Facebook: A Few Things Have Happened

Had some issues but they are working themselves out. Lost power on my computer yesterday, had to go get another adapter cord at Pantip Plaza (main computer area of Bangkok). Paid about $20 CAD for the power cord/adapter now the computer is working again. I was quite worried as I need my computer desperately to write my blog and to edit my movie. Its most important function might be to transfer all the my audio and video files from SD cards to portable hard drives. I was pricing out new HP laptops and Pantip, cost for those would have ran $700-$1000 CAD. I did not, DID NOT want to spend that kind of money, am on a budget, got to have money to last the entire 6 months.

Highlight of the day, was getting a 2 hour traditional Thai massage, cost was around $19 CAD with about a $4.25 tip. Great massage for less than 25 bucks, I even fell asleep for a while. The massage lady kept complimenting my Thai. That is a Thai politeness thingy, I need to improve my Thai skills, 6 months here won't hurt, the old learning curve!! Hmm wonder if I should have another massage tomorrow? They also have the foot and oil types, thou I am not big on either of those. With oil you end up as like a greased pig (you are also almost naked when they do it, not comfortable doing that) and foot massages are intense they bloody HURT!

Geez as I type this it is raining again, rained hard all night last night, rain here much more aggressive compared to Edmonton, it sort of attacks you. There was flooding in the streets in certain areas around the city today. It looks like I will be departing for Mae Sot and the dump on the 18th or 19th, probably buy my bus ticket tomorrow. Facing one problem, do not have any rubber boots to wear in the garbage. I had to leave mine in Canada because of weight issues. I was hoping to find some here, but finding size 11-12 (western farang sizes) is difficult in Bangkok. Maybe I will ask the hotel people for a shopping recommendation tomorrow when I extend my stay here.

Digi Photos From The Trip To Thai

Here are a few captures made during flight and taxi ride.

Now In Bangkok

I arrived in Bangkok about 2 hours ago, feel so so, slept a bit, a few stories to tell. Everything including myself seems to have arrived in good shape.

$300 More Donated For The Families

Tonight a friend (and her family) from work donated $300 to the “Families of the Dump”. With this last minute donation added the grand total for the families now sits at an amazing $3273.43 CAD.

Thank you so so much everyone who contributed to those in need.

Camera Rental Money $250

Got $250 free money today, rented out my Mamiya RB67 camera kit to my friend Jonathan. He received an art grant from the government so the rental cost was covered by the grant, wins all round. I will use that $250 to pay a few bills before I leave Canada. Jonathan can keep the gear as long as he needs to, I do not use that camera, have not for years. Free money,  can't beat that!

2 More Forgotten Dump Negs, 2013

Here are a couple more found images from my recent magazine scanning. I am not sure if I will submit these to the mag (Photographers Forum) but might. These were made in the dump in Mae Sot back in 2013 with Leica 35mm cameras and Tri-x.

Update* Here is some background info about the 2 pics from my Facebook update.

Here are 2 new photos from the dump, discovered them in the recent scanning. They were made in 2013, with Leica 35s on Tri-x. The Leicas are great to use in Asia as they are tough and very well made. I black tape all the LEICA stuff to help avoid notice.

The first picture is of 3 dump children, their father was the man with one eye posted earlier. I never learned their names. They have left the dump, not sure where they went, hopefully to a happier place. The tallest-oldest boy always seemed so sad, I would see him wandering the garbage by himself, working sometimes other times just lost in thought, never did hear him speak.

One of the most difficult things in the dump is my lack of communication. I have to learn more Burmese this trip, feel so trapped with my few Burmese word vocabulary, and my limited Thai fluency. Many folks in the dump cannot speak Thai, in fact most cannot. In all my time in the dump I have probably only been able to speak to 4 or 5 people in Thai. When I do things get so much easier, we can joke, talk about many things, they can understand my purpose better, and they can ask for what they need so much more easily.

The second photo is of the same young baby girl who is on my Facebook profile pic, the photograph here was done a few years earlier in 2013 before she was walking much. She is being held by her aunt. The young girls is also in the video linked at the 1:45 mark (her name is Noi-Oo, thats what her brother says in the video to me). Noi-Oo always stared at me. I must have looked like a big white terrible ugly monster to her. Later on (2016) I gave her a doll donated by a coworkers daughter, and she became my friend smiling and following me about. The hammock in the picture was at the dumps edge and sort of a communal usage type thing, everyone shared it at times, it was nice to use as it was in the shade of some trees, slightly hidden away from the blazing hot sun.

https://vimeo.com/150754772

3 young chileren, Mae Sot garbage dump, Thailand 2013

Aunt holding her niece in the garbage dump, Mae Sot Thaiand 2013

Pictures For Chris Partially Printed - Plus Facebook Blurb

I managed to print 2 of the 4 photos I owed Chris. Chris is the fellow who bought 4 11x14 photos for $400 and donated $400 to the families in Mae sot. The one I printed was the easiest of the negs he selected, a landscape shot with dogs of some dump shack home. Chris wanted 2 of this 5x7 negative. I ended up giving him 4 as a sorry for the delay on the other 2 negs he requested. I will print the final 2 images (still looking for 1 negative) on my retun from Thai. Here are the pics Chris chose.

Update* The Facebook blurb about the top to iamges.

A couple of more "Familes of the Dump" shots. I will soon be returning to the world of Mae Sot and the dump. I wonder how things have changed? Hopefully for the bettter.

The first shot is of some dump shacks and local wild dogs. The brown dog was more tame than most, seemed to hang with one family. He is also in a family group photo I did at about the same time. This picture was made with a 5x7 Linhof, 120mm Nikon lend and Tri-x, made late 2015. It was early int he morning, before things heat up to a 35C or so humid, smelly, fly infested oven.

The second shot is a Rollieflex 120mm (6x6) photo of one of the harder working men in the dump, made late 2015. He has 2 sons, never saw-met his wife, not sure what happened to her, possibly died in Burma. He was afraid of me at first, had the frightened eyes of someone who had been through a lot, later he was better, this photo made a bit later. He and his boys are working in the short dump video I made in 2013 (Youtube channel see link 7:15 mark).

I shudder to think what traumas the familes I photographed in the dump have gone throu. Thank you to everyone that is helping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJEVN8yh9Q&t=363s

Dump shack home with dogs, Mae Sot Thailand 2015, printed.

Dump worker, Mae Sot Thailand 2015

Migrant child, Bkk Thailand 2015 (negative? where?)

Photographer, Photographic Coldness?!

Social documentary photography should be about the subject, their lives, telling their stories in a empathetic and compassionate way. What I have been finding lately thou is photographers who are interested in the style of an image, not the importance of documenting the subjects lives. These photogs seem to value style over substance. Style! Really?? Substance (the lives of the subject) should be what the photos are about first. The people your photographing is all that matters not the perfect composition, superb lighting, making a beauty looking photo etc.Of course you want try to get great comp and lightening but not  at the expense of losing your subjects story. The pics should place human being as the central theme of the story, the person should not become merely design elements to create pretty pictures. Putting  the subject first, telling their story should be your number one concern! The subject, their lives, their story  MUST BE FIRST. The photo must capture the HEART (the heart of the subject and viewer) or why make it? Your a social documentary photographer not an advertising dude selling cars and vacuum cleaners. The most important part of the story your creating is the subject and that is so much more valuable than getting cool lighting!

One example of that indifferent coldness is in an email I got from a photographer a while back. I do not know him, he is a pro shooter. On hearing I made photographs in the Mae Sot dump he wrote me something to the effect of "I have been to the dump in Mae Sot it is a shooting location with good photographic opportunities." he wrote me something like that, at least that was the gist of it. So he was saying the dump, the poverty, flies, children working in garbage etc. makes for a good photo op. That to me seems so wrong, on so many levels, so exploitative. We as social documentary photographers should always always put the lives of the people first. We should not look at a shooting location as a photo op but instead as a place to go and report, record, document, interpret the important story, the important lives of the PEOPLE who live there. This is where people live, where they die, this is about their lives. Social documentary photography should always be about the people first, the subject first! Not a bloody photo op where you can make pictures that promote, me, myself and I. Where you can make pictures that will sell, or whatever selfish other reasons some photographers make photos.

So many photographers are only concerned with the photograph and making it as spectacular as possible. They often forget the lives they share, the people in the pictures and how that should be what the picture is about, telling those stories with care and compassion. When we forget the lives of the subject, we become commercial hacks, lacking in love and empathy, we are simply using our subjects to promote ourselves, which is sickening.

Sorry for venting, but this has been eating at me for a while. Style, over substance, acceptance of injustice, the using of suffering people for the photogs own selfish agenda.

Dia-Pic Book

Today on waking before work and with my departure to Thai quickly approaching I came up with the title and organized my thoughts behind a book I have thought of for years. An attempt at an intimate story that will document my inner most feelings and my creative physical process. I want to tell the story of who I am, my thoughts, my art, honest vulnerabilities, and the daily adventures of the next 6 months. I want a no rules, honest documentation of this whole thing, of me and what I do, hopes, thoughts, failures, successes etc.

Not sure if this first book will ever be published, maybe no one will care or maybe it will be too personal but I think this a important story to at least try to tell. If for no other reason than through the telling of it, it will open me up and help me understand who the f-ck Gerry Yaum is and what the f-ck is he trying to do as a human being. People often ask me why I do what I do, half the time I have no idea. Maybe this Dia-Pic book will help clarify that in my mind at least.

I want this to be a completely honest endeavour, warts (got lots of those) and all. This is something that I will probably keep private at least till I am gone, having it thou is important, being completely honest is vital. It might be something eventually destroy (or edited like E. Weston’s Daybooks) before I die but the making of this thing needs to be done.

I want the visuals of this thing to be free flowing with many modern sources of the written word and visual included. The book may include the following as contributing source materials.

- Personal diary hand written logs.
- Blog copy and pastes.
- Facebook copy and pastes
- Paper artifacts from trip, tickets, newspapers, notes grabs
- Selfies.
- Digi photo grabs of events and things, including photo grabs of video edits etc., screen captures.
- Photos taken by others I meet.
- Stills, serious b/w pictures made this trip (scans) and a post trip darkroom efforts, exhibitions, talks.

This thing is still evolving in my mind. I think thou it should be a very intimate window into my art and person. No one might care, they might see it as a pretentious bit of arrogance on my part but who the f-ck cares, am mostly doing this thing for myself in an attempt for me to understand me. If by some miracle it is published at some far off future date after my death and is in a way beneficial to others, alls the better!

The idea of artists, who they are and how they create their work has always been very intriguing to me. To tty and document that person-process for myself and possibly for others is exciting. I do not want to miss this chance. How many more times in my lifetime will I have the freedom to do 6 month creative trips, heck this could be my last kick at it. I need to make the absolute most out of this opportunity.

Quote: Philip Jones Griffiths (Photojournalist, Social Documentary Photographer)

"As my deacon used to say to me, "Remember boyo, you have to leave the world a better place when you die." I've found that really from a very early age all I wanted to do was to say "Hey guys, this isn't right, this is wrong, this is something which needs fixing. We can't go on like this, the world has to change." And that has really guided me essentially through all the things which I've done."

Facebook: Another 2 Possible Magazine Scan, Edits

2 more. The first picture is a man who only had one eye. He and his wife worked very hard, they had 3 younger children. In 2013 every day I visited the workers he was out in the field at one point or another working. Here is he is waiting for the next garbage truck to arrive. On my last day in the dump that first series of trips (2013). I remember how surprised he was when I gave him 50 baht ($1.88 CAD). He seemed to seem it was a mistake of some kind. When I returned in 2014 him and his family were gone.

The second is a photo of a man in his dump shack home, this was a ways off the garbage in an older part the the dump. After photographing all over the dump for 3+ years and doing lots of donation work, giving out boots, headlamps, food, hats, toys, pictures and a bit of money I am pretty well known and accepted by most people there. At the time this photo was made thou I was new to their world and viewed with some suspicion and apprehension. Most everyone was friendly but there was not the same level of trust as later on. I have been away for over 1 year now, around 1 year 6 months. There will no doubt be many new people working the garbage, I will need to build up new relationships and reinforce the old ones Wonder how long it will take for people to start asking me for rubber boots again. I would not be surprised if it happened the first day.

Mae Sot Garbage Dump, Thailand 2013

Mae Sot Garbage Dump, Thailand 2013

Facebook: 2 More Possible Magazine Scan, Edits

A couple more negs from recent scans. The first shot is of a dying puppy in the dump, the poor little guy made the most pathetic noises. It as forgotten and frightened. lying under a wooden platform.

The second shot is of a young child near the garbage work. She is wearing tanaka made from a special tree, it is spread on the faces of many Burmese women and children as both a beauty aid and sunscreen. You will see some amazing designs, circles, triangles, lines of all types etc.

Both these photos date back to 2013.

Mae Sot Garbage Dump, Thailand 2013

Mae Sot Garbage Dump, Thailand 2013

A Couple Of More Found Negs

Here are a couple of more recent found negs from the dump. The first is a variation of a cooking photo done for an exhibition at the Larry Louie Gallery. In this version the young boy cooking is standing up more. The photo was made at the home of the young girl and baby girl from the earlier posts. The children were frying up an egg in a wok placed over an open fire. The young girl on the left I have photographed many times over the years, I do not think I have seen her smile yet (maybe on the ice cream day, not sure now). Will try to post a few more of her in the coming days. I think about  her life often when I remember what the children face in the garbage dump on a daily basis.
Ice Cream Donation Day At Sky Blue School (Next To The Dump)

Mae Sot Dump, Thailand 2013

The second picture is of the young girl from the of a family also posted earlier (5x7 family shack photograph). The hammock was located on the dumps edge, and she would play during the day, when people and heavy machinery moved and worked behind her. The noise behind her at times was rather incredible. Sometimes a dump grater or a garbage truck would pass very near behind where she was located.
Two Other Photos Of This Young Girl

Mae Sot Dump, Thailand 2013

Facebook Post: Packing And A Couple Of Pics With Stories

My Thai trip is quickly approaching. Did heavy packing and weighing of bags last week while off work. Who knew 100lbs of stuff (2 check in bags of 50lbs each) was so so little! Probably taking too much gear, too much film with me but it is better to have too much than not enough! Hard to pack for 6 months, hard to figure how much film and what gear to take.

Right now the bags are filled with an 8x10 Deardorff, 1 lens (250mm Fujinon), changing tent, 7 film holders, loupes, meter etc. 2 M6 Lecia Rangefinder Cameras, 2 R6 SLR Leica bodies, 21,24,28,35 and 60mm lens. A ton of 35mm film (300 to 500 films, not sure how many to take yet) and 240 sheets of 8x10 Tri-x plus all the film making stuff, microphones, audio recorder, editing laptop, extra SD cards, extra hard drives, 2 BMPCC cameras, 4 lens (2 very small), tripod, 2 heads 1 for the 8x10 and 1 for the video work, one, reflector and a bunch of stuff I am forgetting now. Oh yes, I have to have batteries, batteries and more batteries for these things. The head spins!

Here are a couple more forgotten dump pics from 2013.

The first shot is of a young baby, she is the same older child that is in my current Facebook profile picture. I have been photographing her family for several years now. This picture goes back to 2013, she is being held by her aunt. The second photos is of her sister (12-13 years old?) who works very hard with her father (man with headlamp) everyday. The mother from the family told me how this young girl would pass out sometimes from the work. I will visit the people from this family first when I return to the dump. I also included a blog story about them from a few years back.

Size 12 Laughter Story 

Mae Sot garbage dump, Thailand 2013

Mae Sot garbage dump, Thialand 2013-14

Email: A Nice Evening Out At The AGA For "Turbulent Landings" With New Friends Made

Had a nice refresh evening last night. I visited the Art Gallery of Alberta for their opening for the exhibition "Turbulent Landings".

https://www.youraga.ca/exhibitions/CANBiennial2017

After a talk at the gallery, I got to speak a bit with one of the exhibition curators Jonathan S about the National Gallery of Canada. We spoke about a person at the CPI, Canadian Photography Institute Andrea K who does work with documentary style photography. This is the first time I have had a name at the National level who I know is concerned and cares deeply about socially relevant concerned documentary photography. 

After getting home from the gallery, I sent out a thank you note to Jonathan and a hello this is my work, my story note to Andrea. It will probably not lead anywhere but heck, no harm in making the effort. The stories I am trying to tell sometimes need a bit of aggressive pushing, those voices need to be heard. Sometimes trying to thrust the stories you think are important into the limelight, is what needs to be done.

Here is the email I wrote and sent, not the most professional written type thing, but it is certainly honest and heartfelt, which is more my style. I do better speaking from the heart. I might not be the most talented creative photog out there, but when it comes to true emotions, heartfelt feelings for the people in the photographs, nothing is lacking.

Now back to my packing for Thai, putting all my sensitive and or heavy gear into bubble rap today! Wow how exciting!! Not as nice a way to spend time as last night but necessary when your traveling half way round the planet. I need all my gear to arrive in good workable condition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Andrea nice to meet you! My name is Gerry

https://www.facebook.com/gerry.yaum

I heard about you and your work with documentary photography at the CPI from Jonathan Shaughnessy. Jonathan was speaking tonight about an opening at the Art Gallery of Alberta here in Edmonton. Finding places that will show and are interested documentary photo work seems so difficult these days. I thought I would take a chance and reach out to you tonight.

I do social documentary photography and wanted to introduce  you to my work. I would also like to ask your advice on getting the work collected and exhibited. My goal with my photography is simple, to tell the stories of my subjects, that's it, nothing else, tell THEIR stories not mine. That is all that matters to me. In fact the name Yaum is not mine, I just use it for exhibitions etc, never felt comfortable putting the real name on the wall, seemed exploitative somehow, it is not about me it is about them. All that matters to me is showing the photographs, telling the stories of my subjects, and helping their lives directly and indirectly.

I am currently working on a project called "Families of the Dump" which deals with the lives of Burmese refugee people (mostly from the Karen ethnic group) who live and work in the Mae Sot garbage dump in Thailand. I have been photographing the families in the Mae Sot dump for the last 4 years. I will continue that work starting in October of this year. I plan to return to the dump to photograph with 35mm and 8x10 film cameras for 6 months (October 2017-April 2018), will also be making a documentary film on the lives of one of the families.

We have also raised close to $3000 which will be given to the families to help the children go to school, buy rubber boots, head lamps food etc. We are also donating some second hand toys for the dump children.

http://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/2017/09/toys-for-dump-chidlren.html

The money was raised from an artist fee I got for showing some of the "Families of the Dump", and from an artist talk on another social documentary artist talk I did "My Fathers Last Days" (detailing my dads last year of life with pancreatic cancer), a gift from dad. Many people (some strangers) also donated money to help the dump families, they had seen the photographs in exhibition or online. For me that is the perfect circle of creative social documentary photo life. You make the pictures, the pictures get shown, then you give back the money earned from the shows to the people in need. Benefits go directly to the people in the pictures, no middle folks siphoning off funds. Another benefit is the photos help educate and inform when exhibited, plus the people here can reach out and help the people there, beautiful!

I am starting to rattle on a bit, better stop writing now. When I get going on my photography it is hard to stop sometimes. Anyway, here are a bunch of links. Please check them out if you have time. I will also be writing daily reports on my photo blog that you can follow over the next 6 months if your interested. I will detail the making of documentary photos, the documentary film and the donation work. Plus I will be posting photos of THAI FOOD!!, you got to love that! Andrea if your in Thai when I am there, send me a note and I can show you round, show you the behind the scenes world many tourists do not see.

On the blog there is 11 years of photo related writing, good and bad on the blog. My heart and soul there, sometimes frustrated, sometimes so excited.

www.gerryyaum.blogspot.com

Thanks very much for your patience...!!! Gerry 

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

PS...here are a ton of links, my presentation is a bit half assed sorry for that. I work security in Edmonton and do the best I have with the limited resources I earn. Basically all my money goes back into my photography and trying to tell the stories of forgotten lives. Plus it is so beautiful to be with the people I photograph, such a privilege to be invited into their lives.

Note* YAUM means security guard in Thai, I learned some of the language way back to help communicate and understand my subjects. 

Some of the dump pictures...from last 2 trips 2015-16

http://gerryyaum.wixsite.com/photo/forgotten-laughter

Blog "Families of the Dump" links stories

http://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/search?q=families+of+the+dump

photo diary blog

www.gerryyaum.blogspot.com

youtube page

https://www.youtube.com/user/gerryyaum/videos

Video made in the dump in 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJEVN8yh9Q&t=363s

Video made in the dump 2015 of kids playing with my view camera.

https://vimeo.com/150754772

-------------------------------

Past work..

"My Fathers Last Days" 2014-2015

http://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/search?q=last+days

"Thai Sex Worker" Shot from 1996 - 2012 (the white background stuff was shot in studio on location in 2007-09-12). That world was too difficult so left it in 2012, thinking of going back at some point but for now photographing in slums and dumps is much more rewarding, less painful, less ugly.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/01/09/gerry_yaum_photographs_sex_workers_in_pattaya_thailand_in_his_exhibition.html

http://gerryyaum.wixsite.com/photo/body-sellers

http://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/2017/04/the-return-of-sex-worker-portraits.html

-------------------------------

Future work.

I plan a cross Canada wet plate photography project (Ambrotypes) documenting my country. I hope to do landscapes, seascapes and portraits using a 35x35 inch view camera (currently being built).

http://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/search?q=HF3535

http://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/search?q=kanata

Update* I got no responses to this email. The uppity ups of Canadian photography continue to ignore the stories that I am trying to tell and the important

people photographed, living forgotten lives. I guess that is my fault not theirs, the photos are not compelling enough. It is very frustrating but I will continue on my own way as always. I have to get the stories told, some how some way, I will never give up. I will not be defeated by the indifference of the Canadian Art community (at least some of them!). I need to work harder and dedicate more time and effort to the work. If I had given up after failures in years past, I would not have the important body of work created that exists now (at least in my mind). Sometimes failures spur you forward, you want to show the ignorers, the indifferent types that "THEY ARE WRONG!"

Best to put a smile on these things, these negative moments, feelings and end with a fav goofy comedic moment.

"Never Give Up, Never Surrender" Galaxy Quest

Attachments area

Film Packing-How Much Is Too Much?

I spent the night packing, unpacking and repacking film. A strange fact. You can put 240 sheets into 4 50 sheet boxes when the film is divided into 10 sheet white sealed bags. Or you can put 240 sheets into 2 boxes if your remove all the cardboard and white sealed bags and put them in black plastic instead. The weight is also down about 4.0%.

How many rolls of 35mm Tri-x should I take? How many sheets of 8x10 film? Currently my packing sits at 540 rolls of 35mm and 240 sheets of 8x10. A bit much !!! Those numbers will probably come down yet, I think. Thou I would rather have too much film then not enough. How much film can I shoot in 6 months? Not sure. 3 rolls of 35mm a day works out to 555 rolls, 3x185=555. 240 sheets of 8x10 works out to 14 shots (7 holders) done 18 times (18 days), 14x18=252. Could I shoot that much film? My god that is a lot of film, it is possible. It might take me decade to develop it all! I hate having the film age in my freezers, I would rather shoot it all in Asia, even overshoot it in Asia (as long as I get some good pics) than have it wasting away here in Canada.

Dazed And Confused!

I have been running around with my head cut off for 2 days now, trying to get everything ready and organized for the Thai trip. Gosh the rest of the week will be like that. Spent most of last night trying to figure out what video making gear to take for the documentary film, as well as finding all the still camera gear I need. I need to settle everything here at my home, at my moms home as well as decide what I will need in Thai and what is unnecessary. I still cannot find my Canon digital camera (4D Mark 3), maybe that is a sign I should leave it at home.

My head is spinning.

The Packing Begins

Have started the long laborious packing for 6 months in Thai thingy. How do you pack for 6 months when you plan major photography, a documentary film and donation work. I  picked up my Visa today. Tomorrow I need to arrange my money, do a bunch of yard work at my home and my moms (changed a light bulb for her yesterday, showed her how to put gas in her truck), and continue the never ending packing.

Some questions I am trying to answer:

Do I take my 8x10 camera? or do I leave it at home? Which 35mm gear do I take, how many cameras and lens? How much film, 35mm. 8x10 do I take? Which film-making and which sound gear should I pack for the documentary? Flight info, passport photo copies, find the contact cards (hotels, friends etc). Even clear plastic bags to get the film through customs.

My head hurts!

HF3535 Camera Update

I have another update photo of the HF3535 camera built. My huge ULF wet plate camera will not be ready for many months, but here a single photo showing the assembly of the metal parts. I will take delivery of this amazing tool on my return to Canada from Czechia (Czech Republic). What is being built seems pretty heavy duty, but I will still need to use a mini tripod (or mono-pod) to support the  very heavy lens I plan to use with this camera.

HF3535 metal part build

8x10 Blues

Feeling down, thinking of leaving my 8x10 camera in Canada and not taking it with me on the trip.

Reasons to take the 8x10

- Wonderful large negs, filled with detail

- A different style of shooting

- Traveling from point to point, home to home doing group family shots of Burmese refugees.

- Using dads gift Deardorff camera, paying tribute to him.
- The expensive Tri-x 8x10 film is getting old, mine was outdated 2014.

Reasons not to take the 8x10

- Trying to do too much, already shooting a movie and 35mm film (digital camera also).

- Weight, transporting too much with me to Asia.

- Can everything fit in my bags? Large format, 35mm and all the film stuff

- Less gear, concentrating and trying to do less would allow me to focus more, creating better work.

- I got to make this damn movie, cannot be distracted. Will be stumbling about, trying to get this right.

Film Freezer, Bulk Film Count

Just found out my main film freezer is not working. It is located in my garage and was covered with many heavy boxes (buried), I did not know it was not working until tonight. I have 2 other freezers in my garage that were working, only the biggest one died. Not sure when it happened. A few of the boxes were still a tiny bit damp from the unfreezing process, so it probably happened a month or two back (less than 6, I think). I hope the film is OK, I will use film from that freezer for my coming Thai trip, both 8x10 and 35mm bulk films. The garage is a cool dark place, the freezer even when not working is an insulated sealed box. I think everything should be fine. I am more worried about the age of some of the 35mm bulk stuff, most outdated in 2013, a few in 2012. I also have 35mm bulk Tri-x rolls in a working freezer that outdate 2016, but will save those for future trips.

Forgot how much bulk film I actually have. turns out I have tons of the bulk film in my freezers, getting older by the day. I will take 20 or 100 foot boxes with me to Asia. Better to overshoot there, then let die a slow unused death here in Canada.  It is way better to have too much film , then not enough. I will give up space for other things to take my film with me.

I cleaned the garage area someone, fiddled with the non working freezer. Will let everything sit overnight, if it does not get cold I will transfer all the film  to my moms home. Dad has many freezers there that he used during his farmers market cooking days. I can store everything at moms, while I am photographing in Thai.

Quote: Proverbs 31: 8-9

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Edmonton Film Festival?

Found this link tonight via Facebook. I might give it a go next year when I have my dump documentary done. Assuming of course I have a dump documentary done by next year!! Seems you have pay money just to be considered, seems that way with most photo contests/gallery/film submissions these days.
https://www.edmontonfilmfest.com/submit-your-film/

Possible "Photography Forum" Submission Scans

As I scan negs for the "Photography Forum" magazine submission I am reunited with images from the 2013-2014, some of which I had forgotten about. Here are a few, they might have been posted before. Will probably print some of these images at future "Families of the Dump" exhibitions. Am looking forward to shooting a ton of 35mm Tri-x next trip with the Leica's. What a wonderful creative combination they make.

Update: Linked this blog to my Facebook. Here is what I wrote there.
 
Been scanning some old 35mm Tri-x negs, shot in the dump on the families in 2013-14. Check them out if you have a chance. The photos posted here, one is of a baby-young child area in the dump (old mattress under a tree). While the parents were working, they placed their children on this mattress, some of the older children (still very young) watched over them. The second photo is of a young mother (14?) in a dump shack home, her mother lays in front of her, she was quite sick that day but recovered. I ended up giving them some money for a clinic visit. I think she is the same lady carrying the bag on her head in the link. Most everyone in the dump works hard. It is very difficult dirty work. One time I helped lift a huge bag of heavy bottles onto a ladies head, my hands were covered in smelly slime after that. A dump rotting garbage smell is a special kind of smell, it gets and stays in everything. 
https://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/2017/09/possible-photography-forum-submission.html

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2 New Artist Talk Photos, "Healing Process"

In the photos sent to me by the gallery yesterday there were 2 from the talk. Thought I would post them as I did not have this angle before (from the gallery staffs point of view). You can see some of crowd. Kind of strange to see myself as the centre of attention. Am still surprised people wanted to listen to me babble on.

Update* I posted these photos on my Facebook page as well, leading to this exchange with my friend Larry (Edmonton Larry). I tend to rattle on a bit in my responses, but I think it helps me to organize my thoughts. I might use some of this on the next artist talk!

Larry L Great to see that your images are being appreciated

 

Gerry Yaum Thanks Larry, It was just great to tell Dads story, bring him back to life a bit. The other great part was people sharing their own cancer stories about fathers, mothers, brothers. The 4 times I have shown this work each time I had long talks with gallery visitors about their own relatives. Everyone had a chance to speak about their loss, what hurt them, which is always good . A joint healing type of thingy for everyone, including myself. That to me is what is great about social documentary photography, telling the story of those that are forgotten, and sharing them with everyone. Then hopefully connecting with personal experiences of the visitor.

"Healing Process"- "My Fathers Last Days" Artist Talk, August 31, 2017 Art Gallery of St. Albert

Photo Story: Young Boy Sleeping In The Dump

This photo was made in 2014 on my second trip to the dump as part of the "Families of the Dump" documentary photo project. When I arrived back in the Mae Sot dump in 2014, I met a large group of people, several families that were new to the area. Because they had no homes built yet they were all sleeping under makeshift lean twos or in the open. This sleeping area was located inside the edge of the dump, their was much garbage around the sleeping people, most of it was flattened and matted into the muddy grass.. Almost everyday when I arrived in the dump around 630am, I photographed a group of boys sleeping in the open on filthy pillows and blankets. They were often covered in flies which were crawling on the their exposed faces, legs and arms.

In this picture there were initially 2 boys, sleeping, the one behind had gotten up, the younger one still was deeply sleeping. Dreaming of what? I wonder. What I remember most is the stink of this place, even early in the day before it got very hot, their was a rotten sickly smell to everything, along with that there was the buzz of the thousands of flies and the barks and yelps from nearby fighting wild dogs.

A terrible place to wake up in each morning, what future will this boy have? Why is he forgotten, left to sleep with garbage, flies, cockroaches, rats and wild dogs?  This has to change, the worlds nations, the worlds people need to share what we have. All of us everywhere, regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion and culture are of equal value, we all belong to each other. No boy should have to live like this. We all need to fight for positive change, each of us needs to make a commitment to that change. Only then will things start to turn for the better.

Tech Stuff: M6 Camera, 35mm F1.4 lens (?) Tri-x film (200ASA). Developed 2/1 for 12 minutes 30 seconds at 20C in D-76.

Young boy sleeping, Mae Sot Dump, Thailand 2014

Delay On HF3535 Build

There is going to be a delay in the HF3535 build (35x35 inch view camera). I will do the final payments for the camera and the shipping to Canada from the Czechia (Czech Republic) will happen on my return from Thailand in April 2018. Filip the cameras builder had a bad accident, damaging his hand several months back. I believe he now has limited movement in some of his fingers on that hand, he needs to rehab the fingers as the work continues. I told him to take care of his injury first, and that there was no rush on the camera. I hope he makes a full or near full recovery, his family relies on his ability to create with his hands. It is so important that he recovers full mobility to support and care for his children. Camera due dates matter so little in comparison. No rushing needed Filip, take care of your health first, I amd "KANATA"can wait.

I will continue to post photos of the HF3535 build as it happens.