Quote: Jonathan Wilson (Writer)

This is from the book "Marc Chagall" by Jonathan Wilson:

"If artists have one big job, it is to move what is inside to the outside, to reveal secrets, and in so doing to allow us to discover who we are."

11x14 Enlarged Contacts Continue

I am making up 11x14 contacts on all my November trip films, I will follow that with the May trip films. The only time I am not making a contact is when I obviously screwed up a film and produced nothing of consequence. I am finding these 11x14 enlarged contacts a great learning and editing tool. I can see everything up close and with a fair amount of detail by just using a hand held magnifying glass. If I need to seem minute detail I can use one of my close up loupes. The biggest advantages are that you can see the flow of the shooting and that you do not accidentally miss a neg, which can happen with the Fotovix or with scanned files.

I might even use some of these enlarged contacts in my next show, when and if that happens! When I was in New Orleans I saw a Gordon Parks exhibit than included large contacts, it was very effective. You could show the enlarged edited contact sheet (lots of squiggly lines, selections) and the finished print beside it, each in their own frame.

Two Workshops Scheduled

I have 2 workshops scheduled for the 22nd and 23rd of March, both are camera workshops. I might also be doing a darkroom session in the coming weeks. These things are fun and a learning experience for the student as well as myself. As a side bonus I make a bit of money to help pay for photo related things, not sure what I will use this $200 for but it will probably be either film or 11x14 RC paper for enlarged contacts.

Print: Man Sleeping With Flies In Dump

I made this photo early one morning when I photographed in an area of new dump inhabitants, These people had no bamboo-wooden shack like most of the others but instead slept in the open or under flimsy lean-twos or mosquito netting.

This is version #2 of the print on grade 3 1/2 version #1 was made with filter 2 1/2. There is a fair amount of burning using  a mask and cards and a tiny bit of dodging. I will wash and let both prints dry before proceeding with version #3. I need to get some sleep tonights darkroom session was around 10 hours.

Version #2 Man sleeping with flies in dump "Families of the Dump" series,  Thailand 2013

Super Large Prints?

I have been thinking of setting up my darkroom to do super large prints at some future date. I would have to clear a space at one end of the room so that I could turn my 8x10 enlarge head side ways to project on a wall. I would need to figure out some kind of magnet system to hold the paper on the wall. It would be quite complicated to set up and do, the development would involve very large trays or a tank system a friend gave me. It might be fun to try especially with the 8x10 negs, possibly for the "Toot Yung Gallery" show in Bangkok, when and if that happens.

Here are some mural papers I found today:

http://www.ultrafineonline.com/nsearch.html?query=mural+roll

2 Cheaper 11x14 Papers

Here are 2 cheaper 11x14 papers, I will probably go with the ultrafine cheaper version depending on shipping costs to Canada. I might be able to pay for this with workshop money, thou I would rather use that money for film which is more important.

Arista Ultra RC 25 sheets = $26.99

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/183112-Arista-EDU-Ultra-VC-RC-Pearl-11x14-25-Sheets

Ultrafine Elite RC 50 sheets = $43.95

http://www.ultrafineonline.com/ulvcelpevaco6.html

11x14 Contact Sheets

Today in the dark I decided to try  making up some 11x14 contacts sheets of 35mm negs. I have made a few of these in the past but quit because of paper cost. I think thou that if I can use some kind of generic cheaper RC paper (have to order that stuff) this might be the way to go. I saw a documentary recently on Sebastiao Salgado and it was the way he reviewed his sheets. I like using the Fotovix machine to go through negs but wanted to try it Salgado's method as well. There is also a certain beauty to those large contact sheets, something pure and perfect about them. Today I will print up some of these 11x14 contacts in my 8x10 enlarger then use the sheets to choose a neg and move onto a archival fiber print.

8x10 enlarger.

Negatives in 8x10 glass neg carrier.

11x14 contact sheet.

Washing 11x14 contacts.

Contact sheet detail.

Update* After making up 8 or 9 of these I have come to the conclusion that this is the way to go with my 35mm negs. With these large 11x14 contacts you can feel the flow of the shooting, see each and every shot fairly large, with the addition of the loop everything is seen clearly. I can use the enlarged contacts to make a better selection and not miss any possible shots, then follow that up with  RC work prints of the top candidates. I just have to find a relatively cheap 11x14 RC paper out there, the one I am using now Ilford's Pearl RC is to expensive. When in doubt do what the pros do, Salgado had this all figured out years ago.

Manipulated Photo

I did a bunch of film development of odds and ends tonight in the dark. This pic is part of the 2003 bargirl series, I did some heavy manipulation in photoshop on it and came up with this. The Tmax 3200 film for this neg sat undeveloped for over 10 years, so it's rather fogged but it might be fun to try and do a digi print of this neg with the manipulations.

Laughing Lady "Bargirl" Series, Thailand 2003

Print: Hands Sharpening Dump Tool

I chose a easier negative for my second photo of the night. The neg is from the "Families of the Dump" series. I think the photo was made with the 60mm and Leica R6, the new camera I added to this trip. I love using this new tool it allows nice closeups like this, seeing through the lens of an SLR also leads to easier compositions. In the closeup photo a man is seated sharpening his dump tool.

The print is pretty basic, one burn mask, edge-corner burning and some minor dodging during the basic exposure. The only problem with the neg is some fine hair like objects in the lower right corner which I burned down. I had something sitting on the lens for a while one day in the dump, the same fine hair like stuff is in the identical position on multiple negs. I need to be more aware of cleaning my lens while working, when your in a place as dirty as the dump its hard to keep your camera gear lint free!

Here is a photo from the printing of the sharpening neg:

Version 3, Grade 3 1/2

Backup 5x7 Ground Glass

I bought a backup piece of 5x7 ground glass for $27 CAD (including shipping) on eBay tonight. Originally I was counting on a photo acquaintance of mine to make me one but he let me down and did not live up to his word. No problem with this eBay purchase behind me I have no more worries on that issue. I am not sure when I am going back to Thailand but with my numerous problems with ground glass through the years I figured a back up was mandatory. I wish I could get an acrylic (plastic) ground glass like I have on my 8x10 now, then breakage would not be an issue and I could travel with only one.

Print: Khune Goh Against Wall

I had a difficult time printing up this photograph of Khune Goh, he is one of the people I photographed in Bangkok at the start of last trip. Khune Goh and 3 others lived under-around a freeway in Bangkok Thailand. I hope to go back and photograph him and the others again with 35mm equipment as well as 5x7 large format next trip.

This photograph presented several difficulties mostly in putting some decent tonality-detail into the bright white wall behind the subject. I struggled quite a bit trying to figure out what filter and time I needed to give the wall some presence without making the whole thing a dark grey messy mass. Khune Goh was relatively easy to figure out, I just added contrast dodged the face a bit and burned his lower body some.

The other major problem was trying to use 2 different filter grades on this print without having burn-dodge lines present. I had to keep cutting down the dodge tool of Khune Goh to eliminate white areas on the wall, then I got dark areas on Khune Goh! In the last and 6th print I dodged the areas on Khune Goh during the basic exposure that would eventually be burned in on the background burn, this helped lesson the dark areas around his back and hair.

This was quite a complicated print to do, and a great learning experience. I used up all 6 sheets in the bag of paper I was using (paper unknown). Now its time to have some lunch and move onto another neg. Thanks Mr Goh, you pushed me to learn and become a bit of a better printer. I need to continue to improve at blending prints that use multiple types of filtration. If I ever printed this photo for a show I might try a slightly lower filter for the main figure, possibly 4 1/2.

Here are some photos from the darkroom session and the printing method used:

Version 6, Khune Goh "People Under The Freeway" series, Bangkok Thailand 2013

Version 4, Khune Goh "People Under The Freeway" series, Bangkok Thailand 2013

- Basic exposure 52 second at F5.6 and filter 5.
- Dodge face for -10 seconds during basic exposure, dodge back hair and back shoulders -20 seconds spread over the figure.
- Burn +20 left side with card. Give all following manipulations filter 3.
- Burn +10 bottom with card.
- Burn +10 bottom right 1/2 and upper corner with bent card.
- Use dodge tool on figure watching carefully to not allow burn-dodge lines and give background +30 seconds.
- Use burning mask to burn in very bright areas another +30 seconds.

More Workshops A Comin

I have another darkroom workshop inquiry today which should probably lead to another session along with a March set date for a camera workshop and 7 or 8 possibles. In the future I think I will have to raise the workshop prices by $20-$30 or so, they seem quite popular and I usually throw in another hour or so for free.

I am happy to do these things, it is fun to teach photography, as a bonus when I teach I also learn and it allows me earn extra funds to buy film. I have been criticized in the past for putting film purchases in front of other things like spending on social occasions but film is really where its at. Film is the root to any successful image I make, the more I have the better.

Speaking of film B&H emailed me today, my 3 bulk rolls of Tri-x have been shipped. This film will go straight into the freezer for a few years at least, first I need to shoot all the outdated stuff I bought last year. The outdated film is now over 2 years old (Feb 2012). Not sure what film I will buy with the coming darkroom and camera workshops, maybe some more 35mm Tri-x bulk. I have over a 10 year supply of this film but a few more 100 foot rolls here and there will not hurt. : )

Working In Traditional Ways And Putting The Subject First. My Little Manifesto!

Recently while looking at the newest greatest photo mags with the latest toys, the latest styles of photos a thought occurred to me. I like working in traditional ways, there is a real beauty, a profound honesty when you work using traditional tools and the same methods of all the great photographers. The joys of the darkroom are also a integral part of the process for me, making a print is part of the artistry part of the unique beauty of photography, I could not live without it, I never want to give it up.

I do not need to do innovative visually different work, I just want to show my subject, to tell their story. Who cares about the gimmicky visual arty farty crap that is mostly about the photographers ego, about him/her trying to be noticed as an ARTISTE! My pictures are about my subject, telling their story is the important part, the me, the notice the photographer thingy is not where I want to go. It is one of the reasons this whole Yaum guy was invented. I would rather fade into the shadows, and just let the subject do the talking. The people I photograph are what matters, their voice is the important one, let the subjects lives live on, let the emotions from the viewer be the result of delving into the complicated human condition the subjects present. The photographer who needs the fame, that needs his name on everything is a pretty shallow dude in my opinion, who cares about that shit!

I hope to work in traditional ways, telling the stories of real people for the rest of my life, the rest does not matter. If I can do that, then everything else will find its proper place and I will be happy.

"Ain't Photography Grand!"

Today In The Dark 5x7 Portrait Thoughts

Today as I was printing I got to thinking about a book I saw at Larry's on Monday night. The book was the large format portraiture (at least it looked that way) of a phototgrapher whose name I forget. His work was printed in Turkey so he might be Turkish in origin. I loved the simplicity of his photographs, vertical portraits that included the whole body and feet of the subject, from what I remember mostly portrait pairs of farm style dressed students. I loved the way he incorporated the entire figure including the feet in a vertical portrait. To often I tend to cut off parts of the head, body in my composition there is a traditional beauty and simplicity in shooting the whole figure with available light in a rural setting. The great photographer August Sander made a career out of shooting folks this way.

I keep thinking about how I want to do my 5x7 large format portrait work next trip. I planned on shooting horizontal family groups in front of their shack homes, that is what my grant submission request was about. I am now thinking of also doing many vertical portraits that include the whole figure in their environment as well. The 5x7 format works so well vertically, better than a 4x5 or 8x10 the dimensions of the neg the (7 inch length) fit a person standing.

I need to do some work in the coming days with the 5x7, I am unsure which lens will work best. I think with large extended horizontal family portraits the 120mm lens might work best, but am sure how that will look with a single person vertically, how much distortion will it create? I want to limit the amount of gear I take to Thai, the simpler the better. If I can go with 1 lens I will but for now I will test 2 lens the 120mm and the 235mm. If I can travel with 1 lens, 1 camera, 1 meter, 1 tripod and 1 reflector I should be doing well. One advantage of the 120mm would be that I would be physically closer to my subject when making the portrait and as a result of that the reflector would have more impact bringing brightening light to my portraits shadows. Sometimes if your to far away my smaller reflectors do not seem to do much to the photograph.

Update: Here is the photographer I mentioned, I guess she is not Turkish. Here is her website:

http://www.vanessawinship.com

and the book which I just ordered:

http://www.vanessawinship.com/projects.phphttp://www.amazon.ca/Sweet-nothing-Winship-Vanessa/dp/2849951293/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394043101&sr=8-1&keywords=Vanessa+Winship

and some of the photos that inspired me:

http://www.vanessawinship.com/gallery.php?ProjectID=157

Day 41 Out Of 42 In The Dark

Well today is my 41st darkroom day out of a 42 possible days. I just printed up 4 11X14 RC paper burning masks of prints I will make in the coming days. I have 2 images from the "Leprosy" Nepal series, 1 from the "Street Kids" Kathmandu Nepal series and 1 from the "People Under the Freeway" Bangkok Thailand series.  There are no photos in the bunch from the "Families of the Dump" work. Three of the pics are from Nepal which was a great place to shoot, a country I would love to go back to and make more pictures, maybe I can go next trip for 15 days (they offer 15 day visa on arrivals at the Kathmandu airport). I would also like to go and photograph in Dhaka Bangladesh, maybe with my friend Larry. Larry has many contacts and has access to many places worth shooting in Dhaka. One new location that might yield some great photography is the leather tanneries in the city, we saw some of those in action in last night in the "Watermark" Burtynsky documentary.

Anyway enough writing for now, I am going to work a 8 to 12 hour darkroom session tonight. This is going to be great!!!!

Calendar Look?

Here is a small file sample of a potential calendar look, made using the pitko.com software. These calendars measure 8.5"x11 and cost $11 CAD a piece if you get 10 or more. Hopefully this calendar idea will fan out and produce some money, I would love to give more to the people in the dump next trip. Giving 2 or 3 hundred to the school to help there and another 2 or 3 hundred directly to the people in rice and other goods would be wonderful. This is what I love about photography, creating-telling important stories, raising awareness-starting conversations, learning and trying to understand different worlds, lives, cultures and making friends-helping people living in difficult circumstances.

Update* Strange as it seems my blog has been getting lots of pitko.com advertising (so please click away folks), I guess this Pitko site is becoming pretty popular. I need to try to do up some promotional postcards and maybe the calendars with this company.

A Night At Larry's

Went to my friend Larry's house last night for a great dinner after which we watched a blu-ray of visually beautiful documentary "Watermark" by Edward Burtynsky.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3106868/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

The doc was quite stunning to watch in hi def and also thought provoking. The importance of water for the planet was illustrated in quite a beautiful way with long slow motion shots detailing its beauty and destruction.  On our next meeting we might end up watching the behind the scenes stuff on how the documentary was created, flying camera drones and the like.

One of the side benefits of the evening was that Larry told me about a Canadian self publishing company that is similar to blurb.com. The company might potentially do better work than blurb and has more printing options, calendars, postcards, business cards as well as various types of photo books (linen hard covers etc.).

I downloaded the companies software last night and am playing with it now. One thing that I might try doing is making up a calendar for 2015. The calendar would be of the children of the Mae Sot garbage dump, I could print some up and try to raise a bit of money to donate directly to the people in the photographs on a later visit. Smaller calendars run $11 CAD (plus shipping $12?) if you buy 10 or more. If things go well maybe I could print up 50 or so of the calendars and try to sell them for $20 each making a profit of $8 per calendar or $400 CAD. That is not a lot of money but it would be good way to add some dollars to the money I already donate when I am at the dump. There is no middle man loss of funds thing, the money would go directly to the families. I would hand it to them directly either in Thai baht or in goods like rice etc, or as a donation to the local school (making sure everyone gets their piece). I am quite excited by the possibilities, more thought needed.

Here is the Canadian publishing site, its called pikto.com:

http://www.pikto.com

To Many Nudes

You know you have photographed lots of nude people probably to many when you develop a film and have no idea who the naked person on the film is. I have a bit of an excuse in this case as the film (T-Max 3200) had been sitting undeveloped in a box in my darkroom since 2004. On closer examination I remembered the pictures were part of the bargirl series of photos I made in Thailand in 2003. Here are a few shots from the roll, I forget the workers name but have it my notes, the pics were made in a shortime sex room the woman worked in. The film is fogged and quite grainy.

Bargirl sex worker, in shortime (sex) room, Thailand 2003

Got My Blog Advertisement Check, Bought Film

Well today I got my second blog advertisement check, this time the amount was for $114.51 CAD. I added the $114 CAD to the $50 USD gift certificate I got for my artist talk last year and had $164.51 (CAD and USD) of free film money. I used the money to buy 3 rolls of 100 foot Tri-x bulk film, the total cost was $241.96 USD (including shipping, duty). I am getting about 150 feet of free Tri-x out of this and paying for the other 150 feet.

Thank you so much to all of you out there who support my photography by clicking on the advertising. I will try to use this free film to make important photographs, and continue to tell the stories of forgotten people.

Resident in leprosy facility room, Nepal 2013

Straight Back Into The Dark

Well today I got right back into the darkroom as soon as I returned from my security night shift. Doing 89 days out of 90 in the dark is not to bad of effort. I am doing stand development with Rodinal on 3 films, 2 old mystery T-max 3200 films and a roll of Tri-x (800) I shot of my father. I will post some of the images if they turn out.

Quote: Edward Weston

Edward Weston rating in importance the three interests in his life:

"First, photography; second, my sons; third, women."

You got to love Weston's honesty, as is quite often the case with great artists Weston put everything else secondary, he completely devoted himself to his photography.

November Trip Scans 18

Here is another installment of 15 photos from the last trip. I feel kind of shitty tonight because I slept in and missed my first darkroom work related day! F-ck!  So much for 90 in a row. Tonight is my 7th 12 hour security night shift so I guess I got a bit tired. Tomorrow a day off I will put in an extra 2 hours, plan on printing all night. This coming week off I will be able to do darkroom work each and everyday, it should be great. I will be posting updates on the prints as they are made.

Anyway here are the latest 15 shots from November:

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

"Migrant Farmers" Series, Nepal 2013

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

"Leprosy" Series, Nepal 2013

"Leprosy" Series, Nepal 2013

"Leprosy" Series, Nepal 2013

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

Trees, Nepal 2013

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

"Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

"Leprosy" Series, Nepal 2013

Longer Than Expected

It took me longer than expected to finish up my little HCP submission. I ended up working on it for about 4 hours, mostly selecting and editing my photo selection (to many to choose from). Hopefully more galleries will go with simple online submissions, if the work is strong enough it can be accepted online, you do not need all the bells and whistles of sending big loaded dua-tangs of info, original photographs etc. All that extra stuff is just unnecessary icing on the cake, good work does not need it. Online and simple, thats the ticket, let the work speak or not speak simply and fast.

Here are November 2013 photos I ended up sending the HCP folks (not sure I sent them all, still learning how to do PDFs!), Maybe this work is not good enough to be accepted, but I need to tell this story, hope hope!