Raised Workshop Rates Again

Raised my workshop rates again. I want to make as much money as I can to buy more film to shoot in Asia but I also want to have students, and promote film photography. It is a bit of iffy thing to raise the workshop prices. How much to charge? I boosted each workshop by $20, not much, but every bit helps. I also added a view camera workshop to the Red Deer posting. Will probably raise the rates again by $20-$40 in 2018 after I return from my LEAVE photo/documetnary film trip to Asia.

Hopefully I can teach a few more (5 or 6 more would be awesome) workshops before I go to Thai, I need to buy more 120mm film!! I need to continue to tell the stories of the dump and elsewhere. Here are the raised rates.

-Basic Darkroom $160
-Advanced Darkroom $200
- Learn to use a View Camera $170

More More Exhibition Show Mag Captures

Here are tonights page layouts for the proposed exhitibion magazine.

Links: Bits And Bites

- Just sent a couple of emails today to the people in charge of the "Canadian Photography Institute" at the "National Gallery of Canada". Basically asked them for advice on getting my photography collected and seen on a national level. Hopefully they will make some suggestions I can follow up on.
http://www.gallery.ca/cpi/about.htm

- Earlier today got an email from one of my submissions. The submission recepient is going to forward the work to a larger gallery in British Columbia. I guess that gallery is going to do a show on Karen art/artists. Since the Karen people are the main ethnic group in the Mae Sot garbage dump my photos might fit into a larger theme. I hope there is a connection there that works for the curator of the gallery. I hope it leads to a an eventual show. I so desperately want to show "Families of the Dump" pictures. The Karen people are so beautiful and kind, their stories need to be told as often and as large as possible.

- Tonight during my nightshift I will continue to work on my show magazine pictures. That is coming along. I have plenty of photos to use the problem is not all the images I love are scanned to the proper size and to find (I have film binders everywhere in my home) and scan the negs is a time consuming nightmare.

- I also contacted and got info from a person in charge of a great grant. It is a $5000 dollar grant that can be used towards the publishing of a photography book. The grant is a result of Edward Burtynsky's kindness and generosity. I will probably make an attempt there, thou it would be the longest of long shots to be accepted. But just imagine, my lifetime dream of a photo book could be realized. How exciting is that!
http://pdnpulse.pdnonline.com/2016/03/edward-burtynsky-establishes-photo-book-grant-with-prize-money.html

Quote: Robert Mapplethorpe

 "The more pictures you see, the better you are as a photographer."

Pricing For A Premium Magazine From Blurb

Did some research on the max amount of pages allows in a Blurb magazine and the cost. I have printed these before and the quality is reasonably good. I will try to do the 100 page magazine, possibly more, depending on how many large files I find for the images I like. I do not really want to do a bunch of extra scanning at this point.
http://www.blurb.ca/pricing#/tab/magazines

100 Pages = $22.99 CAD plus shipping cost.
200 Pages = $42.99 CAD plus shipping cost.
240 Pages (max size) = $50.99  CAD plus shipping cost.

More Exhibition Show Mag Captures

Here are some more captures from my planned AGSA "Gerry Yaum Photographs" magazine. There might be some changes made to image choices and their position in the project.

Note* There are 1 brand new images, never posted before in this section.

Bought A Large Format And Ultra Large Format Tripod Heads

Spent some more money. I bought 2 heads, one for my large format 8x10, 11x14 cameras and one for my 14x17, 16x20. Cost for the 2 heads with free shipping was $860 USD.

Luland Brand CNC 3D Panoramic LF Tripod Head TH-100 360d Rotation for 4x5-11x14 Camera

Luland Brand CNC 3D Panoramic ULF Pan Head 150mm for 16x20, 20x24 Camera

These heads are made in China and are reputed to be of very good quality (I hope!). They have a similar design to Ries heads I have seen. Each head can be moved in 2 directions, forward and back and left and right The 8x10 version is about half the weight of my current Manfrotto geared head. I have no real heads that were rated to work with my 14x17 and 16x20 cameras, the 16x20, 20x24 version should do the job well. Whjch at a future date I should be able to use on my wetplate Northern Canada project.

Hope I am made the right decision on these. I got about a $90 USD discount by buying both at the the same time. The heads come with free shipping. One of the main reasons I bought these was so that I could use the 8x10 head in Asia next trip. It is lighter than what I currently own, and lighter is VERY GOOD when your 53 years old and carrying around a 8x10 camera in extreme conditions (a humid garbage dump and 34C weather!). I hope to use the larger head on my14x17 and 16x20 cameras for my later in life wet plate photography project of Northern Canada.

I will update you all on how the heads work for me later on.

My Bulk Film Has Arrived!

I found a box containing my bulk 35mm Tr-x film on my front door steps today. The box contained 5 bulk canisters of film, 500 feet. What joys and wonders will be captured on that emulsion? What memories and stories will be told? It is all so exciting.

After working on the dad photos for the coming AGSA show, all from 35mm negs. Going back to Asia and shooting a bunch more 35mm Tri-x fills me with excitement. I remember when I told a former acquaintance about the importance of buying film over spending the money on social club functions. He did not get it, I tried to explain why film was more important. I guess most people do not get my need to buy film. How do you explain something like that to a person who does not have the passion, the same drive to make pictures? I guess that is the way most things are, I cannot understand the need for a new SUV when your old one works fine, a new house when the old will do, or a bottle of scotch with a pack of cigs. That shit always seems so wasteful to me. I guess from the people who spend (waste) money that way buying film is wrong.

To each his own! I am just happy to have more film to shoot. I will be entering more lives, telling more stories, and making more prints.

Ain't Photography Grand!!

Note* A good chunk of this film buy (not all) was paid for by my weekend of teaching workshops.

Sweet But Sad

Spent a sweet but sad morning in the darkroom working on a difficult photograph of my dads body in in his hospital bed, moments after his passing. Before work today I did 3 hours in the darkroom printing the 35mm negative to 20x24 inches. Ended up doing prints 2 through 5. I think I got it but we will have to see after the secondary printing, bleaching and toning phase.

All through today's work I listened to a 6 LP album set of Nat King Cole love songs which helped sweeten the mood. I kept thinking back to dad through out the session. He basically paid for the darkroom I am now using, it was his gift to me, now I am using it to print a large photograph of his body. I remember one day months before dad died I thanked him again, it was a heartfelt, tearful thank you for the darkroom. He simply looked at me with softness and compassion and said "Your Welcome". I can still remember the look in his eyes when he said that to me. Now 2 years after dads death I work towards telling the story of his last year in the darkroom gift he gave to me.

Taught The Darkroom Workshop

Taught the darkroom workshop today which went fairly well. The class lasted almost 5 hours. I usually put it down to 4 hours but today wanted to give the talented new photographer more time. We even made a basic fiber print at the end. Pulled in $140 today and  $300 yesterday,  All that money will go towards film.

Am back to work in the guardhouse tomorrow, going to try to do on dads death photo tonight. Maybe will make up 2 or 3 more versions. I can do the secondary printing of it next week off. The exhibition prints are coming along on schedule and will be ready for the hanging and opening August 3.

Note* These workshops are lots of work for me (too much talking!) I think I need to raise the rates yet again.

- Basic darkroom from $140 to $160 maybe $180
- Advanced darkroom $180 to $200 maybe $220
- Basic View camera $ 150 to $170 maybe $190

Need To Buy A Deardorff Lensboard

One thing I learned during today's class. I hate my Linhof to Deardorff adapter board! Everything is wonky, shaky and fragile. I will buy a new solid one piece Copal 1 lens board to use in Asia. I want something strong and durable. That last thing you need to worry about when shooting large format 8x10 portraits is shitty lens boards. Everything needs to flow smooth and easy, and that includes a good solid well made lens board.

Teaching Today

Well am off to teach 2 students from Calgary today (I live 3 hours North in Edmonton). Going to do a view camera workshop times 2 for $300. It should be a fun outing. I will be teaching with a 4x5 camera (my Linhoff) but will also be showing them my (dad bought) 8x10 Deardorff, my Graflex Super D and my Banarama 4x5 rangefinder (adapted Polaroid).

I had an interesting inquiry from a fellow in Atlanta Georgia recently that could possibly lead to some workshops. In the past I have had people from as far away as Montreal, Massachusetts and now Atlanta asking about taking classes with me. I find that rather remarkable. Are there no people teaching this stuff in other cities? Gosh I wish more folk would teach and promote film photography.

Yesterday during my second visit to the AGA photo shows I spoke to one of the interns again (not sure what his job title is). He told me that the only other place that he knows of in the city with. a functioning darkroom is SNAP gallery (small darkroom). The older I get the less film related courses and classes there seem to be. Maybe I should check into setting up a second darkroom both for renting and teaching in.

Oh well, thanks for listening, Professor Gerry is now off to school!

Update* The class went well, lots of fun. I think the father and son duo learned somethings and got to handle a variety of cameras. I also got some personal instruction on how to tell a story on video and how to make a movie (story arcs and the like). One of my students was an experienced videographer. I took notes and leaned some things myself! Wins all round. Tomorrow I have a darkroom workshop with a 3rd student, which should be fun.

Dad Death Photo

Tough photograph to print today, but it needs to be done for the exhibition, so I am doing it.

I was with my father when he died. I had been making some photos with 5x7 camera quietly trying not to disturb his sleep, when he passed. At the point I made this photo with a 35mm Leica I guessed he had left us but was still unsure. After making the photograph I felt his face which was cool/cold, then his chest stomach which was still hot. Dad must have died in his sleep shortly before I arrived to photograph him that day or while I was photographing him.

I spent some time alone with him, kissed him, said goodbye, then called my mom who was taking a nap. My fathers last words to mom where "I am going to sleep."

This will most likely be the last image in the "Healing Process" exhibition (the 5th photo I have made, will do 7). The photograph is a vertical shot, on 35mm Tri-x negative, printed on Ilford warmtone 20x24 paper. Exposure is at 210 seconds f4 with dodging on the face and blanket. I used a mask to burn in the pillows and other white areas for 200 seconds at f2.8, the filter is a 2.5.

Note* Before my father died I asked him if it would be OK to photograph his body, and he said it would be.

My first attempt at dad death photograph

Quotation: Lao-tru (Chinese Philosopher)

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

Email: AGA Photography Letter To Some Friends

Sent this out to all my photo friends, some that are for some strange reason angry at me, go figure! I hope they go visit the exhibitions at the AGA! We need to support institutions that show photography, especially when it is the number one museum in the province the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA).

Here is the email I sent to around 30 photo folks, friends and so so friends:

Hey folks, the AGA is currently showing a ton of top notch photography. 

- Cartier-Bresson - 3 photos
- Sima Khorrami (a friend and nice modest person) -gypsy/roma work

- EJ Belocq (3 images) - sex worker portraits from New Orleans Storyville era

- Walker Evans (3 images)

- Karsh (Churchill portrait)

- Some wonderful landscape/water work using ilfordchrome paper shot in a 8x10 camera.

- A strong 360 degree pinhole image

- A wonderful 1850s carbon print

- A single Harry Callahan street work

- A selection of images from the whose who of Canadian documentary photography (no Orest S.)

And a non photography set of sculptures I found dominant and fascinating, huge sculpted heads done out of silicone (2nd floor).

There are probably another 30 images from a variety of other photographers, many of them very good. The photos are showing on floors 1 and 2 (yes two floors of pics!!) and a bit on the top floor as well!! Please go visit the shows, support the AGA when they are promoting photography. It is a huge win for all of us who love the photographic arts!! Go photography go! 

I know some of you are currently peeved at me (not sure why I am such a great guy :))) but lets all stand together and visit the AGA to see the shows. I have been 2 times already and will probably go another 4 or 5 times before the shows run out. I have some free passes available if you want to go with me sometime (passes are only good if I am there, free guest passes off my yearly membership). Let me know and we can do a trip to the AGA together. If you want to go on your own the cost I think is $12.50 which is well worth it.

Thanks Gerry

Clocks for Seeing: Photography, Time and Motion | Art Gallery of Alberta

Clocks for Seeing: Photography, Time and Motion | Art Gallery of Alberta

The Looking Glass | Art Gallery of Alberta

The Looking Glass | Art Gallery of Alberta

A little mag book layout I am working on for my coming exhibition at the AGSA. I hope to make it around 100 pages, a photo per page. Here is the beginning of it.

Exhibition Project: Photograph Magazine (History Of Gerry Yaum Photographs)

Exhibition Project: Photograph Magazine (History Of Gerry Yaum Photographs) I am trying once again to do up a BLURB MAGAZINE for the coming AGSA show. I have worked on a few versions of th...

Wondrous Display Of Photographs At AGA

I bitched about the AGA big time recently but have to give them credit now. They have a wonderful set of portraits (many photographs) on display in their 2nd floor show "The Looking Glass".
http://www.youraga.ca/exhibition/lookingglass

Yesterday I saw work by Walker Evans, EJ Bellocq (sex worker portraits), Karsh (Churchill)and my friend Sima Khorrami (Gypsy's), On the main floor their is also a collection of photographs including 3 Cartier-Bresson images. There is also a whose who of Canadian documentary photographers on display. Wonder of wonders, loved it all so much.

Go see the shows!!! Please support the showing of photography by the AGA in Edmonton!!!!!

A Day In The Dark

After yesterdays weird ass adventures I thought today would be a good day to spend in the darkroom. I bleached and toned print dad exhibition print number 4 yesterday (3-20x24 and 1 triptych), today I will work on print number 5, another 20x24 image from a 35mm neg.

Karma? Very Strange Event Today

I had a very strange event happen today. At 745 am I came to realize my garage had been broken into. I went out and the man door was locked but the large overhead car door was open. I went to check what had been stolen. A bag of books I had stored there was open and on the ground, my film in the freezer  was safe but my beautiful new bike, the one I bought late last year to replace my old stolen bike was gone! Another bike gone, how f-cking depressing!! Two stolen bikes in 1 year and a bit. I was going to use it soon to get into good shape for my coming LEAVE to help with weight loss etc. How depressing,  I was so down.

I locked up the garage again and spent my morning trying to find the bike receipt so that I could make an insurance claim (loosing $1000 in the deductible). I started to fill out the online police report but had to stop because I could not find the purchase receipt for the bike. I called the store I bought it at and they told me they could reprint my bike info, serial number etc. So depressing!

So I spent a sad morning, later I went into the darkroom and screwed up the bleaching on a photo of my father, then might have over toned another print (not sure on that). So an all round shitty morning. I had a dental appointment at 3 pm so went out to my re-locked garage at 150 pm. I opened the garage man door then went to the back sidewalk gate to enter the garage through the overhead car door. I start to open the rear gate but then saw a bike, a black bike with green striping leaning up against my rear driveway fence. I looked at it, and thought "A bike", then I closed my eyes, opened them to take a second look "Wait a minute, that is MY BIKE!" "What? How? Why?" I was floored! I could not believe my eyes. I sort of stood there dumbfounded, not sure what to do. The thief had stolen my bike then returned it a few hours later! I had been in the garage at 10 am looking for damage  to the car/garage and looking for more stolen items and there was no bike on the fence. Then at 1:50 pm there it was leaning on the rear fence!!

What a totally bizarre thing! I put the bike in the garage again, then went out to the dentist. Afterwards I went to Home Depot and bought a better padlock for the man door, a C clamp to use as an extra lock for the overhead garage door and a big strong metal lock for the bike. The 2 garage doors are now extra secured and the bike is now locked down inside the garage.

What happened today? I have no idea. Could this be a karma thing? I did some good work for others in Asia over the last few years and now the good gods of karma are rewarding me? Did the thief have a guilty conscience? What a strange event. I am very happy I still have my bike and I can start riding it very soon, preparing for Thailand. Like John Lennon wrote, "You don't know what you got until you lose it!" (I think he was talking about Yoko, but heck it works for my Trek mountain bike also :)).

A strange day.

Leica R Cameras For 35mm Work?

Am thinking of taking only my Leica R 35mm with me to Thailand. I have both M rangefinder and R SLR Leica's both are great camera systems. The Leica R have slower lens f2.8s but are lighter and allow for much closer focusing. The Leica M cameras are super tough a bit smaller to carry and a true joy to use.

What to do? I could take 2 R bodies with 28mm f2.8, 35mm f2.8 and a 60mm f2.8 (macro feature). I also have a Speedbooster to allow me to use the Leica R lens on my BMCPP video cameras. I really like the close focus ability, but dislike the lost in speed. I have a wonderful 35mm F1.4 lens for the Leica M that I hate, HATE to leave bebind, also a 28mm F2 and a 21mm.

What to do? What to do? More thought needed.

Exhibition Project: Photograph Magazine (History Of Gerry Yaum Photographs)

I am trying once again to do up a BLURB MAGAZINE for the coming AGSA show. I have worked on a few versions of the mag using the BookWright software over the last several months. I think thou that this version might be it.

My idea is to just do a collection of photographs, show my photos, 100 or 200 pages of just photos. I will divide the magazine into 5 sections (maybe more), 5 different photographic series.

- "Families of the Dump" Mae Sot Thailand 2013-present
- "Sex Worker" Thailand, Cambodia 1996-2012
- "Dads Last Days" Edmonton, Canada 2014-2015
- "Muay Thai Boxer" Bangkok, Thailand 2011-present
- "Klong Toey Slum" Bangkok Thailand 2011-present

It will be pictures wall to wall, both sides of the page, no titles. I will only put section titles, let the viewer make up the "Rest of the Story" in their heads!

The main problem I am facing is getting all the photos I need into this thing. It is so time demanding. I will try to work at this over the next few months. I need to do higher end scans (or find scans I did) then re-edit each image so the file size is big enough to print in a magazine. All of this takes a ton of time and effort. I need to discipline myself and get this done.

The eventual hope is that people who come to the exhibition at the AGSA, press, art leaders instructors etc will see the photographs be sufficiently impressed and that will lead in a positive personal growth direction. More shows? Artist talks? More creative photographic opportunities? Who knows where stuff like that leads. The other major positive factor of course is that it will allow much of my forgotten unseen photography to be seen, the stories of my subjects will be told (at least a little!).

Here are the first page tentative attempts, changes will follow. Lower contrast? Smaller Photos? Titles? New cover shots? I am not sure what the max number of pages one of these Blurb mags can do, but I will probably try to reach that number. 100? 200? pages, will have to see what happens. The idea is to get the max number of strongish photos for people who visit the show to look at.

Note* I am using my new/used/editing PC notebook to work on the large photo files. I have a full CS6 photoshop version in the machine (not a lite version like in my other computers), it is fun to use.

Gallery Levels

Been going over in my head the levels of Galleries, something I made up.

A) World Class: These museums are the best in the world, almost impossible for a person like me to even think of being shown in.

-The Museum of Modern Art (New York) MOMA
- The Tate Modern (London)
- National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa)
- San Francisco Museum of Fine Art (San Francisco)
 
B) 1st Class Museums/Galleries: These museums/galleries are much more numerous, going from the the hundreds possibly thousands world wide. I believe with extreme hard work and dedication being shown in places like this might be possible. Maybe some day before I die I can get in.

- Alberta Gallery of Art (Edmonton) AGA
- Vancouver Gallery of Art (Vancouver) VAG

C) 2nd Class. The start of the alphabet soup acronym galleries. This level of gallery numbers in the 10s of thousands woldwide/ They are difficult to get into but are smaller in scope and size. I have started to get into some of these places. Hopefully in the next few years my acronym gallery acceptance rate and exhbitions will climb.

- Art Gallery of St. Albert (where my next show will be) (St. Albert Alberta) AGSA
- Red Deer Museum (higher C level)
- Southern Art Gallery (SAAG)
- Nanaimo Art Gallery
- Visual Arts Alberta (VAA)

D) These gallery places  can be very nice but are limited in their scope. They are often run by devoted hard working folks who simply love art.

- KAASA (Jubilee Auditorium) (Edmonton Alberta)
- Rosebuds Akokiniskway Gallery
- Larry Louie Gallery
- McMullen Gallery (Edmonton University Hospital)

E)  Coffee shops, restaurants etc that hang art on their walls (kinda). A good place to start out, I sort of missed out of this level and jumped to D at the beginning.

Note* Of all the places I would like to get into, I hope to have at least one print show at the National Gallery of Canada before I die, that is the dream!

35mm Tri-x Bulk Film Buy.

Bought some more 35mm bulk (100 foot) Tri-x tonight. B&H was having a sale on nearly outdated film (07/17) so I picked up 5 rolls. This my favourite film has gone up quite a bit in price the last few years. New Tri-x bulk usually sells for $128.77 USD, this film was going for $89.95 USD. What is strange and does not quite make sense is that individual 36 frame rolls sell for $4.95 USD. In one bulk roll of 100ft you usually get around 18-19 roll of film ($4.95 x 18= $89.10). Which means it is about the same price, maybe a bit more expensive, to buy manufactured rolls of Tri-x instead of bulk film that you load yourself. Total price of this purchase including free shipping to Canada was $482.62 USD.

I did not save a lot of money on this deal but I prefer to buy the film bulk because then I can carry more lighter bulk film canisters ontp airplanes without worrying about the extra weight of the preloaded cartridges. I can carry several bulk 100 foot film cans then load the film into a set of 30 or so bulk cartridges in Asia. It is a bit more work and requires more time (nightly film loading) but when your staying for 6 months or longer as I am, it is is not that big of a deal. I also need to load my various 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 film holders so this is just more of the same. Basically bulk film allows me to carry more film with me to Asia at less weight.

I should be saving money for Thailand now but thought I would take care of this bulk film buy while it was available. I never feel bad about getting more film, new film fills me with hope and happiness. What will end up on the negs? What magic can be created? It is all so exciting, even after all these years of shooting there is nothing like the hopes of what new film will bring.

Note* If the film is stored properly (frozen) then it being outdated is not too big a deal. I plan on taking outdated 35mm Tri-x from my fridges that expired in 2012 (maybe 2016) this next 6 month trip. There might be a tiny bit of base fogging but I have found it does not interfere with my print making. I will probably not use todays bought film for several years, maybe 5 or 6 years.
Note** I will use this weekends 3 workshops to pay for a good portion of this film buy. I will earn $440 CAD, and today I bought $483 USD worth of Tri-x.
 B&H Film Buying Link

Quotes: Woody Allen

"My one regret in life is that I am not someone else."

"I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer Poland."

"If my films make one more person miserable, I'll feel I have done my job."

"You can live to be hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be hundred."

"Sex alleviates tension. Love causes it."

"The only thing standing between me and greatness is me."

"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it by not dying."

"Life is full of misery, loneliness and suffering - and its all over much too soon."

"It's not that I am afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

More Submissions

Did some more email submissions tonight of the dump family photograph series and various other subjects, places.

-UCR/ California Museum of Photography
 http://artsblock.ucr.edu/Page/california-museum-of-photography

- Eastern Edge Gallery (Newfoundland)
  http://easternedge.ca/exhibitions/submissions/

- Memorial University (Newfoundland)
 http://www.grenfell.mun.ca/campus-services/Pages/community/art-gallery/submissions.aspx

- Aceart (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
http://www.aceart.org/submissions

- Casa Gallery (Lethbridge, Alberta)
http://www.casalethbridge.ca/gallery-opportunities

- Nanaimo Art Gallery (British Columbia)
http://nanaimogallery.ca/index.php/exhibitions/submissions

- Island Mountain Arts (Wells, British Columbia)
http://support-imarts.com/partners/ 

Quote: Edvard Munch

"An artwork is a crystal. A crystal has a soul and a mind, and the artwork must also have these. It is not enough for an artwork to have correct angles and lines."

The Morality And Honesty Of A Poor Man

  A nice news story about a good and decent man:

All smiles as poor trishaw driver,74, returns 100,000 baht to South African cop

SURAT THANI: -- It was all smiles in Surat Thani yesterday when a visiting South African policeman was reunited with his wallet.
 
Now the grateful tourist wants to repay the honesty of the man with a monthly allowance, reported Thairath.
 
Rachendeen Ayer, 52, had given up hope of ever seeing his money and credit cards again after losing his wallet on Wednesday.
 
But he had not bargained for the honesty of 74 year old "samlor" operator Banphot Chotikphan who found the wallet and immediately took it into the police.
 
Banphot cycles around the To Rung market area on Na Muang Road in the southern Thai town. He has been doing that for decades.
 
He said at the police station yesterday that even though he is poor he would not dream of keeping another person's possessions as he understood their problems in losing money. He was just happy that the owner was found.
 
Rachendeen said that he had come to Surat on February 25th to visit his Thai girlfriend.
 
He was most impressed with modest Banphot and has talked with officials on ways that he can transfer a monthly allowance to the old man as a way of repaying his kindness.
 
All concerned had their smiling pictures taken yesterday at Surat police station.

Email: Artist Talk Money Plan

Not sure the artist talk at the AGSA will happen or not, if it does I have a way to spend the earnings in a positive manner. I wrote about this idea a while back but today I exchanged an email with the curator of the gallery and thought I would post it here. We all can help the world in so many ways if he make small gifts like this. Here is the email:

Yes OK -----, thanks no problem. If you make the talk work that sounds great, if not that's no problem as well.

Since I believe this talk is paid (depending on your budget). I thought of a positive way to spend that same money. My father always worried about children, it something through our lifetime together he always commented on. He took great care of my sister and I growing up, we never lacked anything. He would also worry whenever he saw a child in real life, or on the television who was suffering in anyway. Dad would always comment on it, "poor boy, poor girl!" ...."Why doesn't his parents take care of him?" My father had a very difficult childhood so I think that affected the way he thought of children his whole life. He always wanted them to have the best, something he never had growing up.

My thinking was to donate the money from the talk to the children living in the garbage dump in Thailand (my other photo project).
http://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/2017/03/art-acquisition-submission.html

I can donate the money earned to their school tuition fees. I thought that would be the best way to handle things, dad would like that. I could speak about dad/myself the making the pictures as part of "Healing Process' then use the money from the talk to help children. The idea seems so right to me, it would allow my father to help those he worried about his whole life.

Anyway, this email was not meant to influence or put pressure on you, just a plan I came up with a few days back. If the talk does not happen, that is fine also, will figure out some other way to do the same thing. I go to Thailand for 6 months soon after the ending of the AGSA show (October 2017), so the donation idea seems to be sort of a fate thing, the proper flow of karma.

Thanks as always Gerry.

Link: Art Gallery Of Alberta (AGA) One Of The Most Beautiful Museums In The World!!

Check out this list of the 17 most beautiful art galleries in the world. My local AGA museum makes the list! Of the 17 galleries (#16), I have only been to the Art Gallery of Alberta, I need to get off my butt and travel to some of the other beauties listed. I guess I am different than many folks in that regard, I base my travels on what works of art are in what museums. The major reason I went to Italy last year was to see Michelangelos "David" and his "Frescos (Sistine Chapel)", which turned into one of the joys of my lifetime.
The 17 Most Beautiful Art Museums In The World!

AFA Art Acquisition Submission

Started my annual (miss last year, computer problem) submission to the Art Foundation of Alberta (AFA), Art Acquisition program. Am not sure if I can sell individual prints or if it has to be sold as a whole series together, 5 photographs. I would want at least $500 a piece for 16x20 versions of each print, so that would be $2500 for the lot. I am still working on the submission, the deadline is April 1.

If any of you other Albertans out there want to submit, here is a link.
https://www.affta.ab.ca/funding/find-funding/art-acquisitions-application

Here is my submission for this year, "Families of the Dump".

Workshop Weekend Scheduled

Gosh seems I have workshops scheduled on back to back days now. It will be a weekend full of talking. I will be teaching a father and son coming up from Calgary about using a View Camera on the Saturday March 18 and a local man will learn the basics of darkroom printing on Sunday the 19th. The $440 earned will pay for a nice chunk of film! Probably going to buy 120mm this time as I have plenty of 35mm, 4x5 and 8x10 Tri-x. I can then shoot the film in Thai. I love when my photography workshops help pay for my Asian picture making.

MORE Last Scans From Last Thai Trip

Here is the final selection of scanned 120mm negs from the last trip.

Young boxer Klong Toey slum gym, Bangkok Thailand 2016

Old man in his dump home, Mae Sot Thailand 2016

Young girl dressed up in the dump, Mae Sot Thailand 2016

This next photograph of a hard working family father I probably cannot print traditionally in a darkroom as it is extremely back lit, and would need heavy duty contrast enhancement that I can only get in photoshop. Like the image thou, so thought I would post it. Might try more of this in the future without the back lighting issue.

Father of dump family, Mae Sot Thailand 2016

Young boy from migrant family, Bangkok Thailand 2016

Young boy sleeping in the garbage dump, Mae Sot Thailand 2016

Quote: Margaret Bourke White

"One photograph might lie, but a group of pictures can't.

Quote: Drew Gilpin Faust (Harvard President)

“Only by coming to terms with history, can we free ourselves to create a more just world.”

Amazing Portrait Of Mr. Renty

Stumbled on this haunting portrait of a older man named Renty who was a slave on a South Carolina plantation, 1850. Read the story behind the picture, and Harvard University's connection to injustice in the link. This is the type of portraiture I need to do, an honest and heartfelt illumination of a soul.

Who was this man? What was the story of his life? What amazing hardships did he face and overcome? When did he die? Who did he leave behind? I would love to learn more about this man. This photograph may be all that remains, he most likely is 160 years dead, but part of him lives on through this portrait and the magic of photography.

Renty South Carolina Plantation Slave, 1850 USA

Mirror Of Race
NY Times Story Behind The Photograph

"Soliciting Temptation" Play Showing In Edmonton, SOME THOUGHTS!

Why does Western press and artist always focus on sex tourism in Thailand (always always Thailand, always always sex tourism) but forget and ignore the far more disturbing world of the sold sex slaves working in countless South East Asian brothels? Are we only concerned with the WESTERN connections! What about a non Western angle? Why do we always have to be part of the story all the time? Are we so self obsessed? Is it only when Westerners are included that we care? Or is it just easier to go to the places where the tourist hang out ignoring the more deeper and disturbing- dangerous worlds of brothels,. Where people are sold into the industry (often young women), where the local men are customers and where the corrupt politicians and police benefit through bribes, and also customers.

Tonight I read about a sex tourism play showing in my city. A play that seems to have its heart in the right place but that misses the bigger and more important picture which is the devastating story of the lives of the brothel sex worker. This is another reason why I might try to tell my story "Lost Innocence" a photographic story. It seems no one else has the courage to go into those terrible non Western brothel worlds and speak of the nightmare the sold sex worker lives. Most everyone else ignores this terrible problem, these lost and forgotten lives.

I was going to post the comment below on the Edmonton Journal newspaper story page on the play but could not so decided instead to post it here.

A  very worthy subject for a play. In my experience finances, economics are the underlying reasons as indicated in the story. An even far greater and more disturbing type of exploitation than Western sex tourism Thai scene thou is the young women sold into the brothels of South East Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma etc.) Many times families will sell their own daughters to the brothels (economics again) who then often go with (raped) 10 or more customers (their term) a day. These customers are predominantly local men. In Cambodia the men uses a slang term "invading Vietnam" when they go to a brothel, as the Cambodian brothel workers are usually illegal Vietnamese. An extremely high percentage of South East Asian men have their first sexual experience that way. I read a stat several years ago that out that number at around 80%, it might be accurate. The sex tourism world is exploitative and ugly but the brothel world is far worse, as ugly life as you can imagine. See the link.

Gerry

The Hardest Part, Gerry Yaum Blog Story

Here is a link to the play also, probably well worth seeing, give it a look. I might give it a look later on. I just wish someone would focus on the bigger picture, the stories of people like this young woman I photographed in 2003.

http://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/theatre/actor-expects-audience-to-gasp-in-uncompromising-play-about-sex-tourism-soliciting-temptation

Vietnamese girl who was sold into the brothel world, Poi Pet Cambodia 2003

I Know You And Your Work!

Had a weird ass experience at the Art Gallery of Alberta today. I was talking to one of the staff who was very helpful and knowledgeable. We started jabbering on about different photos in the exhibit and the way they were made etc. The staff member Daniel taught me a bit on how some of the stuff was done, we speculated on the some other possible ways the work was created (a 360 degree pinhole camera photograph).  We had a nice little talk and visit. I thanked him and on a whim gave him my card telling him to check out my blog. Now most times when I do that people have no idea about my photography they politely accept the card and that's it, end of story. Today thou Daniel said "I know you and your work!" Gosh that was surprising, really? How? Turns out he formally worked at the Art Gallery of St. Albert (AGSA is my next exhibition location) when I made my submissions there a while back, "Families of the Dump" and "My Fathers Last Days".  I made those submissions maybe 7-9 months ago, and he still remembered the name YAUM?  Maybe he also knew me and the photographs from this blog, YouTube channel etc. He never completely explained things, I did not recognize his face from the AGSA.

Found that all rather surprising. Maybe bit by bit in a small way the work and (fake) name is being recognized locally. It was a weird ass rather shocking thing to be KNOWN by a stranger at a prestigious caller like the Art Gallery of Alberta. What happened today, this "being known thingy" might be the first time this has happened to me, live and in person.

Good "Art Gallery of Alberta" Visit

I went down to visit the AGA and renew my membership today and found to my surprise plenty of strong art. They still had the weird ass conceptional stuff, video of a woman piling up furniture etc, but they also had some work that had some power to it. Work people could understand and that had some emotional power.

On the main floor they had a photography exhibit called "Clocks for Seeing: Photography, Time and Motion" which I quite enjoyed. There was a set of in camera made 8x10 water landscapes on Ilfordchrome, a beautiful carbon print from 1868, a 360 degree pinhole camera cemetery shot and 3 Cartier-Bresson photographs that were very nice. I especially loved the Ilfordchrome in camera shots (8x10 camera). I have some frozen Ilfordchrome paper some ancient chemistry (still good?) and 3 8x10 cameras, so I could try that technique later this year if I wanted to. I have so much on the go right now, not sure it is possible, but who knows I might try it.

Upstairs in on the 3rd floor was a wonderful movie on the Inuit people of North Canada that was fascinating. They had it set up with multiple monitors and headphones. Found it very interesting. I guess the films are part of a 13 part series shot in 1995-95. I will try to find them online or at my local library, want to watch the series from beginning to end.

I bitched and shit on the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) big time a while back. I have to give them credit this time round. I really enjoyed my visit to the gallery this afternoon it was the highlight of a long busy day. They were installing a show with portraiture theme on the 2nd floor that I was told by one of the AGA staff will also include many photographs. I will go back in 2 weeks and check that out as well

Thanks AGA for doing a good job, keep it up please!

2 New View Camera Workshops Scheduled

Just had 2 new "View Camera Workshops" confirmed for mid March. A father and son are driving up from Calgary to do the class together. This will be my 3 and 4th or 4th and 5th (forget) Calgary students. It should be a good outing, with lots of learning-fun. Hopefully this will lead to two more people in the fold shooting and loving large format cameras and film photography. The more of us out there making photographic art, the better.

I will use the $300 earned from the workshops to buy 120mm Tri-x for my the long LEAVE trip to Thai later this year. 

Link: Note From The Art Gallery of St. Albert (AGSA), ARTIST TALK?

Got a email note from the Art Gallery of St. Albert (AGSA) yesterday. The gallery curator wants to see and talk over the art work that will be shown, we will meet up sometimes in May/June. The email was about setting up a studio visit. I will need to do the meeting in either my darkroom (congested) or maybe at mom and dads home (nicer house more room). Maybe we could do both places, not sure yet.  I will be showing 7 or 8 matted and newly made 20x24 photographs plus a bunch of 16x20 pictures from past exhibits. The Larry Louie Gallery (7 or 8 photos) and the Akokiniskway Gallery (8 photos) exhibition prints of the "My Fathers Last Days". The older photographs are all stored at moms home, some framed, some not.
Dad Photos Shown In Rosebud Alberta,  Akokiniskway Gallery Walk

The exciting news is that I MIGHT be doing an artist talk for this coming AGSA show (opening night is August 3, 2017).  Jenny the curator is not sure of the available budget for talks as of yet but if there is enough money (artist talks at the gallery are paid) we are going to do a "Healing Process" talk for the exhibition. I can speak of dad, our relationship about the making of the photographs and how that everything developed and proceeded. How the creative process helped me cope somewhat with the dying and loss of my/our father. How it might have helped dad in a way also. It gave him a final voice, and it gave us a last shared time together before he left this world forever. It also created work that allowed, helped us to continue to be together till the very end. I visited and photographed almost every day of that last 13 months and was alone taking pictures with my father when he died.

This is the 3rd exhibition and the 2nd time after his death that dads photos will be shown. A single photograph was also shown at the Kaasa Gallery in the Jubilee auditorium in 2015.

Dad "Fear" (stripped light) photo hanging at the Kaasa Gallery as part of Alberta Open 2015

Think I will be tearing up and crying a bit if it happens, not sure, a very emotional subject for me. Even now as I write this I do tear up a bit. Dad has been gone now for just over 2 years and I still think about and miss him all the time. I even say out loud to myself many days "I miss my father." A man I met online wrote me that the pain and loss never goes away. He said that his dad died 14 years earlier and he still felt it. I think it will be the same with me. It will be a loss that I will feel the rest of my life. The photo series "My Fathers Last Days" (Healing Process) help thou, they give me an outlet. They allow me to both remember and heal (might include that last thought in the talk).

I hope I get the chance to do this artist talk. Not sure if I need to make up a PowerPoint presentation or if it will just be me in the gallery talking in front of the pictures. Will have to see what happens, see if the other folks in this group show are speaking as well. It is funny how things change, how life experience makes you braver. Before when I had never done artist talks I was always nervous, now that I have done minor and major version talks it seems all so much easier. Now I look forward to these speaking opportunities, with gratitude and happy anticipation.

Maybe I can later give the money I earn from the talk to help the children in the dump (pay for school fees?).  Dad always worried about kids and their lives, I think he would like to help them. It some how seems right, I speak of dad, our relationship and the artistic healing creative process in Canada then later donate the money to help refugee (garbage dump living) children in Thailand. Yes, I think that is the way to go, it will be what I do.

If this all goes ahead as I hope, I will be posting more details later here on the blog.

Mother and her young son outside of their dump shack, December 2015 Mae Sot Thailand