1st Day Klong Toey Boxing Portraits Turned Out!

Gosh who knew, I thought I was having trouble with my shutter the first day I shot at the Klong Toey Muay Thai gym, turns out the exposures were OK. I am not sure I composed the portraits right, maybe the wider lens (90mm not my regular 150mm) should have made me move my camera a bit closer. I do like using the 90mm lens to make portraits thou, the slight distortion is visually appealing to me (as I hoped) and including more background in the photograph I also like.

With the Linhof 90mm lens shutter working in  these shots maybe I jumped the gun buying the 90mm Nikon last week, oh well whats done is done, the moneys spent. I am sure I will use the Nikon 90mm for years to come, in combination with the 150mm Nikon it should be my main portrait lens in the future.

Here are some of those shots from that 1st day at the gym, I am not sure the negs are sharp enough to print, they were made at 1/8 and F8 and a bit soft:

I am quite happy with these 90mm available light portraits, I will shoot more in October, and also shoot other vertical and horizontal portraits in the slum using this lens. I need to get myself a large reflector to use, one that will allow me to add light to the subject from a greater distance. I am starting to feel like my 4x5 large format portraiture is coming together. Glad I did not have a shutter malfunction! A few more years of this and I will move up to 8x10.

Down

After the third grant rejection letter from the Alberta Arts people I got down, felt down, alone and fell asleep for 7 hours even thou I was not really that tired. As I slept I had a weird dream of meeting a crying Japanese women who had a broken heart, I tried to console her and we became close, then later in the dream I found out she was lying to me and using me. I woke up and thought about things, not sure what the dream was about but still felt lousy especially after I remembered the rejection letter and the Tri-x film price increases (a film I love and can no longer afford).

It is now an hour or so since I woke and I think I am over the mood swing. What have I got to whine about? I live in a beautiful country, I have people who love me,  a passion for my photography and I never go hungry. The people at the dump, have no country, live in terrible conditions with extreme poverty and yet they are friendly, compassionate and caring. Time to stop the down time and get on with making the pictures I know are important.,I need to continue to tell my stories.

I will have a meal then develop a bunch of 35mm film tonight, enough of this down time shit, I got work to do.

Strike 3, Grant Rejected Again By the Alberta Foundation For The Arts

Just got my 3rd strike (rejection letter) on my latest grant request, this is the 2nd time my "Families Of The Mae Sot Garbage Dump" project was rejected by the Alberta Arts jury. I will have to fund the October trip and photographs completely on my own.

I will try to get some help from the Edmonton Arts Council, it feels like I am wasting my time with the Alberta people.

I also got my 90mm Nikon lens today from Japan, a beautiful lens, I hope I can create some strong work with it.

Cambodia Pictures? What Cambodia Pictures?

When I developed my first 8 rolls of Tri-x 35mm  I did 6 from the dump and 2 old films which had been laying around the darkroom. One of the extra films turned out to be shots from 2010 (I think) when I photographed in a slum in Poipet Cambodia.

Here are some shots from that roll:

I also had a previously developed Cambodia film (negative) just sort of laying on a table top in the darkroom, guess I forgot about it, I cut up the film and here are some scans.

VIdeo: FIrst Day At The Dump

Made this video my first day actually my first hour at the Mae Sot dump, it was 39C that day. I was freaking out a bit with all the flies crawling all over me. If you walked the flies stayed off a bit but when you stood still you would have 30 or 40 flies on you (especially the closer you were to fresh garbage).

Kodak Tri-x Prices Go Fricking Insane!!!!!!!

Just last year I bought a ton of 35mm bulk, 4x5 and 8x10 Tri-x, am glad I did their prices have gone INSANE!! Looks like I will be shooting HP5 sooner than he expected, thank goodness I broke the bank buying as much Tri-x as I could before the price change. I shood have at least a 5 year supply of the film (35mm, 4x5 and 8x10) maybe 10 years if I curb my crazy shooting. Now the question arises should I resell it and make a profit and switch to HP5 earlier? I love Tri-x so much I probably could not bare to resell it,  I will probably shoot it to the last sheet and roll myself.

I got this email today with the bad news from my regular source for film after I asked him to check the pricing on another 50 100foot boxes of Tri-x 35mm.

Hey Gerry,

Thank you for your email. 

I hope you're sitting down. 

Costs on Kodak products have gone up by insane amounts lately. I won't be able to get you the same pricing as last time. You were paying $44/roll before. My DEALER COST on the rolls is now well over $80/roll! 

The cheapest I can go on this stuff to make it worth my while is $90/roll. 

It may be time to switch to HP5+. 

Let me know what you would like to do. On behalf of an era that is rapidly fading, my sincere apologies!

............

All In?

I am thinking of going all in when it comes to my 35mm work next trip. I have the opportunity to buy a slightly damaged and very used Leica 35mm F1.4 lens. Leica has an older and newer version of the lens, I cannot afford the newer version as it runs at $4000+ used (can't really afford the older version either!). The older lens which was made in Canada was made between 1960 and 1995, its a legendary piece of glass. Even thou its old and has some slight damage (not to the glass) it will still cost me $1980.00 (plus tax and shipping), that's a ton of money for one small lens but I'm temped. If I bought the lens I would probably go with 4 camera bodies and 4 lens next trip which might be a bit of overkill or might work out great. The Leica cameras are compact very well made and reliable so I could carry 3 M6 bodies, 1 MP4 body along with 21mm, 28mm, 35mm and 50mm lens. So far I like the several of the 35 negs shot this last trip, the 35mm lens might me allow better photos next time. Should I go all in and buy a lens I really can't afford? I still have several film payments, the last of the 8x10 and the coming 35mm 50 box bulk order and wanted to buy a Gitzo (expensive) tripod for the 4x5.

First 35mm "Families Of the Dump" Photos

Here are the first 35mm photos for the REJECTED : ) Alberta Foundation For The Arts Grant project pictures. This project (Families Of The Mae Sot Garbage Dump)was rejected by the grant jury but I said f-ck it and went 100% on my own dime to shoot it, they did not think it was important enough to fund but I did. I hope the next grant, also for to document the dump families is accepted or I will have to struggle through and fund it with Gerry's security guard grant money  once again. The first rejected grant was for $5000 the second attempt asks for $3500 (which will only pay part of my total costs), I should find out soon whether I got the 2nd grant or not.

All the photos were made on Tri-x with 2 Leica M6 bodies and 3 lens a 21mm, 28mm and 50mm. On my next trip in Oct I plan on shooting 3 camera bodies so I do not have to the lens change over, I will also have 3 cameras to change off to if I run out of film in 1 or 2. Last trip I had 2 cameras with film run outs and missed a possibly good photo op.

Tonight I am multi tasking, developing 4x5 in the Jobo, scanning 35mm, transferring all my digi files to DVD as a backup and uploading photos to this blog.

Some of the images were shot a bit farther away, I was decided to try some compositions like this after viewing the wonderful book Africa by Sebastiao Salgado. In the book Salgado photographed the African landscape or the peoples interaction with the landscape using a 35mm camera and black and white film.

I feel projects like "The Families Of The Mae Sot Garbage Dump" that deal with important social issues need to be supported and funded, these stories need to be told. Th foundation for the arts folks thought not, they said no. Getting the door slammed in my face, getting angry and pissed off can be a good thing, it drove me to work harder to try and make important photographs, and prove the no people wrong. On some days when I was melting in the sun, I pushed myself harder, pushed myself to go back another day because I thought what I was doing was important no matter the lack of grant support. Even one of my photo/art friends thought that tax money should not be used to fund stories like this, the money is being spent either way, why not try to use it to raise awareness about a forgotten people. The story of the child above who lives and plays in garbage, needs to be seen, talked about and hopefully changed. 

The Burmese families at the dump were kind, considerate and friendly to me, I owe them a deep debt of gratitude. I will return in October with free b/w and color photos, I will try to help in small ways that I can, am really looking forward to the trip back. I might try to print and sell a calendar to help raise some funds that I can donate at the dumpsite or the local school.

Ok enough ranting on my part, now just a bunch of new photographs.

50 More Boxes

I ordered 50 more boxes of 100 foot bulk 35mm Tri-x last night. With Kodak's uncertain future I decided to be cautious and and get as much Tri-x frozen as I can, if I can build up a 20-25 year supply I am pretty much covered for the rest of my life.

The Art Of Photography By Ted Forbes

I have become a fan of Ted Forbes his vids are well worth a veiwing. Lots of great photo talk and great teaching. Some of the stuff he covers is a bit basic but I still have learned very much, Thanks Ted. I recommend this site to all photographers and lovers of art.

http://theartofphotography.tv/episodes/digital-printing-vs-analog/

http://www.youtube.com/user/theartofphotography

I found this vid right on the mark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXxU6cvpnEU

Inspired

I was just looking at a Christie photography auction catalog and was inspired by a photograph I saw. The pic was made in 1958 by Dorthea Lange and is called Korean Child. The photograph made me want to do a series of very close face shots (just the face I would not even show the ears in the composition), of the Burmese children at the Mae Sot dump. I could do a series of these type photographs with the eyes opened and closed. I could highlight the innocence and beauty of the children and show the Thanaka paste they wear (partly for beauty and partly as a sunscreen). Another in a long line of photo series to consider doing.
 

Korean Child, 1958 Dorthea Lange

African Sex Worker Photo Idea

Today as I got ready to come to work and was washing my hair I got thinking about a photo portrait idea (yes I even think about photography when I wash my hair!). I spent a lot of time looking at the portrait of Pagoda yesterday morning and I thought this type of shot might work with a series I was thinking of on the African sex workers in Bangkok (I mentioned then in a earlier blog). I wanted to do simple headshots of these women, to emphasize there humanity, I want to make the photos less sexual, no nudity, no shortime rooms, no hint at sex, just show them face to face, eye to eye with the viewer to demonstrate that regardless on how they make money they are no different than us. I want to make simple portraits that communicate a straight forward human message, a message that we are all connected and should care and watch out for each other.

My idea in the bath tub was to shoot the faces the same as the Pagoda portrait but possibly with flash and maybe a reflector. The flash would be harsh straight on light and the reflector would be on the left. I might also just try to shoot it in available light thou I do not know if this is possible based on the woman's working hours (11pm or later). I would probably have to set up the 4x5 equipment and the flash in a short time sex hotel room in the area where they would normally take there customers (always have problem explaining to the hotel owner I want to rent the room for all night, not 1 hour!). I have no idea where this hotel is located but there has to be one (or more) somewhere close and convenient. Dealing with this type of prostitution might be dangerous, the woman are probably illegals (trafficked?)the police no doubt get some kind of kickbacks, there might be some mafia influence or pimps of some kind. When you are using people to make money, like the mafia folks and the police might be doing, when the people are illegally in the country, making pictures in those situations can upset folks, I will have to be careful.

The idea of the photography style (simple harshly lit headshots) and image composition (head and shoulders shots) is to simplify to achieve more (less is more). There should not be a language problem I have talked to 2 different African sex workers in another area of Bangkok and they were polite kind people who spoke fluent English. Thinking back to those women that I met years ago makes me want to try to tell the story of these current workers. I remember what one African lady told me about her work "I do not want to do this kind of work, no one wants to do it but I need to make money, I want to send money back home to my family". She was maybe in her mid 30s and had sad beautiful eyes.

Not sure anything will come of this, but might try to give it a 2 or 3 day try in October to see how goes, and if it goes well, try again again in 2014.

First 4x5 Scans From Trip

Here are the first scans from the trip, the top photo I am quite happy with because initially this man did not trust me and said some warning words about me to some children. When I was able to communicate with him (learned later he spoke some Thai), I was able to become friends with him and his family, we built up a trusting relationship and became quite friendly.

I also shot a video of him as he built a little play area (hanging fabric hammock type thing) under his very small shack, he had such a look of joy in his face when he was finished, I even helped him put it together. The children of the home later giggled with delight when they were rolling around on the fabric under the home.


I will take photos of him and his family back to the dump in October. I might try submitting this portrait in next years Alberta Foundation For The Arts Acquisition program. I plan on doing mostly 4x5 work in next years submission, this year I did all 35mm. Photo taken in overcast light at 1/8 sec and around F8.5-11 with a 150mm lens.

This photo is my attempt to create something similar to Walker Evans, Fields Family portrait. I shot bot the man portrait above and this family portrait a few minutes apart on my last day at the dump, after I had build up some relationships and rapport with the people living there. This photo kinda works  but am not sure if I like it (not sure about the child looking down, maybe a tighter composition). Shooting this many people at one time with a large format camera is new to me, but I think with some more time, some more effort, I can make it work. I have some more shots of this family group, think I took 4 or 5, have 2 developed so far, hopefully the others are better pictures. This picture was shot in low overcast light at 1/8 sec, F8 with a 75mm Lens.

I need to go back and continue making photos of the people living at the dump, gosh I wish I was flying out tomorrow not in 5 months time! "Ain't Photography F-ckin Grand!"

First Negs And New 90mm

Well I developed my first film from the trip today, it took me a while with work and all but got 10 sheets of 4x5 done. The images look good wet, have to check them out under the loop but so far so good, no light leaks and the 150mm and 90mm seem to be working ok. I think I lost the initial 30 boxer shots I did at the gym but hopefully after the that I solved the 90mm lens shutter issue and all the subsequent photos made are ok.

The Japanese seller of my 90mm Nikon lens shipped it to me after 1 day, he apologized for the delay! Got to love Japan. I hope this tool will become my main lens for the 4x5. I will test it by doing a series of what I call the "Edmonton At Night" series. I plan to go out with one film, one meter, one lens (90mm Nikon) and my 5 Grafmatic backs. I want to limit myself and try to achieve more, there is an old adage, less is more, will see if that's true.

People Of The Dump Thoughts

It has been over 2 weeks since I left the dump but I keep seeing the faces of the people I met. I keep thinking of their lives and what I saw and experienced. The memories continually flow through my mind, at work last night I thought of them over and over again. I need to go back there as soon as I can and continue to tell their stories.

Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Art Center Owner Story

 Here is an online story about the owner of the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Art Center:

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/zeitgeist-at-25/Content?oid=1905928

PhotoNOLA New Orleans Show Confirmation‏

Well today I got my confirmation for my first International show, it will be held at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Art Center in New Orleans as part of the PhotoNOLA photography festival. I will need to have the prints in New Orleans by the end of November and will also need to do an upgraded version of my Blurb Sex Worker book, this time it will be a larger hardcover book with more pages.

Link to the PhotoNOLA venue that will show the work.

http://www.zeitgeistinc.net/

Here is a part of the confirmation email I received today:

================

Gerry,

PhotoNOLA will be from Thursday, DEC 12 to Sunday, DEC 15 but the exhibit can hang the entire month of December. If the framed pieces are about 16x20 I think you could hang up to twenty prints in two rows, one row on top of the other. I apologize, I haven't had a chance to get over to Zeitgeist to measure the actual space but I will do so this week or next. But I would say plan on at least the twenty. If you would like, you can ship the prints to arrive at the end of November and I can get the show hung on DEC 1. If you had a particular layout in mind I could follow that. That way, the show is up well before the festival. I'd like to get some local press for it.

......................................

We had a PhotoNOLA planning meeting last night and it looks like gallery openings will be Saturday, DEC 14, 6 - 9pm. If you would also like to do a walk-through of the work at another time I think that would happen on Sunday. We'll have to work around some other talks/lectures but I'm sure we can figure it out.

It's going to be a busy weekend of photo-related things going on but it is a great chance to network with the larger photo community. We have lots of movers and shakers in the photo world who come to our festival to be reviewers and many of them try to get to all the exhibits. Will your Blurb book be done by then? Might be a good time to get that into some hands.

O.K. we'll talk soon. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

================

More Expenses

Spent a bunch of money today, the final payment of $1600 on 8x10 film, $300 for a box of 16x20 Ilford warmtone fiber (for the New Orleans PhotoNOLA show), and $500 on a  used 90mm F4.5 Nikon SW lens.

After having trouble with my Linhof 90mm last trip I decided to cut my losses and get a reliable fast (easy focusing) lens. The Nikon SW 90mm F4.5 has a reputation for extreme sharpness, I hope it lives up to it!

Now I only have one other piece of equipment to buy, a good carbon fiber, geared center post Gitzo tripod that costs around $750. I want to get a top notch carbon fiber tripod to replace my glued together Chinese knockoff. The geared center post is also important, it is something Jock Sturges recommended to me, it will allow me to do quick height adjustments in the field when I am working with my subject.

My other major expense will be some Leica lens and body repairs, not sure  how much those costs will be but anything involving Leica is expensive. I plan on shipping out the lens and the one malfunctioning (meter?) body next week, which should allow plenty of time for repairs. I want to make sure the lens get back to me before I leave for Thailand (probably in October).

I hate spending money on gear but all these costs, the tripod, the lens and the 35mm equipment are  because of damage to the equipment I am currently using.

I will also probably be doing another big 35mm bulk film buy soon, maybe 50 rolls (5000 feet).

Montreal Gazette Show Promo Link

Found this link today in a Google search. Not sure where these things come from thou its probably a good thing, I am happy to have the work promoted and hopefully seen by more people. The one kind of weird part is the link promotes the "The Train Is Coming" show and all those photographs were made in Klong Toey slum in Bangkok but the photo they have on the link is of a Cambodian girl in a slum in Poipet Cambodia (photo taken from this blog). The photo they have to promote "The Train Is Coming" was made in a different country and is not in the show!

http://www.montrealgazette.com/mobile/news/top-stories/Poetry+music+beer+things+this+week/8289454/story.html?&img=9 

What I Want To Say, The Story Of The Sex Worker

I have been thinking a lot about the coming Toot Yung show and what I want to show, what I want to say. I am the one showing my work, I should be making the decisions on what is shown with influence from Mimi. I need to put together a collection of work that tells the story I want to tell in a way that I see it.

What interest me about shooting sex workers is the variables involved in that industry and in the individual emotions of the workers. Why not create a show that says sex worker but also speaks to all the different aspects of it. Hardship/exploitation, business, sorrow/joy, sexuality, gender issues etc show the business of sex work from all its angles in one show, no customers only workers. I could draw on my library of negs dating back to 1996 and tell this story.

Show title? " Body Sellers"

Gerry Yaum The Last 30 Years

Am working on 2 Blurb books, one is a retrospective hardcover all out type book "Gerry Yaum: The Last 30 Years", Photographs from 1985 to 2015. The second book will be a smaller paperback of the recent Mae Sot dump pictures. Both books will take a long time to complete. I am also working on fixing up and updating the gerryyaum.com website.

Down To 228lbs

Left at 234, came back at 228lbs. I need to get into better shape in the coming months, hopefully I can keep my weight around 230lbs and do lots of cycling and maybe even some swimming. I am turning into an old fart pretty fast and the better shape I can keep myself the better chance I have not to be to lazy when it comes to pushing myself photographically.  The 8 days in the Mae Sot dump site were extremely exhausting, I have never been in that kind of heat, it was unbelievable at times (how do the families exist there?). I am almost 50 years old, time to stop pissing around and get into better condition.

Mumbai Where Its Cooler!

Met a Indian family this last trip who lived in Mumbai, they spent 5 or 6 days in Thailand and could not wait to get home where it was cooler!! Heck I always thought Mumbai was hell on earth heat wise but it seems Bangkok is hotter. I think its getting hotter and hotter in Thailand now, its SO SO nice to not need a/c today to stay cool, Edmonton and its 20C+ seems downright frigid! Where are my gloves and winter boots?

Toot Yung Gallery Digi Pics

Here are a few construction shots of the new Toot Yung gallery in Bangkok,  hopefully I wil be showing with in the next year. The day I was there there were about 7 workers onsite maybe more, the scheduled completion is in June sometime. There is an office space on the second floor and an artist residence on the 3rd floor (think I might be living there for a while).

First Digi Scans From The Dumpsite Photos

Here are the first Burmese people digital camera photos from the Mae Sot dumpsite. I did a bunch of these up mostly to give away to the families later, some of the photos were also taken by local people using my digital camera (not sure if any of these are shot by locals, maybe so). When I return, probably sometime in October I will hand out free color and b/w white photos to as many as I can.

Family portrait shot on my last day at the dump, I did 4x5 b/w work of this subject also.

Even the babies where Thanaka which is a traditional paste put on peoples faces. Thanaka protects the skin and adds beauty.

Doo-aye ready to go to work in the dump site.

Groom and bride a few days after their wedding.

This boy was crying loudly until his mother stopped work and came to breast feed him.

New Tools, Backups And Repairs

When I got back from Asia last night I had my new backup Pentax spot-meter waiting for me. I paid $200 CAD including shipping for this older used but functioning perfect meter. I wanted to get one back up for this meter just in case I had problems in the future like last time. I also need to get a 90mm SW Nikon lens in the coming months which should run me between $500-650. I had problems with my Linhof 90mm and I do not want to go down that road again, I loved the 90mm format lens for making portraits, have to see the results in prints in the coming weeks but I believe this is the way I will go in the future.  I want to get a high quality 90mm F5.6 to use in the field, something very reliable like my Linhof and Leica equipment.

I will also be sending in a bunch of Leica stuff for repairs in the coming weeks. I have 1 M6 body with a malfunctioning meter, a 21mm F2.8 I want serviced and a 50mm F1.4 that is badly in need of work (dropped this lens). I might change off my 3 week August trip and 3 week October trip for a 5 week October trip (back to Mae Sot). If I cut from 2 to 1 I will have an additional $1500 (air ticket cost) to pay for the repairs etc.

Next trip to Asia I plan on taking 3 lens and 3 camera bodies, no more changing lens, I want 1 lens per body so I can shoot faster and fluidly. If I do the 5 week trip in October I will probably take 125 rolls of 35mm or so with me, maybe more.

I will probably also do a large 35mm film buy in the next year, I need to order more Tri-x bulk rolls as I am going through this stuff fast! Tomorrow I will call and pay for the last of my 8x10 film and also order another box of 16x20 warmtone fiber paper.

I am quite happy I am spending more money making pics instead of getting more and more gear, the only gear I buy now is backup and repair stuff. I will get the 90mm Nikon as a replacement for my damaged Linhof 90. For a long time I was on this never ending gear buy thingy and not spending money on the production of photographs, now it seems to have changed, I spend much more money on production and much less on buying new toys, which is as it should be.

Back In Canada

Arrived safely back in quiet, coldish Canada tonight. I think I am getting used to the 3 airplane flight thingy but its still rather a drag at times, flight delays, bad food, very cramped seating etc. I had a Philippine guys elbow pushed into my arm and body for 12 hours from Taipei to Bangkok on the second leg of the flight. I am back home now, I might try to develop some 35mm film before sleeping.

Last 30 Sheets

I pushed myself to go back to the Klong Toey slum boxing gym on my last full day in Bangkok. I shot 30 pics there, not in the gym but in the surrounding area. I went back to the area where I photographed the slum children before with the 4x5 and was swamped by 20 or so children. I was even remembered by name when a girl named Pim (I photographed her last year with her dog English), came running towards me yelling Gerry where is my photo of English? I did not have any photos to give the children but no one seemed to mind to much they all jumped around and played with the camera. A big hit this time round was when I showed them my Pentax spot meter, everyone child had to have a look through it, I must have held the think up and pushed the meter LCD button 50 times (some kids asked to see through it 3 times).

Things are also very relaxed in the gym, I joke with the trainers, everyone accepts me there with no problems (almost feel part of a family). Things are looking very good for future photos, heck I might even try doing a documentary film on the gym or a boxer or trainers life, it might be fun to try something like that.

I am happy I made the extra effort to shoot these last sheets, the harder you work the better results you get. I have an appointment in 5 months to give 4 pics to Pim 12 years old, 2 that I took before of her and English and 2 that I gook this time round (tough young girl). I also have to make up photos for both the boxers and the other chidlren in the area.

The Value Of Speaking Thai

Boy was it easier to make photos at the dump site when I was working with a Burmese worker who could speak some Thai, language is so important for me when I work. I need to work hard on both my Thai and especially my Burmese before my next trip.

10 Sex Worker On White Submissions

The renewed interest from some diverse internationally based art people its given me hope. I feel that the white background 8x10 sex worker photos deserve to be seen by a wider audience. F                                              gent or daring in thought, it is because they are limited in what they can view on a daily basis. If your plain Joe who lonely meats and potatoes its hard to understand lobster, but if you eat all the types of seafood your more open to experimenting and trying new things in new ways.

Last year at a small little show I had with some friends (Friends and Family Show) one lady who viewed the sex worker photos told me "You have to get this seen" then she repeated this statement a second time for emphasis.

I will make up a submission of 10 strong sex workers on white photographs then submit them to galleries/museums world wide.

Toot Yung Gallery Looking Good!

I had a relapse today and spent most of the night coughing and in the bathroom but things are slowly improving again. I need to take things day by day (running out of days) but still have 38 sheets of 4x5 I would like to shoot before leaving Bangkok. Today I decided to take it easy, I slept in had a very small simple breakfast then went down to see the renovations on the Toot Yung Gallery, scheduled to open in June/July of 2013. The space is going to be wonderful, it will be a first class gallery that will be showing challenging work, is a real gift to the art scene in Bangkok.

I made a number of videos and pictures in the space which was filled with workers today rushing to make the deadline for the gallery opening, I will post the photos later in Canada  when I can re size them. The gallery includes a very long wall that is lit with both artificial and daylight and a shorter well lit wall opposite, in the back outside there is a wonderfully large beautiful tree along with a patio and bar. On the 3rd floor of the gallery is a large artist residence (the floor I would be living on when the show happens).

To be connected by this gallery is very exciting, to have the work shown there and to work with a artistic director/curator like Mimi should be even more exciting. I hope this first show will lead to other shows. I want my work to evolve and develop, people like Mimi can help me see in new ways, she can help me with my creativity and vision, exciting times!

Ain't Photography Grand!

Prostitution Revisted?

I keep wanting to shoot other stories but get called back into the world of prostitution. Over the last few days 2 possible stories have presented themselves.

1) Gay farang sex tourist men with their Thai boyfriends, a portrait series (suggested to me by the Toot Yung gallery). Showing the differences in age, body condition etc.

2) Femaile African sex workers (Ethiopia etc.) who sell themselves cheaply to Arab and Indian men in an area of Bangkok (learned of their existence from a Thai taxi driver). I was thinking of maybe doing a series of close up head shot portraits of these working ladies.

I also saw something at my hotel 2 days ago that got me thinking of doing more prostitution photographs in
the future. The hotel I am staying at it near Patpong in central Bangkok, Patpong is the original gogo bar sex show area of Bangkok. One road in Patpong is entirely devoted to Japanese customers, all the bars are for Japanese customers only (supposedly in the eyes of Japanese men the girls are cleaner because they do not sleep with non Japanese men). In the hotel I am currently staying at their is a preponderance of Japanese males travelling together, I think they come for a holiday and also to go to the Japanese road in Patpong.. In the hotel lobby the other day I saw a 70+year old Japanese man with a very beautiful Thai girl of maybe 19 to 23 years old. She sat quietly and obediently beside him as he talked to his friend and ignored her, I wondered what she was thinking and feeling? It made me want to go into that world again to try to capture those emotions.