Printing With Presence!!

I have been reading 4 books on W. Eugene Smith, also watched several vids. They talk about his prints having PRESENCE and that he would GIVE BIRTH to his pictures in the darkroom. That seems so glorious to me. I need to work harder and be more fierce in the darkroom and print with confidence and boldness for PRESENCE in my photographs.  Been playing in photo shop trying to figure out what look I wanted to chase in the darkroom later on.

Here is a bit of experimentation for you. With a wet darkroom nicely bleached print should look better than these samples. Hopefully can do a bit of the giving birth thingy myself in the darkroom, this week and the coming weeks.

Before and After:

Before and After:

Library Show Prints?

With the coming library show set for August, I need to figure out what I will be printing. I decided since this is just a raising awareness type of presentation I would go with all new 35mm horizontal work (to fit the space). Work I have never printed before will allow me to learn new negs and enjoy the printing process more. I have a 100 or so new 35mm images to choose from.

Need to find the negs as well which is always a big problem for me. I plan on printing the images 16x20, dark, contrasty, with lots of edge burning and with a ton of Potassium Ferricynide (bleach) to bring up the highlights and shadows. I need to become more expressive and opinionated in my printing, sometimes I am much to passive, lacking in confidence.

Here is a look at some of the images I am looking through. I only have a few from last trip in these photos, there will be more to chose from. I am also going to shoot a bunch of new 35mm next trip using the wide angle lens. I hope to include 1 or 2 of those images as well. The library show will allow a max of 12 photos. Unfortunately I will need to choose the negs to fit into the restrictions of the space (not frightening people too much).

Note* I hope some day I can exhibit with out rules applied to what I can show.
Note** Will work on cleaning and setting up Darkroom #1 this off work week. I need to fix up the darkroom after the chaos of removing stuff to Darkroom #2. The plan is to find and organize my negs in Darkroom #2 and print them in the enlarger-sink superior Darkroom #1.
Note*** I am trying to set up a talk on "Families of the Dump" somewhere in the cities library system, it is a big MAYBE thou. I also tried to set up a talk with a local photo club, with Art Gallery of Alberta and at a local College. All those reach outs have fallen flat. No one seems to give a shit, no one wants to hear the talk. I feel bad, a failure, am letting the families down again. They trusted me and I am f--king up!

Some of the possible images, I might print

Another 140 LP Records

Forgot to write about this. Last week picked up another 140 LP or so LP records, for $75 CAD. Some different to weird stuff (Andy Williams box set, Organ music, Gospel) in their but also lots of gems. Got me a nice Queen record, lots of classical and a truly wonderful 5 record Reader's Digest box set of Folk music, which I love. Still going through some of the other stuff.

Think I have enough music now, will take me years to get through it all. Working in darkroom #2 will be that much more fun!

Bought Me A "Metz Blitz 54 MZ-3 inkl. SCA 3502 für Leica + SCA 3008A TTL"

Picked up a TTL flash system, cord, modules and the like from a eBay seller in Germany. He wanted a $119.99 Euros for it plus another $50 Euros for shipping. Damn expensive! All these pieces sold separately, the flash, the Leica TTL module, the cord system are very expensive. Together in one buy, they are a bit cheaper.

I have had many issues with flash exposures in the past so decided to spend the extra doe and get this used TTL (through the lens) flash metering system for my Leica R cameras. TTL flash gives a more accurate exposure reading. My hope is to use this flash direct in the field at night in the dump (and elsewhere). I also hope to use it with a bounce off roofs and walls in enclosed areas like dump shack homes. After some negotiating I managed to get the auction price down to $90 Euros.

Now that is it!!!!!!!!!! NO MORE eBAYING. Got to save what money I can for Thai. I hope I get a good tax refund this year!

My new-used Metz 54 MZ-3 flash with extras

New Subject, An Old Subject, Klong Toey

With my newest trip to Thai not far off I have been wracking my brains trying to come up with a new subject, a new project series to shoot. I think my best bet might be returning to an old subect "Klong Toey Slum"!! The hope would be to zoom in on one powerful very human story somewhere in the slum. Need to find it, I think I can.

Klong Toey and other slums in Bangkok are rife with human drama, good-bad-happy and sad, it is a microcosm of life in Thailand. There are many complex and compelling human stories just waiting to be told. I need to dive in and find some new lives to enter, and then devote myself to them. Need to make new friends in new, new passions, new commitments. Throwing myself into that world is easier for me from a physical transport basis also, I spend lots of time in Bangkok, now I can just wander the slum all day and into the night and see what I find. I will also research other slum areas of Bangkok.  My ability to be able to speak some limited Thai is also a bonus. Many times in the dump because of the language barrier, things are difficult, I only know a bit of Burmese and maybe only 20% of the people there speak any Thai. In Klong Toey Slum things will be different. Anytime you can speak to the people in front of you, their acceptance of you goes up, your understanding of their lives, their history,t their everything, improves, as do the photographs. I have found any language skills to be a huge bonus.

What people will I meet? What stories can be told? Who knows, anything could happen. I will also continue shooting existing stories, at the Klong Toey Muay Thai boxing gym and my friends Khune Anapon and Khune Ooh who live under a freeway in Klong Toey. One area I hope to expand on is migrant workers who live in Bangkok's slums. Most of these workers are from Cambodia or Burma. I know of one housing area in Klong Toey that houses many migrant workers (not sure that is still the case). People a long way from home trying to help family back home, beautiful people working hard jobs to improve their lives.

Migrant working mother with her young son, Bangkok 2015

Telling the stories of the people who live in these worlds and maybe raising some money through the photographs to help them with their difficult lives, would be a worthy way to spend my extra time in Thai next trip. Telling real life compelling stories is the goal. The rest of my trip will be back in the garbage at the dump with the families.

Here are a few  digital Canon 5D Mark 3 shots and a bunch of film shots from 2011 and 2016 of the current Klong Toey Slum series mentioned.

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2015

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2014

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Khune Ooh Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2012

Khune Go (now passed away), Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2011

Young Boxer, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2016 (digi)

Khune Anapon, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2016 (digi)

Khune Ooh with her dog Tri-x, Klong Toey Slum Bangkok 2013

Khune Ooh, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok 2013 (digi)

Quote: Albert Schweitzer

"Ethics is nothing other than Reverence for Life. Reverence for Life affords me my fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, assisting and enhancing life, and to destroy, to harm or to hinder life is evil."

Quote: Albert Schweitzer

"True philosophy must start from the most immediate and comprehensive fact of consciousness, and this may be formulated as follows: 'I am life which wills to live, and I exist in the midst of life which wills to live.In nature one form of life must always prey upon another. However, human consciousness holds an awareness of, and sympathy for, the will of other beings to live. An ethical human strives to escape from this contradiction so far as possible. Though we cannot perfect the endeavor we should strive for it: the will-to-live constantly renews itself, for it is both an evolutionary necessity and a spiritual phenomenon. Life and love are rooted in this same principle, in a personal spiritual relationship to the universe. Ethics themselves proceed from the need to respect the wish of other beings to exist as one does towards oneself."

Albert Schweitzer by W. Eugene Smith

Quote: W. Eugene Smith

"Photography is a small voice, at best, but sometime - just sometimes - one photograph or a group of them can lure our senses into awareness. Much depends upon the viewer: in some, photographs can summon enough emotion to be a catalyst to thought."

W. Eugene Smith

Quote: W. Eugene Smith

"I photograph many sad situations that have within them the opening of a hope. I believe in humanity. I am affirmative."

Bought Me A Very Expensive Book: "W.Eugene Smith : Photographs, 1934-75"

Paid a ton for this book. It is the American version, with a different title. I think everything else in the book is the same as the British version. The book runs 352 pages and is supposed to contain many photographs previously unpublished. This book cost a bunch of money everywhere online, into the hundreds of USDs. I found a version that sells for $77 USD plus $12 for shipping. It was a painful swallow. But Smith is my god, the most important photographer in my life, I had to get it, just had to! Supposedly the book I bought (used) was 50% off, not sure I buy that! Hope this book inspires me and pushes me to make important photographs this coming trip. Photographs that could potentially help the lives of the subjects improve.

Note* This is my 55th birthday present to myself!
Update* Somehow, someway the seller cancelled this book on me. Too bad, was really looking forward to it. Got Smith's BIG BOOK instead. Mine cost $164 CAD, a ton of money but since I am not getting this one, about $40-60 CAD (free shipping) or so more the$77 USD version of the other book.

Tonight In The Guardhouse

Got my books and my cameras with me tonight in the guardhouse. Am reading, learning (Gene Smith biography), and looking at photo books (for inspiration). One of the benefits of working as a security guard is that you sometimes have time to learn as you work, to think, to plan, to dream (no sleeping thou!).

The book on the lower left is "Just Another Indian" the tragic story of the serial killer deaths of 4 indigenous women and the indifference shown by Canada to those terrible murders.  The 2 photo books are Sebastiao Salgado's "Exodos" and W. Eugene Smith's "Minamata". The biography on the right is "W. Eugene Smith Shadow & Substance" (by Jim Hughes).

The cameras are a Leica 6.2 with 21mm F4 lens, and a Leica M4-P with a 90mm F2.8 lens. I also recently bought motor drive for the Leica SLR. Got the thing for $16.82 CAD. Not sure I will take it to Thai because of the weight, but it is a nice little addition to the shooting capabilities of the camera. I have never shot the M4-P in the field, but might take it to Thai with me this coming trip. Might also take the 90mm which I rarely use but thought it could give me more opportunities to vary my compositions somewhat. I usually shoot up close and personal but sometimes a longer lens is useful. Composing in that little tiny rangefinder window could be interesting thou. This M version 90mm lens is much smaller and lighter than if I bought something for the R body.

Note* Am also reading another Smith biography "Gene Smith's Sink A Wide-Angle View" (by Sam Stephenson). Thanks to my friend Larry in Texas for sending me this copy. Mr. Stephenson's moving account of seeing a 25x40 version of "Tomoko Uemura in her bath" got me all teared up this evening. I feel this is the greatest photograph ever made. It is shown in the open top right "Minamata" book. The photograph is about the ever lasting and unconditional true love a mother feels for her child. There is nothing in the world more beautiful than that. Her young daughter is a suffering from a birth defect as a result of Mercury poisoning. The beautiful young girl could neither speak or see. Smith wrote emotionally about the life of Tomoko, and about how he always saw her loved by her entire family.

Tonight's learning

Quote: Doc Holliday (Gunfighter And Dentist)

"There is no normal life, there is only life."

Bought Me A Motor Drive-Winder Grip

Also picked up a grip for the motor drive or winder, it cost $25 plus cheap shipping form Hong Kong.

New-used motor drive grip, helps with hold the camera after the additional bottom weight is added

Bought Me A Leica Motor winder

This morning I installed my recent purchase, a cheapo priced Leica motor drive on my Leica R6.2 and love it. There was another motor unit (this time a winder not a drive) selling for about the same price as the drive from the same seller, so I bought it as well. Shipping cost more than the actual gear in this case. Last time also did not pay any additional taxes. The total cost including shipping is only $32.60 USD, well worth it I think.  The unit is scratched up a bit but tested and fully functional.

Note* You can shoot the drive up to 4 frames a second. I think the winder which is smaller and lighter can do 2 frames a second. That might come into play at some point and be important. Sometimes shooting with a motor advancing the film is helpful. The only down side as far as I can see is the additional weight. I plan on taking one of these units with me to Thailand next trip, the other will stay at home to save on weight. Might do the winder as it is a bit smaller-lighter and uses 6 batteries instead of 10.

Note** I am glad I have the option of choosing between the two motor units now. You got to love ways to help the photography at a cheap price. Do not like the fact I might look more pro like now thou, could frighten people a bit.

Leitz Motor-Winder R4

Quote: Albert Einstein

"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts."

Current Thai Trip Gear Thoughts

My current all 35mm Thai trip gear looks like this today (subject to my changing mood). This probably too much gear, might cut back. The likely cuts would be the stereo camera, one of the R6 bodies, and the 50mm M lens.

- Leica R 6 body
- Leica R 6 body
- Leica R 6.2 body
- Leica M body
- Stereo Camera
- Canon 5D Mark 3
- Leica R 16mm F2.8 fish-eye lens
- Leica R 21mm F4 lens
- Leica R 24mm F2.8 lens
- Leica R 60mm F2.8 macro lens
- Canon 24mm to 105mm F4 lens
- Leica M 35mm F1.4 lens
- Leica M 50mm F1.4 lens
- Handheld meter
- Small carbon fiber tripod
- Vivitar flash x 2 (large and small)
- 100 rolls of Tri-x film

Reading Photo For Library Show

For the coming small Clareview Library show in August I thought I might include one or both of these photos. The pictures were made (also have some variations, closeups of the book and hands etc) in 2013. This young girl had found a book in the garbage and was reading it between garbage truck dump offs. She was so interested, so captivated in the book in the book, she completely ignored me as I photographed her. I thought the image would fit in with the library location.

Note* Hope I can find the negatives!

Young girl reading in the garbage dump, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

Bought Me A 16mm Leica R Elemarit Fisheye Lens

Today I made a purchase that I am not sure was smart, I hope it does lead to some good images thou. Yesterday I read that my idol W. Eugene Smith used a 16mm Minolta lens for some of his images during his revolutionary and important Minamata photography book-project-series.

 Plaintiffs demonstrate with photos of their dead on the last day of the trial in October 1972. Photo by W. Eugene Smith

I always wanted to make images with that level of intensity, closeness. To that end I started to look at getting a Minolta camera body, Smith used a Minolta SR-T 101, they run about $100-$200 USD for one in working order. The 16mm fish eye F2.8 Minolta lens runs in at around $300-$500 USD. So the total cost of the lens and the body would probably be in the $550 USD range. The problem is of course that when you dealing with a camera that old (made in the 1970s) your probably going to have break downs and issues with it. Especially when your rough on gear as I am and are shooting in extreme conditions like a garbage dump in Asia.

So what to do?

I had read that the Leica R version of the lens was exactly the same (not sure if that is true or not) but cost far more. Looking up the cost of the Leica R 16mm F2.8 fish eye on eBay, I found they cost between $965 and  $1009 plus shipping and taxes. Wow!! Cannot go there! Too bad because I could have put that lens on one of my R6 cameras or the new-used R6.2 body. Then I would have the lens I wanted, the lens Mr Smith used, and as a bonus would have it on the highly reliable Leica R series body!

Before going to bed this morning I did a second search of Leica R 16mm lens. To my surprise I found one listed at $850 USD, there were 16 watchers on the lens. Still a ton of money, much more money than I should be spending now with the Thai trip so close. I thought thou what the hell, I will make an offer and see if the seller accepts. So I sent them a note offering $800 USD for the lens. Within minutes they replied with a offer link and I had bought the lens. The cost was $800 USD with another $50 for shipping from Florida USA.

Did I do the right thing? Not sure, it was a good price as compared to other versions of the same lens on eBay and about $200-$300 more than the cost of buying and shipping the lower quality Minolta body and equal quality lens separately. The lens is also a bit of a gimmick device as well. Thou I kind of like the wild ass distortions you can get with it. My thinking is that I want to use the lens up close this next trip, up close to workers, to people, and most importantly in tight difficult to shooting areas like the interiors of the dump shacks and places like the tiny rooms that some of my subjects live in (Khune Anapon). I was also thinking of using it for a series of nudes (have not shot nudes in a while). Hopefully I can make good use of the lens, hopefully I did not make a mistake. I will take it with me soon to Asia.

I now have a series of wide angles I will use this coming trip, a 16mm, 21mm, 24mm and 35mm.

Khune Anapon sitting in the doorway of his small room under a freeway

My new-used 16mm F2.8 Leica R Elemarit Lens

Here is the advert from the lens seller:

Leica FIsheye-Elmarit-R 16mm f/2.8 MF 3 Cam Lens "Pristine Optics"

Serial Number:  2816923

Made in:  Japan

Production Year:  1974

MPN:   11327

PRODUCT FEATURE:  

This is a 3 Cam mount  lens,  which fully works on all Leicaflex cameras, R3 to R7 and R8/R9  without Automatic Exposure Control.

This lens can be used with the new LEICA M Type 240 with a Leica adapter with fully compatible support.

But, we make no guarantees about usability of this lens on any system other than Leica R Series Cameras. Please do your own research if you plan to use this lens on non-Leica system with an adapter before you commit to buy.  An improper adapter may cause extensive damage to the lens.

WARNING:  If you plan to use this lens on your DSLR camera, your extra caution is required.  Hold the lens barrel, not FOCUSING RING while you try to attach it to an adapter or to your camera mount, otherwise, the FOCUSING RING might be snapped off, resulting in damage, which will cost you about $350.00 to have it repaired.  Please note that the buyer is  responsible for the damage repair if this happens. The Focusing ring is clearly described as being in working condition when the lens is listed. 

INCLUDES:

Leica Front Lens Cap:   14089

Leica Rear Lens Cap: 14162

Built-In Filters: 1A Y46/O56/80B

OVERALL CONDITIONS

OPTICS:  Please DO NOT use a flashlight because scratches/marks on the flashlight glass reflect through the lens elements you are inspecting, resulting in inaccurate inspection.

Front Lens Glass - Scratch/Cleaning Mark/Coating:   No Issues

Rear Lens Glass -   Scratch/Cleaning Marks/Coating: No Issues

 Internal Elements 

     Fungus/Hazing/Separation:  No Issues         

     Microscopic Dust:    A+  

     Microscopic Fiber/Particles:     A+  

     Microscopic Stray Hairline Cleaning Marks:    A+ 

     Microscopic Scratch:        A+  

     Microscopic Black Specks:      A+   

COSMETIC CONDITION:       Excellent+   

 MECHANICAL CONDITION:

Focusing Movement:    Smooth with proper consistence.    No backlash or play.

Aperture Ring:  Diaphragm stops correctly and snappy.

Diaphragm Blades:  Clean and free of oil.

Built-In Lens Hood Extends/Retracts:   N/A

PRICE is determined based on the conditions described above accordingly.

This is a pre-owned and/or vintage item, so if you are looking for an item free from any flaw, optically, cosmetically and mechanically, please consider that this item may not be for you.    Also we cannot provide the history of use, storage, handling or repair for this item.  

 GRADING CHART  

Internal Microscopic Dust/Fiber/Particles/Hairlines/Scratch/Specks:    *Some brand new lenses may occasionally have a slight amount of micro dust visible inside  the lens elements. This is a result of the manufacturing process and will not affect image quality or resolution.  As a result, previously owned lenses like this one will generally  exhibit the same consistence. Also sometimes, some micro dust can be attracted to the glass surface, and it can be blown away.

A+       Hardly Visible: Or if any, extremely minimal amount. 

A         Minimal Amount: that is absolutely insignificant on a perfect rendition of the optics.

AB      Some Amount:  that is absolutely insignificant on a perfect rendition of the optics

B       Moderate Amount:  that is absolutely insignificant on a perfect rendition of the optics

C       Normal Amount:    that is absolutely insignificant on a perfect rendition of the optics

"Kodoku" Artist Statement?

Going to try submitting the Japanese Kodoku images made in December 2017. Here is a possible artist statement for that project.

Note* I believe I still have files from this series I have never viewed. Also never made a digi print of any of these. Might try printing them on Platinum as well.
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"Kodoku" = Solitude in Japanese.

For me Japan is a place of silence, sadness and solitude. These photographs were made by an outsider looking in at a world and a culture he did not fully understand. Japan is a place of great beauty, of wonderful foods and a compelling and important history but I only felt an overriding foreboding. Life was passing it's people by, minute by minute, hour by hour, with no chance of jumping the que, no chance of individuality, no chance of standing out from the rest. Leaving the Japanese people with only the oppression of obedience, conformity and solitude "Kodoku".

Famous Japanese proverb "The nail that stands up gets hammered down."

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21 "Kodoku" images, Japan 2017