Thoughts From 2 Nights of Darkroom Work

The two day Pt-Pd printing session had good and bad moments. 

What I learned:

- Sodium Citrate developer at 40-45c creates a nice warm tone.

- Arche Platine paper is easy to mark accidentally, has a strong toothy look and is difficult to clear of yellow Ferric Oxide (at least with Citric Acid and Sodium Bisulfite clearing baths). Might be easier with EDTA.

- Hahnemuhle paper and standard developer Potassium Oxalate might be easiest to work with. 

- I needed more humidity in my paper.

- Not pouring the Pl-Pd  liquid onto the paper but instead taking it from a cup ant then costing, prevents a deep absorption  stain mark.

- I do not need to tape the paper(risking tears) to get a straight edge print look. Simply mark picture corners and coat carefully within, then block those excess areas with rubylith. All unexposed coating will clear away leaving square/flat edges.

Various Platinum-Palladium and Platinum prints.

Video: Jimmy and Me

Brothers, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, Thailand, 2013

Love of Platinum-Palladium!!

Platinum - Palladium photographs have a unique beauty to them. A very expensive process, Pl-Pd prints are made from the noble metals platinum and palladium. The tonal range of these beautiful pieces is off the charts. The prints last as long as the paper they are printed on, potentially they may last more than 500 years. Lovely stuff!!

Here are two older 8x10 prints from 4 years back. My plan is to do 25-11x14 exhibition prints from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP SERIES. Then mat them and place them in my handmade frames.

I AM REALLY FALLING IN LOVE WITH THESE THINGS!

“Ain’t Photography Grand!!”

Woo family, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, 2017

Mom, 2019

Videos: Back in the Pl-Pd Saddle!

Sodium Citrate developer, Palladium Print. THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP photographic series.  The combination of warmer development and all palladium, created a rather warm tone which I like. On HAHN paper

Brothers THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, 2013

2nd Attempt

Planned Platinum-Palladium Prints

Will try to make some of these square format children shots in 11x14/16x20 Platinum-Palladium prints, with double matted mat board and unique, one of a kind handmade wooden frames. 

I think they would look strong in Pl-Pd. Want the prints warmer toned to make the children seem more real, more human and connected to the gallery viewer. I want the children to connect with the viewer, make them seem like their own children, not some distant unrelated life.

Shots from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP. If I can sell any or exhibit any, the money will go back to the Families at the dump in the form of donated goods.

Been thinking of doing this for a while, time to get it done.  I cleaned up and organized the darkroom. It is now ready for work. I need to fix up the matting area and get the printer functioning properly. I also need to review all procedures to make digi negs, it’s been about 4 years since I have made any.

Crazy Expensive Coating Brushes

Moving forward after the theft of my darkroom trailer propane tanks. It had me down for a few days.

Spent too much money on da Vinci coating brushes today. I bought a 50-5cm brush for $54 CAD and a 80-8cm brush for $149 CAD. 

I avoided buying the bigger brush for years but now that I am going to be coating 11x14 and 16x20, possibly 20x24 inch papers, the larger brush became necessary. I might have to go larger than this to do the largest Platinum-Palladium and Salt Prints. The 80 da Vinci brush is super expensive but part of doing business.

Note* Thus is my second da Vinci 50 brush. The one I have is a bit older and used up so I got a backup. The 50 is so much cheaper than the 80 version, it seemed less painful to buy.

Many Have It Worse

So many folks have it worse than stolen propane bottles. It is important to remember that, this time of year. 

Shot the 5x7 in the Mae Sot dump back in 2017. Merry Xmas everyone.

5x7 in the Mae Sot garbage dump 2017

Christmas Day Theft

2 new propane tanks stolen from darkroom trailer over Xmas. Lost about $250 CAD. They were chained down but that did not matter. Will check security cameras. 3rd theft around the house in the last 2 -3 years. Motorhome broken into, garage broken into and old truck stolen and now this.

The thieves must have had a vehicle or cars as those tanks were damaged heavy when filled with propane. This is a o annoying. I will probably go to 1 small tank in the future and remove it each time the trailer is parked.

Forces beyond my control working against me shooting Ambrotypes in winter. The truck is currently down as well. Shitty Xmas present there.

Merry Xmas!!!

 Merry Xmas Folks!

Link: Palladium print of little Chemeeko and His Father

Found this vid from 3 years ago. Little Chemeeko and his father, made in 2016 with a Rolleiflex twin lens camera on Tri-x. I hope to be doing more of these pl-of or strait palladium prints soon in larger sizes. I will then mat them and place them in handmade frames. Hopefully 25 or so can be exhibited.

Palladian Print Development, Inage is part or the 11 year photography project THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, shot in Mae Sot, Thailand.

Palladian Print Development

Pl-Pd Print Choices?

Am planning to do a 25 image series of 11x14 or 16x20 Platinum-Palladium prints, in my new handmade wooden frames for exhibition. 

I need to choose which images to use. Here is a selection of possible choices from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP. I have quite a few more that are not online yet. Am not sure which direction to go.

One of the cool things about digital negatives is that you can take any source material whether it is a film (35mm to 8x10) or digital camera and make old school Pl-Pd prints that might last 500 years or longer. That is the definition of cool.

Link to the online galleries.

FAMILIES OF THE DUMP

Why I Visit Thailand

I recently had an online friend question why I go to Thailand.

In a few words.” I go to Thailand to make social documentary photographs that help people.” 

My main photography project is called THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP. Since my first dump visit in 2013, we have raised over $10000 CAD to directly help the families in the garbage.

Any print sales, exhibition fees and artist talk money I earn from the photos goes directly back to the families in the form of humanitarian aid. We (the donators, myself, Pong) buy goods from the money raised, which I then hand directly to the people in need at the dump. We buy medicines, foods, toys, kids treats, headlamps, boots, rice, tools etc.

Many Canadian and American (1) friends have also donated money and goods after seeing the images. The money was used to buy goods in the local Mae Sot markets, which were handed out to the families. I have also given out many Canadian donated goods (that I carried to Thailand  in my suitcases) directly to the family members, clothes, safety boots, hats, toys.

I hope to return to the dump and the families in 2025, to continue the work.

That is why I go to Thailand! 

 A group of children who followed me in the garbage dump. One is west a donated hat.

Man with donated safety boots. They were very heavy to bring from Canada. I bought 4 pairs I think. Probably too big for his feet. Hope he sold them for something he could use.

Young girl with donated toy. Here head is shaved because of a lice problem at the dump. When I gave her the 2nd hand doll donated by a young Canadian girl, she smiled so big then ran off to show her mom.

A young girl with her donated. When I took the doll back for a second to turn it around for this photo, the little girl had a momentary look of real sadness! She thought I was taking the doll back! After I returned it to her and she posed for this photo, she was all smiles again!

Walnut Stain on Pine Frame

Experimenting with a new walnut colour stain on a pine wood frames. Before I was using a charcoal coloured stain that is quite a bit darker.wanted a lighter brown look, this might be it. 

These pictures are after the second coating of stain. I plan a third coating and a gloss on top, to add some shine.

I am working on frames that I can use for my next THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP exhibition. This time out I will make 11x14 inch or 16x20 inch  Platinum-Palladium prints in large wooden frames. The frames will be between 16x20 inc and 20x24 inches (window sizes).

Note* Any print sales, exhibition fees and artist talk money will of course go directly back to the families in the firm if humanitarian aid. We buy goods from the money raised, which I then hand directly to the people in need at the dump. Boots, headlamps, food, medicines, toys, kids trays, tools etc.

Walnut Stain

Charcoal Stain

A Joyful People

Thinking Back

A friend yesterday brought up a moment from my past, it got me reminiscing today.  

When I was 21, I traveled to the States for 6 months from my native Canada. When I got to San Francisco I made friends with a variety of older African American men, in West Oakland California. At that time, it was a rather rough ghetto area of the city, lots of drug use etc. I was basically the only white person there. I became close friends with a man named Sonny, a former prize fighter, and heroin addicted jazz trumpet player named Dupree. Dupree was a great trumpet player.

Sonny had a closed jazz club called MY FAVOURITE THINGS, that I helped him with. I made photographs of my friends there and entered a totally different world. Those men taught me so much, being with them affected my entire life. It was a great time; wish I could go back.

Here is a photo of Bob, skinny me, and Sonny eating a dinner in the club. The second photo is of Dupree on the streets of San Francisco, where he busked for loose change.

Note* a not to a friend about the photos.

Surprised you remembered Sonny’s name. You got me thinking of olden times. 

The photo is Bob Cl, Sonny, (right side). Second photo is Dupree B. Dupree was a great jazz trumpet player, the photo was made on the streets of San Francisco where he played for heroin money. 

The pic of Bob me and Sonny was made in a closed Jazz club in West Oakland. That dinner was cooked  by another man who was a former athlete and heroin addict. He played 3rd string quarterback for the Esks back in the 50s We bonded over that, because I was from Edmonton. Forget his name now. 

Bob, Sonny and Dupree were all friends from their time in San Quentin prison. Bob used to tell me prison stories. 

Sonny was my closest friend there, miss him. Be taught me a lot about helping others.

Note** Remembered the name of the cook and former Esk, Ray.

Bob, me and Sonny

Dupree on the streets of San Francisco

UNB Newsletter Write Up

There was a nice write up in the University of New Brunswick newsletter back in May. They have 6 ULF images in their collection. $6000 CAD was earned, which will be used to help the families in the form of goods given back to them.

UNB May 2024 Newsletter

Quote: Horace Mann

 

Newest Pl-Pd Frame Design

Here is the newest frame design for the NON Platform-Palladium exhibition. Narrow pine wood with a charcoal stain. Will compare these to the earlier white frames, to see which I prefer.

LINK: Old News Paper Story and Maybe a New Exhibition

I applied for a second exhibition a the Art Gallery of St Albert. Did two new submissions, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP in Platinum-Palladium prints and AMBROTOS KANATA ambrotypes.

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Here is an old story from my last joint exhibition at the gallery back in 2017, MY FATHERS LAST DAY series. It was a beautiful experience, I was able to show dads photos and then did a talk about him.

ST ALBERT GAZETTE STORY (2017) on MY FATHERS LAST DAYS

Developing healing

Photographer and social documentarian Gerry Yaum is set to present a talk on his work tomorrow evening at the Art Gallery of St. Albert

Scott Hayes Aug 30, 2017 12:01 AM

"Photographer Gerry Yaum did something that many people might find unthinkable when his dad was in the hospital. They were close to each other, and the adult son spent a lot of time with his elderly father during his struggle with terminal pancreatic cancer. There were already many photos along the way, and the art series probably wouldn’t have ended properly without getting the last shot too. If you think about it that way, it would have been unusual to not take the last photo. Yaum, a social documentary photographer, has worked on projects ranging from Thai sex workers to people who live in slums, among others. He says that his work is an attempt to tell the stories of forgotten or marginalized people. My Father's Last Days, the title he gives to the photo series of his father that’s now on display as part of the exhibit Healing Process at the Art Gallery of St. Albert, is a project unlike all of his others: to make a record of someone who meant something important to him personally. It started off mostly as casual photos, since Yaum always has his camera with him anyway, taking pictures of whatever he sees. “Later on, as it became more social documentary in nature, just documenting what he was going through, he co-operated with me. One of the questions I had to ask Dad near the end was if it was okay to photograph him after he passed away,” he explained. “That’s a pretty tough question to ask your father. He said I could. He understood how important the photography was to me and my dealing with what was going on. He even encouraged it.” The work stands as not only a memorial to his father but also a door-opening moment to discuss the nature of art in terms of people’s own healing and self-care during hard times. Yaum is preparing to sit down for a special artist’s talk at the gallery tomorrow evening to go into more depth about this series and his work in general. The exhibit, also featuring the contributions of Sima Elizabeth Shefrin and Darian Goldin Stahl, has sparked a lot of interest with the public. This has opened up a ripe opportunity for a more in depth interpretation right from the artist’s mouth. The response to Healing Process has been overwhelmingly positive, said gallery director and curator Jenny Willson-McGrath, even despite the strong imagery that elicits powerful emotional responses. “Patrons are really engaging with the show. We have had great conversations and exchanges with many visitors the past couple of weeks who have shared their own stories about personal experiences of illness and loss.” Yaum elaborated further. “Whenever I show these difficult photos, it allows many who view them to open up and share painful memories from their own lives. Many gallery visitors have told me stories of how they have lost their loved ones to cancer and other diseases. At the opening night for this exhibition, people were crying. Opening up to the pain of loss helps us all deal with it better. That is the beauty of social documentary photography: it is about the human condition. It is about our shared humanity.” While he will undoubtedly talk at length about the work and its subject matter, he will also go into detail about his techniques and the analog process of making the prints using old film cameras, his darkroom, and all of the photochemicals that you don’t get much of any more in the age of cellphone photography. There will also be a Q & A session."

Primer Added to the First Platinum Frame

Before sleeping I added a primer paint to the first Platinum-Palladium frame. I will do one, probably two coats of pearl surface white paint to finish things off. 

Then add glass, the wire, make the print, mat the print and load the frame and we are set! Then do all that stuff 25 times and we have an exhibition, ready to hang.:) Eazy Speazy!!!

Platinum-Palladium Exhibition Frames

Working on a new type of frame. I want to create a wooden 16x20 inch frame, white in color about 1 1/4 inch deep. The frame would be for a still non existent exhibition of 11x14 inch Platinum-Palladium prints from THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP series. I will need 25 frames.

My first attempt is making 3 frames using pine wood. I need to sand and paint frame #1 yet but it seems OKish. 

I worry the rabbet (where the glass and matted picture sit behind the frame) is not deep enough. My current bit cannot cut deeper, in my router table setup.

Families Dream

 

Facebook Friend Help

I am getting lots of help with my new venture into Platinum-Palladium printing from countless Facebook friends. You gotta love Facebook for its ability to help teach you things. Whenever I have a photo related question, I put it out there and my friends usually come through with helpful answers. 

Here are the answers to a question about paper choice.

Platinum-Palladium Handmade White Wooden Print Frames

Am going to try to make some 16x20 inch white wood frames this week off. I will use the frames with the coming 11x14 inch Platinum-Palladium work I am printing. Probably from "THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP" photographic series.

I have the idea of how the frame will look in my mind's eye. I want the frames deep with narrow face. Now it is just a matter of building them, which I think I can cam do. Will try to make 3 or 4 of them this week off work. I always wanted to exhibit my work in white wooden frames, but the cost has stopped me. The cool thing now is that I can make my own, dreamed of frames, at a cheaper price!

Will post some pics of the works progress.

Link: How Irving Penn Did It!

Irving Penn's Platinum Prints were made in stages, multiple coatings of the paper, using "pin registration". I found this quite interesting. With modern photoshop and digital neg techniques, probably not necessary. Still, it would be fun to try.

Irving Penn Platinum Printing Technique

Printing My NON Exhibition

I will put together my THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP platinum print exhibition collection, before I get it! So that means, I will make, mat and frame 25 11x14 inch platinum- palladium prints!! When I eventually do get an exhibition for the work, everything will be ready to go!

Ordered Me Some Platinum Paper

Been doing more reading about various Platinum printing papers. These two papers, I have never tried before. I will give them a go in the 11x15 inch size. I got 50 sheets of Arches Platine 310gsm (a beautiful warm town paper) of and 25 sheets of Revere Platinum (cheaper cold tone paper). Both paper's do not have calcium carbonate in them (an alkaline), which gives them better archival qualities and a higher Dmax (deeper blacks). I will test these papers for the coming large scale Pl-Pd printing, before deciding which paper I prefer.

I also have Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag Fine Art paper in stock.

Cost $203.30 USD