Woo Family Story

I have always felt Canadians are extremely fortunate, so many do not appreciate their extreme privilege and luck. Thought I would share a story.

 

This is the Woo family, Burmese refugees I know in Thailand. I first met them in 2013, they were asleep on the ground, covered in flies. They had recently come to Thailand to live and work in a garbage dump. The dump was a better life for them than the extreme poverty, war, ethnic genocide and dictatorship they had back home. 

 

The whole family worked the garbage, scavenging for plastics cardboard and metals to sell. They also dug in the garbage to find food for the family. The photo is from 2017, they had become more prosperous thru hard, filthy and dangerous work. Their life was better in the garbage dump.

 

In 2021, the family father died, the children now only have their mother. I spent time with them again in 2025, lovely people, we (Canadians) gifted them some headlamps, food and pictures of their lost husband/father. 

 

This family dreams of a better life. Living in Canada would be a godsend to them, a dream of dreams come true.

 

PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HOW FORTUNATE AND PRIVILEGED YOU ARE TO BE A CANADIAN

 

Quote: Nelson Mandela

 

The Buddhiist Look at the Benefiits of Charity

 

Quote: Mother Theresa

 

24x24 Camera/Ambrotype Learning from Sept 13

Will be TRYING to make 24x24 inch Ambrotypes today. I found a nice quiet area near my home. Will shoot a tree section. It’s a beautiful September day here in Edmonton. Wish me luck, lots to learn st this size. I have around 7 litres of Silver in a tray! The black tray is Silver Nitrate the white tray the Hypo.

Using a 600mm Fuji lens I bought years ago for the first time. Probably around $16000 CAD in camera and lens alone. Expensive shit, all the way around in ULF wet plate.

 

The Chamonix 24x24 is surprisingly light for its size. I should be able to shoot it into my 70s, now 62.

Followed the advice of you folks, ratchet strapped the camera down in a light wind. Using a relatively light weight Manfratto tripod with geared head.

 

Today is a day of learning and experimentation!!

 

Thank you to all of those who have helped me through the years, went from 4x5 to 8x10 to 11x14 to 14x14 to 16x20 to 24x24 (I hope!!). Could not have done it without u good folks

 

Freddy and the Beast

Fixer tray

Staked down camera

Silver Tray

600 mm 

Portraits with Larry

Am making some 11x14 and 14x14 Ambrotypes portraits with my friend Larry. It should be fun!

Update* Had to cancel, Larry was not feeling well and I was having under exposure issues  

Test Shooting the 24x24!!!

Will be test shooting the 24x24 inch Chamonix camera at Elk Island National Park on Sunday. It should be quite a challenge, fun, fun, fun!!! I might even get my first 24x/4 inch Ambrotyoe out if it!!!

Fanny RV problems x3

Gosh all of a sudden I had a tone of Fanny RV problems.

- a flat tire last night after I started preparing the TV for the hitch repair appointment today. Called AMA, the guy came to change my tire then even fixed it for free. There was a leaky valve on the tire.

- today drove the RV to the hitch repair, welding shop for a 9am appointment. After I went inside to speak to the boss I came out and the RV would not start. This is the first time in 6 years that that has happened. 

After a boost failed. I called AMA again. Their battery guy arrived down and tried 3 or 4 different ways to start it, boosting both batteries. It was not a battery problem.

- The AMA battery guy called for a tow truck for the RV. 

- While I was waiting for the tow truck the hitch guy was welding the hitch supports. Then the tow truck driver arrived, had difficulty removing the crankshaft (bolts almost seized.. 

- Finally Fanny was towed to a repair shop. It is in line to be fixed, which will happen around September 21. 

A trying and difficult day. If everything goes right, the motor home will be ready for a long British Columbia Ambrotype making trip, starting around September 25.

Note* I will need to leave Fanny on a public street next to the repair shop for 10 or 11 days. Am quite worried about that. I do not see anyway of avoiding that. Her motor trainer n crank shaft (is that what they call it?) is sitting inside the RV on the floor

Ambrotypes Framed with Foilage?

Thinking of combining Ambrotypes and objects found near their shooting location. They would be housed in the same frames.

Multiple Plates Same Time Diptych

When shooting Murillo diptych shots, it might be easier to shoot with 2 holders, the 11x14 and the 14x14, back to back. There should be more flow to the work that way with similar light and exposure. 

 Note* I might need to buy more holders from Chamonix in China. If I do that, I might ask if deeper holders allowing for 5mm thick plates is possible.

Finished Frames for Ambrotype Exhibition

Thinking of doing 5-10 completed Ambrotype works that are framed (handmade frames) for exhibition. I need to see what the final/finished works look like. I can also video and photograph these completed pieces for exhibition!!

I NEED TO GET THE AMBROTYPE PROJECT, AMBROTOS KANATA, EXHIBITED!!!

Got Lucky with Wet Plate

When I started out on my wet plate journey 10 years or so ago, I knew nothing, yet I dived in head first.

Got me a darkroom trailer for $8000 a RV to travel in for the project for $38000. Probably $40000 in lens and cameras. As well as countless older things and tools.

I was not 100% sure I would like wet plate and the final result of what a finished Ambrotype looks like but I ended up loving them as well as the process! The more I do, the more I want to do! The bigger plate I create, the bigger I want to go. Even 35x35 seems very doable.

I GOT DAM LUCKY WITH ALL THIS!!! Imagine after all that expense, effort and time, I hated Ambros. I coukd have hated everything, that could have happened.

Lucky, Lucky, Gerry!

Dust on Varnished Plates!

I have been getting very small dust like particles on my plates after varnishing. Not sure what the deal is. Today I tried covering my varnished during plates with a plastic box. We shall see if this helps!

Honeyed Plates

The honeyed plates from yesterday. I put honey on the plates to keep them moist for transport. They each get their own traveling tray. They look extra golden as a result

Setup up and Shooting at Nordegg Graveyard

I am setup and shooting Ambrotypes at the Nordegg, Alberta, graveyard again. Came with the truck this time, as there is a hitch issue with the motorhome that needs repairing.

Running Water While Driving Trailer!

So, I went into the trailer to get some alcohol part way through my trip to Nordegg graveyard. I opened the door to find thee pump running! What? Why?

Turns out I had forgot to turn off the pump button but that should not have been too much of as problem. What happened was that during my drive, things had shifted in the trailer. One of those shifts had caused something to hit the faucet valve leaver handle, turning on the water. The water then ran until it trained the entire tank (25 galllons) and filled up my sewage tank to the max, while also washing the floor pretty well.

Luckily I found out about the problem early, preventing the pump from burning out, because I went into the trailer  to get some alcohol to clean my used books with (too wash off sticky price tag residue).

I then went to the Rocky Mountain House camping dump station to dump my sewage and refill my water tank.

After this I will make sure to always shut off my pump before traveling. Lesson learned!

Lots of Garbage Waste

My black house garb  as he bin are filling up with house window panel waste and broken glass pieces. I had to spread some of it out to my sister’s bin.

I have a bit of industrial level waste work going on right now! Starting to work in an Ambrotype making factory!

Cutting Window Glass is Difficult

Spent the last few days cutting up a bunch of the old aluminum house window frames I bought for $30.

Separating the glass from the aluminum edge frame material is quite difficult without breakage. Some of the glass is only 2mm thick. If you look at it the wrong way and it breaks. If it is a tiny bit thicker it becomes easier but the 2mm stuff is a nightmare!!!!

I have had several large beautiful pieces break in my hand simply by holding the glass. It is very frustrating to almost get usable glass for Ambrotypes or to make black backing substrate material, only to have it break!

I am doing my best to save money and get usable glass this way but it is testing patience and hopefully expanding it. Need to remain calm when doing this type work. Even though at times you want to flog the stuff in frustration.

More Black Substrate Needed!

I have maybe 20 Ambrotyoe plates completed to the varnished stage but no black substrates (painted 2mm glass). Need to find more sources for that, or buy some.

My output of successful plates has improved this season, so need to do the final tape up for presentation as well!

A Night of Washing Hell!

Was up all night and into the late morning washing plates. Of all the jobs I do in the wet plate process, washing plates is probably the most the most tedious and boring.

I usually go through 1 bottle of liquids (1/3 bio ethanol, 2/3 distilled water) during a washing session. Yesterday I went through 3!!

Not sure how many 11x14 and 14x14 plates I washed, more than 49, maybe 50-60. I had more glass than I thought!!

NOTE* I also taped and did the final work on 3-11x14s and 1-14x14. 

VIDEOS: New Plates

 Been playing with thicker glass of late. These two are on some free glass I got and cut to size. Thicker glass creates a greater feeling of 3D depth.

From the AMBROTOS KANATA project. 

Gerry Collodion, Whirte Vinegar and Pickling Vinegar development. 11x14 clear glass. Hypo fix with honey used for transport to a washing water source.

Going to try some 20x24 and 24x24 inch plates this Sunday.Time to move up in class

PLATES: Jasper Park Tree, Nordegg Graveyard, Alberta, Canada\

Disaster in the Darkroom Trailer

Lost all my Silver Nitrate from my Acrylic Tank. It leaked and I lost about 4-5 litres of the solution. I have travelled with it loaded in the tank for several years now, with no issues. This time it leaked from the tank, through the 5 inch foam surrounding the tank and through the hard tack box I used to project the tank during travel.

Bloody awful, hundreds of dollars in silver lost! $500? $800?, who knows. So f-cking depressing.

Spent the night cleaning up the mess as best I could. I cannot transport the silver that way. It will need to be stored in lab bottles, in the special foam cooler I made up. This will require more time and effort, each time I shoot. I will have to unload the silver solution from the bottles, and then put it back again each time.

I have lost faith with silver nitrate tanks, at least the larger ones. This i]is the second time I have had a leak.  I might try doing my silver work in trays from now on.

Note* I made up a fresh 5 litre bottle of Silver Nitrate solution afterwards, to replace the lost one. I have about 16 litres of thee stuff.

The Victoria Camera Club TALK INFO

The Victoria Camera Club asked for more info, for the coming talk I will do for them via ZOOM (a PowerPoint Presentation).

Wrote this up for them and sent them a bunch of pics from the 2 projects and some selfies.

Hey M... A... and R..., here is what you wanted.

THE TALK WILL BE 7- 9PM VICTORIA TIME ON JANUARY 14, CORRECT? We will use ZOOM, allowing me to show my POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.

TALK INFORMATION

The two projects in the talk are, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY and THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP.

THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY deals with the lives of Thais living in the notorious Khlong Toei slum, in Bangkok, Thailand. THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP tells the stories of Burmese refugee families living and working in the Mae Sot, Thailand garbage dump. I have been working on both projects for over a decade. 

A very important element of the talk and the MAIN THEME, is how photography can be used as a FORCE FOR GOOD IN THE WORLD. We (donators and myself) do both photography and donation work both under freeway and in the dump. We have raised thousands of dollars to help those in need. The photographic work has had a positive effect on the lives of the subjects.

The talk contains photos (film and digi imagery) of the people, details the donation work done, and contains many first hand personal stories and memories.

BIO

Self taught social documentary photographer. Worked 31 years as a nighttime security guard in Edmonton. The name YAUM is a pseudonym, Yaum in Thai means "Security Guard". I prefer to let the photos be about my subjects, not myself.

Attached are some photos from the talk and a couple of headshots.

Thanks Gerry

PS...if there is anything else you need, please ask.

THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP

THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY

Silly Me

Opening the House Window Glass I got for $30

So the first 3 attempts at opening yesterdays house window glass went bad (cornered screw type). I broke all 3 and was only able to get limited smaller cuts out of the broken glass pieces. The problem was the glass was very thin, only 2mm thick and very fragile.

My attempts on the older aluminum glass windows (cornered staple type), went better. Once I figured out how to remove the metal corner staple (bend the aluminum window corners with pliers, then dislodge the staple), things went OK, only minor breakage.

I will continue the work with the larger, more fragile plates tomorrow.

Note* I was hoping for thicker glass, some of the older aluminum frames have what looks like 3mm but some seem to be only 2.5mm. Better than thee newer screw type frames, but not by much.

The windows were well worth the $30, I just wish the glass was thicker.

Glass Thickness

So, did an unintentional glass thickness today while varnishing.

Plate #1, 2mm thick. While I was applying the painters tape, I VERY lightly bumped the corner of a 11x14 Ambrotype on th corner of the desk. This small mistake took out a 1cm wide section about 3 cm long on the bottom corner of the plate.

Plate #2, 4-5mm thick.While taping I dropped the entire plate off the desk onto the ground at my feet. There was no damage at all!

I prefer the substance of thicker glass as well, at least 3mm, 4 mm even more so. The problem is the cost, 2mm is dirt cheap, 3mm more expensive and 4mm super expensive!

I would prefer to do all my Ambrotype work at 4mm, but I do not believe that will be possible. Unless Ii can find free sources of old glass that is not tempered.

$30 For Old House Windows

Got a ton of old house non tempered glass windows off Facebook Marketplace today. Cost $30 CAD (down from $40).

If I can get these things apart without breaking the glass, I will cut the unscratched glass for Ambrotype plates and use the damaged glass as a black (painted) substrate, backing material for framing.

Being retired requires me to be more careful with money. Getting glass this way helps. Plus’s there is something beautiful of using garbages items to make art. Maybe some of this found, repurposed old house glass will someday hang in a high end gallery as a beautiful Ambrotype!

There was more windows, than in the pic at the home, got them for $30

Frame-Glass Sizes

New Kodoku

Found an old "Compact Flash" card in a drawer, hope to use it soon to make new pics. On the card I discovered some old 2017 Kodoku (Solitude) images. Edited a few new photos.

I always enjoyed this series but it had never been exhibited (never submitted it).. Hope to print it in photogravure. Think would look great that way. Maybe that could lead to an exhibition.

Japan, 2017