor to be shown with him as well.

It is great to be in the company of so many outstanding photogs! I feel so lucky today! Now if this damn Covid-19 thing would end, so I can make more photographs again!! Life would be perfect.

The Photographic Historical Society Of Canada, Blurb!

Did I post this already? If so please forgive me for repeating myself (I often do!).

This is from October 2020, a little story on the "PHSC.CA, The Photographic Historical Society of Canada" website.

https://phsc.ca/camera/?p=18660

Quote: Billy Kwan (Linda Hunt Photographer from "The Year Of Living Dangerously"" WHAT THEN MUST WE DO?

 "Add your light to the some of light!"

The Year Of Living Dangerously: "What Then Must We Do?"

Quote: Bobby Fisher (World Chess Champion)

 "Nothing is as healing as the human touch."

(His last words.)

Quote: Tony Vacaro (Photographer, Soldier And World War II Survivor Of The Hurtgen Forest Battle)

 "I went back to the Hurtgen forest, maybe 10 years ago. I cried like a baby because I suddenly remembered my best friends that got killed in the Hurtgen Forest. It was ugly, ugly for mankind to have wars. The trouble that mankind makes is he thinks he's Italian, he's German, he's Spanish. We're all humans on this beautiful paradise that is our beautiful earth (whispered)......BEAUTIFUL!"

The documentary the quote is from:

Hürtgen forest and the end of World War II

Got A Bunch Of Black Glass, A Ton Actually

 Got a bunch of black glass for use doing wet plate pics!

-100 x 4x5 plates

-50 x 5x7 plates

-30 x 8x10 plates

Am quite eager to give the black glass a try in the spring, when I take my darkroom trailer out for its first trips!!! I might make a separate wet plate ambrotype project of some kind, tailored directly to these beautiful black glass plates.

Nui-ooh Varient Image

Variant of Nui-ooh dump portrait. Mae-Sot garbage dump, Thailand 2015 from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP.

Nui-ooh Riginal Dump Portrait

I Found Some Donated Toys

from Facebook..

I work as a guard at a petrol chemical plant. Through the years my coworkers have donated TOYS for the children at the dump in Mae Sot Thailand. Was doing some cleaning and found a few of these donated toys. I will take them with me and hand them out to the children working and living in the garbage my next trip to Thai, probably in mid 2021 assuming the vaccine stuff happens. Giving out toys to kids is one of the great joys of going to the dump and working on the project THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP!

Jack In His Home After Taking Meth THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY

 from Facebook...

Jack in his Klong Toey slum home "Under the Freeway" after doing meth. THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Bangkok, Thailand 2019

• Chris J.....Sometimes, the buzz is the only thing that makes their situation tolerable.

  
  
• GERRY...yes I noticed that, he just seemed a bit more relaxed and settled down, after. Years ago I photographed men’s injecting heroin, it was similar. They changed from agitated to normalish after the injection. Such a sad, destructive, empty way to live life. I wonder if Jack will still be around in 2021 when I return to Bangkok or will his life already be over? I want to learn more about him.

Crying Girl

This poor little girl cried and cried with flies on her face as her mother worked nearby. She became happy and more contented when her mom came back and held her. The doll she holds was found in the garbage. Photo made in 2013. The mentioned video of this young girl can be found at the 8:34 mark (beat to turn down the overwrought soundtrack).

2013, Families of the Dump Video

The Beauty Of Square Format Potraiture

 

There is almost a ZEN like quality to square format images. I need to take the Rolleiflex with me next trip and continue doing portrait work with it in Thailand These 2 images are from THE FAMILIES F THE DUMP...2 children. The first is a young girl who was waiting for her mom who was working nearby, she seemed not well, we donated some pink boots for her (see link). The second is a a young boy I have photographed many times over many years...he is a mischievous fun child who always is playing with his sister and friends..

Donated Pink Boots

 

Platitinum-Carbon Printing Start In November-December 2020

Next week off I need to dive into my alternative printing. This winter I hoped to learn more about Platinum or Carbon (on glass?) printing. Now is the time to get this done. When spring comes I will dive back into wet plate but for now I have time, so Platinum or Carbon it is!

Over the. next 20 years or so I hope to make my lifetime of best negs-digi files into beautiful Platinum and Carbon prints. Time to learn the processes. Time to start making beauty prints :).

Happy Birthday Mom And THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP Published Today In "Silvergrain Classics" Magazine

from Facebook;

THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP story was published in the international "Silvergrain Magazine" today (from Germany). I am happy the "Families" story is reaching larger and larger audiences. More exposure will lead to more help for them. Hopefully in this difficult time for the world their lives in the dump are safe and happy as they can be. 

 

Thank you Charys and"Silvergrain Classics" for telling THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP story and showing the photographs. 

 

Today is also my mothers 85th birthday. I am happy that both the publishing of the magazines most recent issue and moms birthday happened on the same day. A good omen and good memory! The "Family" photographs would never have happened without the love and support of my beautiful mother. HAPPY 85th MOM!!

 

Note* Thank you David Salinas for a picture of the magazine cover. David's wonderful work is also featured in this issue.

 

https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/ 

 

Note** Damn, am 0-4 on covers for mags now. In the last 3 months or so the photo work (Families and Under the Freeway) has been shown in 2 online mags (Silvergrain Classics) and 2 real paper hard copy mags (Silivergrain Classics and Analog Forever Magazine) and the work got NO COVERS!! I need to work harder at making better photographs.

 

THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Review

Just going though my MacBook Pro at work tonight. Am viewing some of THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY photos from Bangkok's Klong Toey Slum. I am eager to return and make photos in this area again. As soon as I get a Covid vaccine and as soon as travel is permitted I will head back.

Am looking forward to the day I can leave my job and make photos full time. Am 56 now, I am running out of time to get things done that I want to get done.

Here are some re-posts of the photos from the project, I found in my laptop tonight: