Social Documentary Photography for a Better World!

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Quote: James Baldwin

 

New Cheapo Imac

Picked up a small iMac cheap with the gift card ($200) I got on leaving work. It is a iMac 21.5 inch screen, 2013, I7 chip, 16 GB Ram Memory, and 1TB hard drive. The cost was $175 CAD.

I will use it to surf internet and picture editing. I do not think it will work for video editing, but will give it a go. Seems like a good compute, but very old. In overall good condition. I downloaded and added a bit of software overnight, its running pretty well.

My new/very old iMac on my grand parents VERY old tables (1950s?)

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Harsh Portrait Idea

Been thinking of these rather harsh heads lately. Thinking I would like to create more. Today I came upon a Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Detail, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Thrift Shop Books

Today’s thrift store buys. Buy 5 get 1 free, plus 30% off old fogey discount. I know nothing about Opera, eager to learn more! The art history book is old and beautiful.
 

Quote: Arnold Newman

 

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Picked up a Safety Vest!

Picked up a Safety vest for $5 at a thrift store sale (closing out). I will wear it when making Ambrotypes and near any roadway or other dangers.  It is heavy duty, well made.

Safety First!!!

My $5 safety vest

Friday, February 27, 2026

New Photo Card

Ordered a new photo card today. Got 250 cards for $41 CAD, plus shipping and tax. Probably do not need 250 cards but 100 cost 33, so for $8 more I thought it was worth it. I can hand these things out in mass bushels! 5 to a customer!

I will have them for the two coming photography talks and can also hand them out when using the trailer when making Ambrotypes. The 2 blogs, the website and an email address are all on the card. 

Note* Khun Nit, the old man who has passed away in the slum, from THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY is the pic.

Note** There is also a QR code on the back, which is a first. The code leads to my main web page. 

Video: My Lovely 14x14 Inch Chamonix Camera

 

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

DJI Mic 2s

Am using the cheaper Mic 2s for the DJI Osmo Compact 3 camera. The Mic 2s in white cost $85 CAD each, the Mic 3s are $149 each.

They seem to work quite well. I have 1 and ordered a 2nd today.  

Note* I will bee using these 2 mics with my new Osomo Compact 3 DJI camera. I should be able to record, great and simple audio for my YouTube Channeel vids. 

Playing with the New DJI Osmo Compact 3 Video Camera and Mic 2 (Bluetooth connection)

 Been learning my new tool. I like the camera, very small, 4k video and you can wear a Bluetooth mike with it. It allows high quality non shacking video (gimble) and pristine audio. It should be great for doing video blogs, and on my YouTube channel.

Some stills made with the camera

Making Some Larger Digi Prints

 

Today am working on some larger digi prints from THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY Thai project. 
 
Hope to have a portfolio of 22 prints with me to show folks at the coming artist talks.
First 2! Khun Apple and Khun Jem.
 
Note* After thesse 2 images I had trouble]e with the printer. It would not load the paper and when it went through it did not print, just ran the paper right through empty. I think this is a result of my cutting the paper to the wrong size. In order to save money I bought paper in rolls but now am having problems printing thee cut down and curled paper. 
 
Will keep working at it. 
 
A couple of images for the new portfolio

Monday, February 23, 2026

Evils of Racism Quote

Watching and amazing documentary THE CIVIL WAR. It has so many parallels to 2026. This quote came up, from the Supreme Court Justice of the United States, 1857. It was part of a decision to not grant a black man his freedom, even thou he had lived for many years on free soil.

Note* This came from an educated man, a man who on the Ameereican supreme court, the chief justice of that court. I just can't get my head around such racism and ignorance.

Friday, February 20, 2026

Tweeking the Social Documentary PowerPoint Talk

Minor tweaking the social documentary PowerPoint talk tonight. Adding and fixing up images. 193 slides including 9 short vids of 30 seconds or less. 2 projects, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP and THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY. Did several run throughs, around 1 hour long each time.


2 talks scheduled in March and April. I sent out some begging emails for more today.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Blogging-Youtube Camera, DJI Compact 3 Osmo

Going to get a camera. Have not bought one for quite a while. This tool will help with my non existent YouTube channel and this blog. It will do 4K video, with steady cam and allow for top notch blue tooth audio. I will need to buy a separate microphone set up,  $385, for 2 microphones and a receiver.

Note* I am hoping this new camera will encourage to tell the stories I want to tell on my channel. and allow for much easier and faster video production for the wet plate AMBROTOS KANATA project.

Note** I am also hoping to use the camera to document my social documentary work. Which will also help to humanize people and their stories.

Quote: Angela Lansbury (Actress)

 

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Quote: Salman Rushdie

The moment you say that any idea system is sacred, whether it’s a religious belief system or a secular ideology, the moment you declare a set of ideas to be immune from criticism, satire, derision, or contempt, freedom of thought becomes impossible.”

Friday, February 13, 2026

Thursday, February 12, 2026

4 Photos of Khun Dom

 



Khun Dom from 2016, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei Slum, Bangkok, Thailand

Prem High, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY

 

Khun Prem, high, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2025

Some More "Under the Freeway Images"


Self-portraits, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Khlong Toei Slum, Bangkok, Thailand 2025 

 


Refining The Social Documentary Power Point


Note* I have a video that might be a bit shocking for the average old person in a photo club, used to pictures of sunsets, birds and flowers. Not sure I should include it in the talk. It would make the talk memorable and wake up those in the back row!! The video was made in the dump back in 2013. A family living on the garbage had a small black baby pig, a piglet. The mother of the piglet had died. So the families human mother (Burmese refugee family) was feeding the piglet from her own breast, trying to keep it alive. What do you think? Include it in the talk? About 40 seconds long.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Thoughts on Shakespeare!

Today’s Thrift Store find, a hardcover biography of William Shakespeare.  After the old geezer 30% discount, $10.50 CA. Quite a bit cheaper than Amazon. 

Am eager to learn more about Willie’s life!

Monday, February 9, 2026

Social Documentary PowerPoint Presentation Slide Count Climbing!

How will I keep this talk to only 1 hour?

The Importance Of John Thomson To Asia

John Thomson was such a strong and important photographer in Asia at this time, 1866. I have never seen this work before, from a wet plate collodion negative. Shooting wet plate in that heat must have been extremely difficult.

A wonderful book, picked up for $10 CAD