Some Old Photos of Workers

If and when I return to Thailand, I will start work on a new series on the garbage workers of Bangkok. Need to figure out a title yet. If I go back for a couple of months I need 2 projects, can do THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY and this new unnamed series. Will also try to do donation work.

Vee, Dom and Champoo scavenging garbage, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Bangkok, Thailand 2016

Old images from Khlong Toey slum Bangkok, 2012

Garbage Workers Series?

Thinking more and more of doing a Garbage Workers series in Bangkok.  

I have been fascinated in a strange way to their lives dating back to the year I spent in Bangkok in 2003. I used to live in an apartment with a long soi (alley/road), that led to a bigger road.  I used to walk down that road over and over again, often walking behind a garbage truck with workers picking up garbage. The workers worked so hard, the smell was overpowering, beyond disgusting. Heat and food waste is not a good combo. There were rats, dogs, cockroaches all over the garbage. The men I saw worked hard and fast, it was exhausting just to watch them. 

Since that time, I have thought about their lives, wanted to tell their stories. In 2025, I should 1 group for a few hours. Thinking of gong back to do more.

Need a good title for the project, after that, I can dig in. 

The literal translation would be คนเก็บขยะ or KHON GEB KAH-YAH, a person who collects garbage. But that is too literal, need something more abstract and meaningful, more heartfelt.

Note* We could do something to help these hardworking lives, donations of some kind. Need to figure that out as well. 

Note** The garbage workers of Bangkok deserve to have their stories told. Often people in what is considered the bottom of society are ignored and forgotten. It is important to show our shared humanity with compassion and empathy. 

FRAMES Magazine will Arrive on Time?

I am awaiting my 3 copies of FRAMES magazine, that were promised me. I hope to take one of the copies along with the B&W magazine publishing of the work to the coming talks (March 25 and April 9). I also have 2 other mags with the photos, but did not want to take them.

It might be fun for people to browse the mags. 

Note* I also did some digi print portfolio images, that I might take, not sure just yet.  

Khun Oy from THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY

Invoice to FRAMES Magazine Sent

I sent out the invoice to FRAMES photography magazine for $200 USD tonight. We will use the money to buy food for THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, when I return to Thailand. We need to give them more help.

Two Talks Approaching Quickly

I have my 2 social documentary talks quickly approaching. In Red Deer on March 25 and in Edmonton on April 9.

Its strange how when I was younger I feared speaking in public but now, I look forward to it, relish it, want to do more and more of these things! 

Sleeping with Art

It’s rather comforting sleeping in a room of art. 3 of the 4 are thrift store buy.

Amedeo Modigliani

Ansel Adams

Khun Prem, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Bangkok, Thailand 2025

Paul Gauguin

New Thrift Store Buy

Today’s nice thrift store find. A nice large 16x19 inches professionally framed print (?) of “Lady with a fan. “ Amedeo Modigliani $20.50 CAD.

 

Always loved Modigliani, there is a beautiful peace to his art.

Interesting fact, the original was stolen in 2010, value 100 million Euro. Hopefully not destroyed.

 

Background:

 

This painting, Woman with a Fan (Lunia Czechowska), is one of the may paintings painted by Modigliani about this woman Lunia Czechowska. Modigliani met this lady one year before his death and painted this portrait at 3 years after he met Lunia Czechowska. The Polish woman and her husband, Casimir, were old friends of Modigliani's patron/dealer Leopold Zborowski. other's out-of-wedlock daughter, only his death caused the artist to cease attempting to seduce Lunia.

 

Here Modigliani shows his firm friend posed gracefully, her seated body in its yellow dress forming lithe curves against the scarlet background. Later in life, Czechowska vividly recalled sitting for Modi as he drank cheap brandy, sang, lapsed into Italian and, eventually, fell so far into the act of painting that he became oblivious to the presence of another human being. And then, there she was on canvas, left with " ... the impression of having the soul laid bare and of being in the strange position of being able to do nothing to disguise her feelings.".

 

June 1963, Vietnam, Buddhist Monk Self Immolation

Quảng Đức's last words before his death were documented in a letter he had left:

"Before closing my eyes and moving towards the vision of the Buddha, I respectfully plead to President Ngô Đình Diệm to take a mind of compassion towards the people of the nation and implement religious equality to maintain the strength of the homeland eternally. I call the venerables, reverends, members of the sangha and the lay Buddhists to organize in solidarity to make sacrifices to protect Buddhism."

David Halberstam wrote: 

"I was to see that sight again, but once was enough. Flames were coming from a human being; his body was slowly withering and shriveling up, his head blackening and charring. In the air was the smell of burning human flesh; human beings burn surprisingly quickly. Behind me I could hear the sobbing of the Vietnamese who were now gathering. I was too shocked to cry, too confused to take notes or ask questions, too bewildered to even think ... As he burned he never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound, his outward composure in sharp contrast to the wailing people around him."

New Card

Got my new photo cards. They look good. 250 for $50+ CAD. Might order more from this company. Photo is of Khun Nit, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY. Am glad I have some nice cards for the talks.

 

Like the QR code on the back. It makes everything easier. Takes you directly to the website.

 

Thought

 

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?)

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

 

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

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

 

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

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.

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.

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)

 

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.”

Found Dump Group Selfies

Some found images with the kids in the dump!

In the dump

4 Photos of Khun Dom

 

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