Quote: Morihei Ueshiba (The Founder of Aikido)

From "The Art of Peace" .

"Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice crates trust in the power of love

Film Photography Post On Dad

I posted the found photos of dad on my Facebook and on another Facebook group site, "Film Phography

from Facebook....

Gosh the dad post has 328 likes and 55 comments on the "Film Photography" facebook page. Never ever had a post of over 50 likes? 60 likes? Why? 

I think it is because so many of us have lost a loved one to Cancer, so many want to talk about it and so many want to share their stories, their memories of those they loved and lost. That is the true power and beauty of social media, the true strength of places like Facebook. A place where people can reach out and share common experiences leading to healing and a better personal well being. Thank you dad for allowing all these people to share their stories, your example, you love allowed that. 

I wish I could talk to him about this, he is my hero.

Update* I guess this also speaks a bit to the power and importance photography can have in telling important stories, stories with a common human theme.

Quote: Will Rogers

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” 

Found Dad Film

Found one film all rolled up and hidden away on the Zone VI enlarger base during my recent darkroom clean up. Here are some scans. We lost Dad back on Feb 22, 2015 (almost 5 years now). The pics were taken during one of his 2 major hospital stays, I believe it was the first one, soon after his diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer.   I would go visit dad before work each night shift. Sometimes we would talk, other times dad was sleeping.

My father let me photograph his last 13 months, telling his story. Usually think of dad multiple times a day, he was always there for me. I could rely on my dad everyday of our lives together, he was just always there when I needed him. Miss just talking to him, would love to talk to him about anything now, anything at all.

Forgotten film, forgotten negs are often the most wonderful. Sort of like discoing a message from a bottle, a window into a forgotten past. I still have a few rolls of undeveloped film from 40 years or so back, wonder what is there.

Got to get my lazy ass back to Thai soon, to continue making pics. I miss handling film!

Note* Pics made on Tri-x, using a Leica M6, not sure of lens used.

Dad sleeping-resting in hospital, 2014

Aikido Soreness

Did my 4th Aikido class last night, today my entire body is sore. I do not have any minor or major injuries but everything body wise feels sore and hurts. My feet hurt, toes, hands, fingers, shoulders and skin hurt. Yesterdays Aikido class was pretty intense, lots of flips and turns, wrist locks and falls of various kinds. I was doing lots of front rolls for the first time, plus back falls for the first time. The dojo is filled with many black belts with 10, 20, 30 years experience so a white belt like myself has lots of generous and helpful teachers. It is a great place to learn, a great place to improve both physically and mentally. Am loving Aikido so far!

Aikido when done right seems magical to me, it is like the master teacher has special powers to do things others cannot do. Some of the things I have seen in class just blow my mind, magic is the only way I can describe it. The strength of Aikido is not because of outward muscle strength, force but instead comes from a inner centre core and understanding of peace and relaxation. When your performing the art your at total peace in the centre of the aggressors hurricane. It is rather amazing to see it in action. I now partly understand why Aikido is called the beautiful martial art.

Am off the martial arts for a while now, a Christmas-New Years break. I will do my 6th Aikido class on January 3rd and my 2nd Karate class on January 5. Things are starting to come together a bit now in Aikido, I need to get back into the Karate spirit as well.

Darkroom #1 Cleanup

It took 2 days but darkroom #1 is clean. Will print soon! Wish I had a show to print for, I have nada, nothing, no exhibitions at all. Will print for myself the next week I am off work.

Drying screens, Zone VI cold light enlarger, photo paper, paper safes, film holders and chair to get off my old feet!

Copy of Van Gogh starry night.

8x10 Durst enlarger, love it! 20x24 carrier and paper safe.

Second darkroom Saunders LPL enlarger with multi grade head. Durst 1200 enlarger, my fav!

Durst with condenser head and the LPL.

In the corner is a 5x7 DURST plus plenty of floor room for dancing!

2nd light table, old prints in boxes, first sink, drying screens below. The sinks (have 2) can do up to 20x24 inch prints.

Gaugain copy, reminds me of the photos made of the poor souls working the brothels in Cambodia.

Close view of the 1200, a wonderful tool. Thanks Jack for the gift. The Mao portrait is to remind me the evils of propaganda and the false truths photography can tell.

Dad watches me.

Dad in hospital.

Quote: Morihei Ueshiba (The Founder Of The Non-violent Martial Art Of Aikido)

"Always keep your mind as bright and clear as the vast sky, the highest peak, and the deepest ocean, empty of all limiting thoughts."

Karate Kid? Nope, Karate OLD DUDE

On Sunday I paid a visit to the Dojo of  my former Karate Sensei (teacher). My plan was to watch a class and decide whether I wanted to start up with Karate again. I ended up joining the class and doing 1 hour and 30 minutes of Karate! A very nice work out, was sweating quite a bit. I was pleasantly pleased that even thou I had been away from the art for 25 years, I was able to do and remember reasonably well!

Back when I was much younger I studied Karate on and off for about 5 years. It might be fun to get back into it and use it as a way to get into better physical shape for the coming “Kanata” cross Canada photo project.

Not sure how long I can continue to do both Aikido and Karate on my off work weeks. Being 55 years old I need to be careful, I do not hurt myself. The idea of all this exercise stuff is to allow me to make pictures into my old age, to hurt myself leading to no pictures in my old age!

I will take it slow and listen to my body. So far so good, a day of working out followed by a day of recovery, seemed to go OK. Last week it was Aikido Monday, Aikido Wednesday and Karate Sunday.

Quote: Morihei Ueshiba (The Founder Of The Non-violent Martial Art Of Aikido)

"Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead. The Art of Peace is a celebration of the bonding of heaven, earth and humankind. It is all that is true, good and beautiful."

2019 Photo Of Nui-Ooh

from facebook post...

Just scanned a new picture of young Nui-Ooh in the Mae Sot Garbage dump. This photo is from last trip, 2019. The pic was made as she was walking back to her dump shack adjacent to the garbage. I have been photographing her all the way back to my first trips to the garbage dump in 2013. She has lived in the filth all of her life, and always watches me with her sad, straight forward gaze when I photograph her. You can also see a video of her and her young brother on the link. It never enough thou. I think often of her future, such a lovely child with such a limited chance at a better life. Will she raise her children in the garbage dump as well?

Her father and mother are extremely hard working, her father I call the "Hardest Working Man In The Dump", I will often see him go out first into the garbage very early. In 2017-2018 I would usually arrive around 4am and he would be the first worker around 5am, usually 30 minutes or more before anyone else arrived. He would look through the garbage from the day before for anything that had been missed. We have donated a fair amount to her family, money, medicine, boots, headlamps, food, candy etc. Life there is very hard for them. Hope the pics can lead to more help.

Video of Nui-ooh and her brother.

Nui-ooh 2019

Nui-ooh 2013

Nui-ooh 2015-16

Nui-ooh 2015-16

Dancing With Mom

Did a polka tonight with mom at the Christmas party she had at her old age home, senior lodge. Mom is 84 and it was her 3rd dance of the night! She still moves very well, has gained weight because of her medication but is filled with personal happiness and a love to dance. Mom and dad were a great dancing couple.

Quote: "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

Aikido Lesson 2

Well went to class 2 of Aikido last night and it went well. I have so much to learn it is rather intimidating but bit by bit there are small improvements. Unfortunately cannot go Friday as I have a Christmas party with mom to go to (wish I could do both).  The front roll suff seems a lot less intimidating than before, I still need to watch and concentrate on each roll to avoid any neck, head injuries. The whole basic back roll and stand up, and the basic front roll and stand up thing is still coming.

Aikido Basic Rolls

Note* Contacted my old Goju-Kai Karate teacher who still teaches. I might take up that sport as well again. I ended up as a Green belt in olden times and would have to learn everything again (been 20 years). The idea would be to just do a bit of Karate for overall conditioning, to regain my green belt strength and maybe eventually move up to a black belt. Lots of maybes when your 55 years old like I am. Will see what happens, if I can go back to Karate, I plan to do so and train a bit every second weeks (the first week I will be doing my security job so cannot train) along with the Aikido training, 2 or 3 times on my off week.. This all connects back to the photography, getting myself in better overall condition so I can shoot photographs with large view camera equipment into my 70s.

My Nuarc 40-1K UV Printer Has Arrived

The Nuarc 40-1K vacuum UV printer from Vernon arrived today in snowy Edmonton. I placed it in my garage and will unpack and set it up in the spring when I can clear a space for it. It looks undamaged and in good shape, I got an extra new bulb in the deal as well. Hopefully I can use this wonderful professional unit to do high quality Platinum Printing in the years ahead!!!!
Original Buy Post

Nuarc set up in the sellers home

Packed Nuarc in back of truck in garage

First Aikido Training Day

Tonight was the first time I took an Aikido class. First thought, "lots of fun!" second thought "gosh my whole body hurts!" Everything started hurting after the class was over and I cooled down.
Right now it hurts when I try and raise my right arm above the keyboard level and for some strange reason the bottom of my big toe on my left foot also hurts. How the hell do you hurt the bottom skin area of your big toe? A bruise?  Maybe this is what happens when your 55 and get back into martial arts. I did Karate for quite a few years but that was like 20 years back! Getting back into the flow will take time.

Anyway, will keep at it and return to class on Wednesday. I home my right shoulder is better by then. After Wednesdays class I will have 11 days to heal up before attending again ( after my work week). The main thing is not to hurt myself too bad but instead to improve my physical capabilities. Got some nice compliments from some of the black belt folks there, they were quite kind. So far doing things so so OK was mostly because I practised last week during my security work night shift. Did a bunch of rolling after watching YouTube vids, during my night time work shifts. Tonight at the Dojo (place of the way-training room) was definitely a step up, much more intense and driven.

The idea behind all of this is as always, goes back to the photography. I want to continue to make photos as I age. I hope the Aikido will help me to maintain or grow my flexibility, strength, conditioning and overall positive body movement into my 70s. If I can continue to make photos with large view cameras after 70, that has to be a good thing. My dad was still in reasonable shape even at 79 years old, he still worked very hard even with a damaged right arm (muscles torn). I hope to avoid serious injury and to continue to photograph later in life. Of course we can not control our health, bad luck is unforeseen, etc. but I want to do as much as I can to have the arrows all pointing in a positive direction. Never drank, never smoked my whole life, ate reasonably, did not get too too fat (am a overweight thou). Hopefully that none abusive life style stuff will help 55 year old Gerry study Aikiko. It would be cool to someday get a black belt but heck that's a long way off, a bit of a dream, for now I just want my right shoulder get better. :)

The 3 month trial Aikido period will continue! Got to learn me some Japanese, lots of Japanese terms come up during class!

Note* One positive is that my old old Karate Gi (uniform) is finally being used. I bought a nice one a few months before I left the sport, it was recenlty pulled out of a closet, washed and is now my Aikido training uniform!

The Great Gordon Parks

One of my all time fav photogs. I always found this Flavio story so inspiring. Mr Parks speaking about helping those in need through the photography versus chasing great pics is right on target as well.

"Half Past Autumn" Gordon Parks Documentary

Gordon Parks, New York 2002, with the African American photogs he inspired.

Quote: Sal Minio (Actor)

After seeing his father die:

"Being in the same room with him and looking at him, I realized that one day I would be in the same position as he, facing death. Before it happens I mean to do the things I want to do. I will not end up saying, "I wish I had".

A Few More Film Scans

Getting a ton of garbage shots in my recent film development, especially in the 120 work, very disappointing.

Here are a few more 35mm photos from last trip.

Dom 58, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY,  Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2019

Egg THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2019

Group of 4, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2019

Garbage dump #1, FAMILIES OF THE FUMP, Mae Sot Garbage Dump, Mae Sot Thailand 2019

Quote: Claude Monet

"To see we must forget the name of the thing we are looking at."

Akido Gerry

Went to view an Akido class here in Edmonton tonight. A bit intimidating, looks very tough (lots of acrobatic moves, falls etc). I will give it a go for 3 months starting my next Monday off work. Plan on using my old Karate uniform (Gi). I am hoping it will help with my overall fitness and flexibility which will then assist me in my photography as I age into my 60s. Hope I do not hurt myself along the way.

Akido Video 

A Couple Of Pics

Not having much success with the film shot last trip, here are a couple of OK pics. Most of the images seem poorly composed or technically lacking (lots of under exposure). Maybe I forgot how to shoot film. Manual film cameras are certainly more difficult to shoot than the fully auto digital cousins.

Grave Bangkok, 2019

Woman in the garbage, FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot garbage dump, Thailand 2019

Anapon 2019 On Film

A few film shots of Anapon, a man from THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY series. I have been photographing Khun Anapon for about 7 years now, he is an ex Muay Thai boxer living in a small boarded room under the freeway. Leica R6 and 16mm Lens I think, or possibly a 21mm, Tri-x film.

Anapon, THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, in his home, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2019

First 120 Medium Format Photo, From Last Thai Trip

First medium format pic from last trip. FAMILIES OF THE DUMP. Young boy in a dump shack, Mae Sot Thailand garbage dump, 2019. Photo made with a Rolleiflex and Tri-X.

Boy portraits, FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot Thailand dump, 2019

MIGHT Study Aikido

Thinking of TRYING to learn Aikido. Have always been fascinated by this type of martial art, and it might help with the photography. The training should lower the fat boy content some, also help with flexibility and provide some more spiritual positives. Some physical and mental training might allow me to carry the big camera gear a few more years, hope hope. Visited a local Dojo's web page yesterday and saw this quote. Seems right, will try giving it a go, and see what happens. Might lead no where but might be a real old age positive in a persons life.

More Comments From Dom Picture Post On Facebook

BK....excellent!

MS.....geez governments from all over the world sure don't think of people. government personal have more heart for their fur baby/ies than people around them. saddening.

GERRY YAUM....That is why for me social documentary photography is so important. It humanizes, explores and tells the stories of forgotten people in this world. The hope is that the indifferent,including government types might be influenced to help those in need.

We share this wonderful world and need to treat ALL with love, respect and compassion.

MS....Keep being the true advocate for all humans my facebook friend. One day all people will wake up!!

GERRY YAUM....Thanks, so much, will try!

Comments On Dom Photos

Here is a little conversation on the photos of Dom posted below. This is from my Facebook page.

JP....Sad and beautiful. Powerful.

GERRY YAUM....Thanks Jamie. Dom is a nice man, likes to joke, maybe a bit crazy at times but always treated me kindly. Hope he is still alive next trip, will give him some of the pics and buy him some food as you did for your friend in need recently.

JP......I couldn't do what you do. My heart would break that I couldn't save everyone. Thank you for introducing them and thank you for recording their being.

GERRY YAUM....ts not as bad as it seems, when you make photos like this you see lots of good stuff also...your sort of pulled into peoples lives, share many good experiences and some bad of course. The people under the freeway or in the dump are special...they overcome so much to live their lives, it is often a pleasure to be with them. The things I hate are the heat in Thai, the cockroaches, rats and such and in the dump the terrible smell that lingers on everything, in your hair, your fingernails, your camera gear. That stuff is very hard to take and wears you out, the people especially the kids, usually do the opposite, they rejuvenate you. Thanks so much for your thoughts.

Some Film Photos From The Last Thai Trip

Some photos made with film from last trip. I felt depressed last week so started developing film, which improved my mood. Photography has always been able to lift me out of nasty spirits. 

I did not shoot as much film as I should have the last Thai trip, sort of got carried away with the digital camera. Photos are from the "People Who Live Under The Freeway Series" made in Klong Toey Slum Bangkok. 

All TrI-X film shot at 200ASA developed in D-76 2:1 for 12 minutes 20C. Camera was a Leica R6, not sure the lens, believe I shot the 16-21-24-60 mm with film last trip.

Will post more film images as I develop and scan them in the coming months. I need to get my lazy ass back to Thai to continue this series and continue the dump work/photos.

Dom 58 from "The People Who Live Under The Freeway", Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok Thailand 2019

A wild dog from "The People Who Live Under The Freeway", Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok Thailand 2019

The Nuarc UV 40-1K Is Packaged And Ready To Ship

The Nuarc UV printing machine I made a deal on a while back is now ready to ship from Vernon BC to Edmonton. The seller Mike has sent me videos of the machines operation, the light and the vacuum both work. It will be sent to me in the next few weeks, not sure how long it will take to get her via truck from British Columbia. I will keep it in storage over the winter and unpack and set it up next year when it warms up.

I hope to print  the best photos made in my lifetime on Platinum when I retire in a few years (2-4 years probably)  time. This buy is a preparation for then.

Stolen Truck Found By Police

My dads truck was found by the Police in the West end of Edmonton. I received a phone call from the police last night when I was at work. They towed it to a lot not too too far from where I live. Not sure of damage to the vehicle and other charges yet (towing? storage?).

Am happy it was found about 10 days after it was stolen, now worried what it will cost to get it back in front of the house again. Need it rather desperately so will have to work something out. Will use it to drive mom around, for moving things and for pulling the wet plate trailer next spring/summer/fall.

Update* Saw the truck for the first time today at the garage where it will be repaired. Got some more bad news, the canopy was missing, dads beautiful canopy was stolen or taken off vey the thieves. The spare tire is still in the back but everything else is gone. If I want to buy a new used canopy it will cost between $100 and $1000 CAD. The truck door handle is also missing and the ignition is destroyed as well (probably so they could break in and then start the vehicle).

Quote: Frank Zappa

"A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open/"

Developing Film

Have not developed any film from the last trip yet. Will go downstairs and do that before having a nap and my first work shift tonight. Been so down all week because of the truck theft, am hoping developing film will pull me out of it. Photography has always been my high of high, photography has always been able to pull me out of life's negative ruts, hoping that happens again today. I have a week of work ahead, I need to stop this ugly down I am.

Keep thinking of 3 things
- What can I drive mom in? The truck was easier for mom to get in and out of.
- Truck lost for nothing, all that money wasted. I could have used the money instead in so many more important ways.
- I have nothing to pull the wet plate trailer next spring. How can I improve at Wet Plate?

Quote: Mikhail Gorbachev"

“We badly need a new economic model… We cannot continue living by ignoring environmental problems. The planet is overburdened… We do not have enough fresh water for the people.. Billions of people are subject to hunger today. So the new model must consider all these needs. This model must be more human and more nature oriented… We are all interconnected but we keep acting as though we are completely autonomous.”

Truck Stolen

Bad luck yesterday. My dads old 24 year old 1/2 ton truck was stolen from in front of the house. Reported it to the police and to insurance. Turns out I do not have comprehensive insurance on the truck (theft) so I have no coverage at all. Will receive $0 if the police do not find it. To make things worse also lost my one and only garage door opener in the truck and just last month I invested $3200 CAD in repairs on the vehicle. Now I have no truck for moving things (which I desperately need), no truck to drive mom around in (easier for her to get in and out) and no truck to pull next years wet plate photography trailer with. I also feel violated, and I feel like a let my dad down again, it was his truck, a truck he used without major incident for years to take his baking to the local farmers market. I lost my dads truck, I screwed it up, I had the wrong type insurance on it.

Who steals a beat up (front light taped on, rear bumper very badly damaged, ignition barely working) 24 year old truck? Been very down about this, feel like only sleeping and trying to forget my insurance screw up, I should have got comprehensive on it. I chose what I chose because I was trying to save money, trying to cut corner, trying to get by paying less. Got slapped in the face for my stupidity.

Am very down, I am making too many mistakes.

Update* Spent all week down, worried how to tell mom about it (my mom is in an old age centre with the very early stages of dementia). I decided it was better to say nothing. What could it help for mom to know? It would only upset her and cause worry. My role now as her son is to protect her from such things, make her life as happy as possible. If she asks about the truck I will tell her if not then will not. It is better to deal with this ugly, depressing problem myself.

Not telling mom is hard to do as in the the past I did not keep things from her or dad. I miss talking to both her and dad about everything.

Quote: Plato

“Truth is its own reward....”

Quote: David Ogden Stiers (Actor)

"The thing I love about the arts - music, theater, museums, galleries - is that everybody wins. You are touched and hopefully moved, and it is unique to each person. Even though you may have listened to the same performance, what you heard could be vastly different from what anyone else heard."

Quote: George Orwell

"The further a society drifts from the truth the more it will hate those that speak it."

KANATA

KANATA
Kanata is an indigenous Canadian word meaning "village" or "settlement". It is the origin of the name of Canada.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanata 

The Impossible Dream, Studying Wet Plate

Tonight I am studying Wet Plate photography from Quinn Jacobson's wonderful book "Chemical Pictures". Quinn's book will be my Wet Plate Collodion bible.

One of the advantages of being a night time security guard is that you have the time to study on duty while your being paid a salary (heck even got an hour of OT tonight, 13 hour shift). The plan is to spend some time each work night all winter studying and learning how wet plate works. I can learn from the book, from videos and fro all my wet plate friends in Facebook land.

I will study over the winter months, and get my darkroom trailer completed as well. In the spring I will get my chemistry, mix my Collodion and other wet plate chemistry before heading out to do my first glass plates (Ambrotypes) probably in around May 2020.

The eventual goal is to photograph KANATA my 10 year plus cross Canada wet plate project. I might use cameras (format sizes) from 4x5 to 35x35 to do this work (4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 14x17, 16x20, 20x24, 27x35 and 35x35). The idea is to tell the story of Canada (KANATA is the Cree word for Canada). I will show the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. I want an honest, true and rounded picture of the country (must be the social documentary guy in me). Only through balance can a true and honest story be told.

First step is to study and to learn the process. None of this happens unless I can master wet plate. Mastering, an interesting word, that is much easier said than done, but going to give it a shot!! Wet plate is notoriously difficult, not sure anyone truly masters it. Lets say I want to become quite good at the process maybe that is a bit easier. I want to proficient enough to make the ambrotype (pictures on glass) images I need to make.

What the heck do I got to lose? Of course photographing Canada alone  in 10 years is impossible, heck more talented, hard working people than me could probably not do it in 100 years, but heck again, what do I have to lose? I will do my best and go from there! In life it is important to have goals and dreams or life is not worth living, otherwise your already dead. When those dreams and goals are Impossible it just make things much more dramatic :) We all need drama in life.

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

Tonight's Studies

Quote: Moneta Sleet Jr. (Civil Rights, Ebony Magazine, Jet Magazine Photographer)

Speaking about his Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of Coretta Scott King and her husband Dr. Martin Luther King's funeral.

"I was photographing the child as she was fidgeting on her mama's lap. Professionally, I was doing what I had been trained to do, and I was glad of that because I was very involved emotionally. If I hadn't been there working, I would have been off crying like everybody else,"

Corretta Scott King and her daughter Bernice, 9 April 1968

Quote: Robert F. Kennedy

"Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or frightened, when we fail to speak up and out, we strike a blow against freedom, decency and justice."

HF3535 Camera Build Pics

The photo I posted earlier of my HF3535 was not my HF3535 :). I now have some updated photos sent to me by the builder Filip at HF camera. As you can see the front standard is reinforced and upgraded, thou I will still have to use some kind of lens support for my 1780mm F15 Nikkor lens which weighs a very heavy 16 pounds!!

I still need to pay for a good chunk of this camera, extra work shifts on the way!! Already have one type of photo idea in place for this camera. Am thinking of doing a series of Triptych images of the Arctic Ocean (Beaufort Sea) on wet plate or film, maybe both. Am not sure if that is physically possible, would have to drive as far North as roads allow. It is early days but if I cannot photograph the North waters there, will find another places to do so (Hudsons Bay, Newfoundland?).

Note* I initially paid for the first part of this camera 2 years back, so am quite happy it is nearing complettion!

My. 35x35 inch view camera, the HF3535