Photo Story: Khun Bia In His Room

Not sure if I have posted this image before, I have posted a closer composed variation of it. I was looking for photos to use while playing around with learning the Platinum-Pallaidium printing process and came upon this image today. 

 Here is the photo story:

Khun (Mr.) Bia is a very kind and extremely friendly man I met while working on the photo series THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY in Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok Thailand. Bia is about my age, he lives in a old wooden shack with 2 rooms that has a cardboard roof. Bia lives in one room, the second room is used by a person I never got the chance to meet. The room is tiny, I am using an extremely wide angle lens and was standing in the doorway as I made the picture.

It was rainy season when this photo was made so every night the rain was pouring down on his shack and would find its way through the cardboard roof and onto his bed as he slept. You can see in the photo that he has an open umbrella set up to help with the rain. Meanwhile I was living in a cozy a/c hotel just down the road, maybe 400 meters from him. Our lives are so different, I am so privileged. Bia lived this way and yet was filled with so much friendliness and joy whenever we met. He would talk and talk and tell me stories in Thai beyond my fluency but it did not matter. What a kind man.

Bia loves the royal family and the various kings of Thailand. The photos you see to the right on the table are all pictures of the current king and queen, along with other photos of many former kings of Thailand. Love for the royal family by the poorest of the poor in Thailand is very common. He spoke to me in glowing terms of how good the king was and how much he loved him.

I offered Khun Bia some money to help but he refused. He had an ancient truck that must have been over 60 years old that he drove in Bangkok traffic and used for work, he did not want my money. Later on I offered him money a second time, just before I left Thailand. This time he reluctantly accepted but he insisted on giving me in return an old digital camera he had. I now have that camera on  a ledge in my Edmonton darkroom, I look at it often and think of Khun Bia. I miss him.

Pic made with a Canon 5D Mark 3 and a Leica 15mm R lens.

"Khun Bia 55 in his room, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok Thailand 2018"

 

Khun Bia in Palladium

Khun Bia 55 in his room, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2019

 

Video: Development Link For Palladium Development

Here is the "Falling Garbage" shot from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, being developed.

https://vimeo.com/510184850

2 more Palldium Prints

Made 2 more Palladium Prints before sleeping today, off negs I made during my work weeks. The digi negs were made using the generic Palladium printing curve. I need to work on my own personal curve this week off work. I hope that will give me prints with a broader tonal range.

Garbage falling, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot Thailand 2018

Vietnamese brothel worker, Poi Pet Cambodia, 2003 (original is a colour negative).

Win Family Daughter Staring

 Been thinking of this photo tonight. I think it expresses what it must be like to grow up poor on a garbage dump.

Win family oldest daughter, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Mae Sot Thailand, 2018

Another Possible AMBROTOS KANATA Project Camera Tent

This tent is cheaper at $781 USD. the LUCX ANGELZELT BIGFOOT. Not sure it is heavy duty enough. I need something I can repeatedly put up and and take down over several years (15?) use.

Possible Tent For AMBROTOS KANATA Ultra Large Format Cameras

When I am shooting the 16x20 Chamonix, the HF2024 (20x24 inch) or the HF3535 (35x35 inch) one of the main problems I will face is the weather, especially in Northern shooting locations across Canada. My plan is to get a tent of some kind to protect the gear from the elements, especially rain and wind. 

One of the problems with very large cameras (I will be using some of the largest ever made) is that you have long set up and take down times combined with a huge bellows (20x24 over 6 feet, 35x35 over 8 feet).. The bellows will act like a sail in the wind, making everything dangerously unstable. The last thing I want to see is the wind picking up my HF3535 and depositing it into the Arctic Ocean. I need to get a tent of some kind to help protect my cameras and myself.

I might also like to make images in early morning light. How to do that? I would set up the camera inside a tent the night before! So here is the idea. I drive to a location, set up my camera inside a tent, go to bed in the motorhome, wake up early and SHOOT away, without delay!!!!  I could have the camera set up this way for 2 or 3 days at a time, making photos in the changing light. What in life is better than that?

 "Ain't Photography Grand!!"

Here is a possible tent contender the RIDGEMONKEY ESCAPE XF2 $1782 USD(!!!) with porch extention. There are a ton of possible tents out there, I am looking at. I like the open front of this baby, an area that will accommodate the front lens of the camera well.

Another Palladium Image And Video

 Here is a quick attempt at a palladium print after my night shift. Working again tonight. I think the print is too contrasty. I am new to what is possible with Platinum-Palladium (Pt-Pd) prints, so this (mistakes and successes) is part of the learning curve.

Jack after doing meth, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok, Thailand, 2019

Jack Palladium Print Development

Different views of the Jack print. Too contrasty I think

Platinum-Palldium Printing Buys

 Bought a bunch of Platinum-Palladium printing supplies online from work tonight.

- Picked up a bunch of different papers and sizes. I the larger 11x14, 11x15 paper is for the New Brunswick University exhibitions.

- Picked up the cheap type transparency film A-Sub in sizes 11x17 100 sheets and 13x19 100 sheets. I will try this cheapo stuff for a while, if I find the quality or scratching is an issue I will change to something else, possibly Pictorico. 

- Picked up some tetrasodium EDTA that I will use mixed as one of my two clearing agents for my Platinum-Palladium. Got me a 15lb bag which should last a longer time and is much cheaper to buy this way than from Bostick & Sullivan.

In the long wrong paying more now, I will pay less over the long haul. I expect to be doing Platinum-Palladium printing for the rest of my life.

Am also thinking of buying Palladium Chloride from online sources, to make my own Palladium chemistry. It might be cheaper to go this way as well, especially if I start making very large prints, which I anticipate eventually doing. My Nuarc UV exposure unit can make up to 40 inch prints.

Note* There is also a chemical called disodium EDTA that can be used for clearing the print, the difference seems to be in the PH level, the following explanation is from an online source.

The key difference between disodium EDTA and tetrasodium EDTA is that disodium EDTA has a pH lower than 7 while tetrasodium EDTA has a pH greater than 7.

Paper type and sizes bought from B&H with free shipping to Canada

A-Sub transparency film 11x17 ($103.12 CAD), also got a 100 sheet bag of 13x17 ($116.94 CAD)

Tretrasodium EDTA 15lbs from E-Bay ($69.99 USD plus shipping)

Dom Sitting Under The Freeway Digi Neg

Made up another digi neg on waking. Dom siting under the freewway, did 2 versions, one guestamet  shot and one at -50 contrast.

Next week off work I will refine and learn how to make my curve, there will be less of this guessing stuff after I get that figured out. At least that is the home.

Dom, sitting under the freeway, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok Thailand, 2019

Dom sitting under the freeway.

Jack Staring Digital Negative

Before sleeping today I decided to do a digital neg (using a generic curve) of a THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY image.

Jack staring at me after doing Meth, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok Thailand, 2019

Maybe I can print this tomorrow before sleeping, if I am not too tired. I had to shovel snow at 4 places this morning, am rather worn out, plus it is COLD outside! 

The image neg inside Print Tool, before printing today.

Long Work Night

 

Chess and a Palladium Print from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP helping me get through this long cold night working security in Edmonton. 

 

Now back out into the cold to do some rounds and snow shoveling! Looking forward to making pictures full time. Another 2 years and I can do that. It should be great!

 

First Attempt Palladium Prints

Brought the Palladium prints I made over the last few days to work. Here they are! I think a nice start. I think when I get my personal curves designed the tonal range will even be better. So far I am very happy with the process and the prints that came out of that work.

First 3 images, 2 on the left done with Pictorico transparency film, the photo at right made with A-Sub

These two were made with Koala transparency film, 7 min. exposure on the left, right image 8 min.

More Captures From Yesterdays Palladium Printing Session

Did some more Palladium printing before going to bed today for my security nightshift. These images are from that very fun session. I tried using alternative company transparency clear transfer sheets to make digital negs with. The cheaper A-Sub sheets (scratches easily) and Koala (might be good to use.  Pictorico seems to make the best transparency digi neg sheets but they are more expensive.

Detail of image in clearing bath.

Win boy walking in dump image in clearing bath.

Child held by mother in clearing bath.

Hahnemuhle paper nicely coated with Palldium.

Hahnemuble Platinum paper before coating

Paper, rubylithed digi neg in contact printing frame

Rubylithed digi neg on A-Sub transparency film.

Close up of image ready for exposure under UV light

Rubylith and digi neg of oldest Win family boy in the dump.

Digi neg of child held by mother from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP series

3rd Palldium Print Attempt

I am very excited by the possibilities of alternative printing processes and digital negs. Hopefully in the not to distant future I can try "Carbon Transfer" printing as well!

from Facebook....

Here is another neg printed in Palladium using an exisiting curve. This is my 3rd attempt at the process, still need to learn how to make my own personal curves. The photo is of a father and his son Chemeeko. I photographed the father and mothers wedding on my first trips to the dump in 2013, this photo was made in 2015. Last I heard, the family now has 3 children and has returned to Burma as Chemeeko's grandmother had become ill. Thinking of doing this one up larger for the Art Centre show at the University of New Brunswick.

 Here is a video link to the developer pour. COOL STUFF!!

Developing This Image Link 

Print In 15 minute wash.

Image visible after exposure of hand painted Palladium emulsion.

Emulsion-ink side of rubylithed digital neg.

Rubylith on neg, for even edges.

Digital negative detail.

Digi neg, coated Palladium paper and contact printer on UV printing unit.

2nd Palladium Print Attempt, Much Better!

 from Facebook....

My second attempt at printing up a Palladium print using a digital negative. The neg was not made with my personal curve as I am still learning that process. This neg is an existing Curve within the program. It turned out OK. Lots of room for improvement in this alternative printing process thing but today was a step in the right direction.

Thank you Bill Schwab for so much help on this.

 

Developing This Image Link 

 

UV exposure unit running for 8 minutes in darkroom #2

Neg with paper and rubylith in a large contact printing frame.

Rubylith masked neg on the plastic side.

Rubylith masked digi neg on the emulsion-ink side.

The exposed image on the hand coated Palladium paper

The print clearing in its first bath.