Possible Exhibition Prints

Just running images through my mind thinking of what my work for this possible "Exposure Photography Festival Show'.  Here are a quick choice 40 possibles for the maybe 10-20 available spots. The pics are from the "Dads Last Days", "Families of the Dump", "Slum Boxer" and "Nepal" projects. I probably have another 100 possibles that I would need to consider. Because the work would be part of a group gallery show, the selected work would also need to fit into that agenda.

Am getting quite a bit ahead of myself here but after so many gallery rejections it's nice to think positively for a change. Being part of an important photographic festival like "Exposure" would be an honour. More importantly being able to tell "Dads" story and the "Families of the Dump" story would be so rewarding. I might also be able to get people to donate a little to "Eyes to Burma", I would post the link in my "Artist Statement for the show. This group exhibition and the work could have a positive effect on peoples lives.

http://eyestoburma.org/about/

Exposure Photography Festival, Possible Show

The details are very limited at present but it looks like there is a good chance I might be part of a group show in early 2015. The show would be part of the Exposure Photography Festival. The festival has been taking part in Calgary, Banff and Canmore since 2004 and now is spreading to other locations in the province of Alberta. The next Exposure Photography Festival will add Lethbridge and Alberta's capital Edmonton (where I live).

I should have more info on the show in the coming weeks, the festival takes part in February. I would need at least 4 months to print maybe longer. I would probably use my existing stock of 16x20 photo paper in warm and cool tone depending on the subject. Not sure how many photographs would be exhibited, my current guess would be 10-25 b/w 16x20 prints framed to 20x24. There would be no shipping costs or additional framing matting costs as I have enough frames and cut mats in stockNot sure what I would exhibit if this happens.

I have several options:

1) "Families of the Dump" Burmese families living and working in the Mae Sot Thailand garbage dump.
2) "Dads Last Days" My fathers last days as he deals with cancer.
3) "Nepal Images" Photos from leprosy clinics, migrant farmers, street kids.
4) "Slum Boxers" Muay Thai boxing gym in Klong Toey Slum
5) A combination of all of the above.

I think number 5 might be my best bet, I would have the top selection of images and I could include number 2 which would be a tribute to my father. I could tell dad that his photos will be hanging in February he might like that. All photos exhibited would be new work from the about the last 2-3 years..

Not a 100% sure this is happening but if it does I will post full details later. his would be my second photography festival, I did PhotoNOLA  in New Orleans last year.

Here are some links to past Exposure festival work, the best photographers in the province have shown in past years.

http://www.exposurephotofestival.com/competition.html
https://www.youtube.com/user/ExposureFest?feature=mhee
http://www.calgaryherald.com/swerve/Exposure+Photo+Festival/7900277/story.html?__federated=1

Quotes: Mary Ellen Mark

Mary Ellen Mark is a photographer I have admired for decades. She is still creating great work at 74 and still shooting film. Encouraging to us all! Quotes from "American Photo" May/June 2014

"My heart is still in people and in showing them."

"I am a realist and I believe that the most interesting things come from reality, and that has not changed."

"You don't stop because you can't stop."

"Taking these photos is who I am and what I do."

Another Workshop

Did another workshop today, this one was a view camera class that went fast and easy. Doug the student works in the optical field so has great experience with all types of lens. He was able to pick up the tech stuff very quickly so the most important part of the workshop for him was the camera handling and getting some hands on experience shooting. It was a nice afternoon and another $120 into the photography trip kitty. I think I have enough film now so am investing it into the next trip for now. I would buy photo paper but do not have any shows lined up so spending money there seems a bit premature.

I have 3 or possibly 4 more workshops on the docket. All of that money will go into the bank for the 6 month extended trip. Todays workshop student was from Saskatoon, the next is from Calgary, I am starting to pull in photo people from other provinces now.

E-Books?

A friend Ray brought E-Books to my attention in a email today. I did a little search and found out that you can do E-Books on blurb then upload them to Amazon for sale through Apple iBooks store. Will do some more research into this stuff next week when I am working my nightshifts and have some time.  It might be a way to generate a tiny bit of income that would allow me to create more and do security less.

http://www.blurb.ca/ebook

L1200 Almost Ready

The L1200 Durst 4x5 should be up and running and printing in the next couple of weeks. I was held back because of lack of a proper negative carrier. I found one on EBay which I bought and it has been shipped along with some anti newton glass. My hope is that I can get this machine printing by September. I have two different heads for it a condenser head of some kind and also a colour head. This added tool will help the printing because the light source is quite a bit brighter which will help with my dense negs.

My friend Jack is also going to give me his lens that I can use in the printing process. You can never have enough free lens to print with, they all have slightly different sharpness and feels.

"Lost Innocence" Portrait Style Idea?

I have been thinking of using the ring flash and blad to tell the stories of the "Lost Innocence" brothel workers. The idea behind these pics would be to raise awareness about forgotten workers inside Thailand. The brothels from what I understand (need to do read more about this world) use trafficked woman from Burma, Laos and Cambodia who work with Thai customers (mostly). I have very limited knowledge of this ugly scene and it would be dangerous to shoot because of the police corruption that is involved. Most of these places have police protection and pay bribes to stay open. In Cambodia some of the brothel customers are police getting freebees so I assume that happens in Thai as well. It would be dangerous series to work on, something that might get me robbed or physically attacked. When corrupt police and human traffickers see any danger to their illegal income anything can happen, lots of it bad.

The idea behind the series would be to do a series of portraits showing these forgotten abused women and tell the story of who they are and the terrible lives they live. I want to make stark portraits that show the ugliness of it all and thought that square format heads might communicate that message. Photos in the same style as the two I made of dad recently. The ring flash is also important technically. When I photographed brothel workers in Cambodia in 2003 the rooms were so crowded and dark that flash was the only viable option.

I might also try printing the work using wet plate in the darkroom. Having stark honest portraits of these workers and then print them large on wet plate might work very well. Showing the work nationally and internationally could not hurt the fight to end this kind of exploitation (at least a little bit). The pics might do nothing but they could also make a small positive change, its certainly is a goal worth working towards. This would be one of 4 or 5 projects I might work on during my extended Thai trips. Along with the  "Migrant Workers" project and the "Families of the Dump" and the colour "Sex Tourist-Worker Relationship" series. It would probably happen over many years maybe 10 or more.

Another Rejection And Dad

Got another rejection letter today, for the "Families of the Dump" project, this one from the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery. Another polite letter with the word SORRY in it. One, two or three rejections and you can say stuff like well they are wrong and I am right, but when you get into the six-seven-eight rejections then you know the work is  simply not strong enough. I do have a much larger selection of images now than when I made these submissions. The work submitted was done after the May trip to the dump and does not include any of the November photos.

Still when you get 500 no's we do not want to show your photographs, that's a sign. I will work harder and try to do stronger work next time. The 5x7 portraits will be part of the next round of submissions from the dump so that will be a bit different, and add a unique flavour.

My one regret from this rejection is I wish that I could have shown acceptance letter to dad, it might have cheered him up a bit. I feel that this new failure let him down, let the people in the dump down, all because I am not good enough. Maybe later on in my photo career the acceptance letters will come but that will be after dad is gone so will mean so much less.

Dad looked a bit better today, he has been on a IV for the last few days and it has helped him. I bought him some canned ham, some herrings and peaches. He was eating some of the cut up peaches when I left. It's a good idea for me to buy dad food then he feels more obligated to eat them (because his son bought it). Me buying food for him more often will help him eat more and help keep him with us a little longer.

John Sexton Gets It

I was studying the work of the great landscape photographer John Sexton. In his book "Recollections" Mr. Sexton accomplishes all of his work with the simplest of tools. He uses one type of film Tmax in 2 speeds 100 and 400 ASA and 5-6 lens for the entire book. This really goes to show how a great photographer needs minimum tools even thou he shoots a variety of landscape subjects in all kinds of light. John S gets it, its not about using dozens of films and developer combos, multiple cameras and a truck load of lens. What makes a great photographer is learning and understanding your craft and tools thoroughly and then forgetting all that film, gadget crap and TRULY SEEING AND CREATING.

When photographers like the great landscape John Sexton and great documentary photographer Sebastiao Salgado can capture great images with simple tools it is a lesson to all of us.

Whenever I am teaching I tell my students limit yourself and by doing that your actually expanding your ability to create Use one lens, one camera, one film, one developer for a long time before branching out with a few more tools. There is no need at all to use multiple films, developers and cameras, maybe 2 films and a couple of developers at most, NO MORE. Four or 5 lens is more than enough, maybe to many, it is the photographers heart and mind that sees and creates. If you have to many options it can distract, confuse and destroy your ability to create.

Some hobbyists I think love the tools of photography more than the actual photographs, they are into testing more than creating, into fondling equipment more than making pics. I tell my students to not fall into that trap, do not buy and buy and test and test, never settling on what they want to do or how they want to do it, even after a lifetime of photography. The gadget photo hobby types are continually in flux and unsure, they shoot with a shaky hand and fragmentary knowledge of what works and what doesn't work, they simply have way to many variables, they become drunk with their toys. It is like their vision is continually out of focus. Simplicity in shooting creates better photographs than all the shiny lens and all the fancy films in the world.

My advise for what it's worth is do not be dazzled by all the bells and whistles of photography, use basic tools to tell complex stories. Make up your mind what works for you then use those simple tools to make pics, forget the never ending testing and experimenting, CHOOSE AND CREATE!

John Sexton is probably the greatest living landscape photographer, if it's good enough for him, it is certainly good enough for me! He does not need the extra shit to create masterworks, why should I?

Note* Sexton used Tri-x for some of his very early work but stopped using it after  the T-max came out. He limits himself to one film in two speeds now,  T-max 100 and 400.
Note* Salgado shot Tri-x his entire career with Leica's and 3 or 4 lens.

I am not to much into landscapes, I just feel that photos of people are a thousand times more important than photos of rocks. Still beauty and recording the landscape is challenging and worthwhile pursuit. Here is a wonderful John Sexton photograph from his book "Quiet Light", the composition works so well.

Rice Field and Pine Forest, Japan 1985 by John Sexton

Bravery

Some very brave and courageous woman who have suffered horrific assaults pose for photographs.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/20/world/asia/india-acid-attacks-photo-shoot/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

The Light That Shines

While driving back from dads tonight I kept thinking of him and what he his going through, then of the Cambodian migrants scammed and stranded in Thai, then of the girls working the brothels along the Thai border and of the Burmese families of the dump. All those faces, came flooding in.

I kept on thinking how unimportant I am compared to all of this, how trivial my problems really are. The stories behind these peoples lives and the worlds they live in are what I want to communicate through my photography. Gerry Yaum is a fabrication, a made up name of an imaginary person of no consequence. The people thou, the subjects in the photographs are of incredible importance, they're stories need to be told, their lives, their faces need to be seen and remembered.

My roll in all of this is to shine a bit of light onto those lives, to tell those stories and communicate their messages.

Migrant Workers Scam

One of the series I wanted to work on in the future was "Migrant Workers" a photo project that would document the lives of migrant workers in Thailand from Laos, Burma and Cambodia. I read this sad story tonight about workers from Cambodia who were scammed out of $20000 baht ($686 CAD), and had been promised 300 baht ($10.30 CAD) a day in wages. The 300 baht is a similar wage to the migrant workers I photographed near my hotel last trip.

Scammed Cambodian Worker

It is a sad, scummy thing when you steal money from 180 poor people who just want to work to help their families back home. It is important to tell the story of human beings like these. I am not sure how I can get access and meet all the workers etc. but I will figure out a way, somehow. To document their lives, donate some things to them, do a book or exhibition or just put the work online in this blog might not help a lot but it will help a little through education and raising awareness.

http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1408532221&section=12

From the story:

Thailand is home to hundreds of thousands of undocumented Cambodian migrant workers who come to Thailand through smuggling networks. Their undocumented status often makes them vulnerable to abuse by their employers, smugglers, and corrupt authorities.

In July, six Cambodian women were allegedly raped by Thai brokers who smuggled them into Thailand.

Dad Tonight

Dad is OK with me continuing to photograph him so I will make pictures as long as he is comfortable with them. I bought him a hamburger 2 days ago but he only ate a quarter of it, yesterday I asked him if there is anything I could buy for him to eat or drink and he said no. I got to try to find something he will eat, his appetite is very poor probably because of all the medication, morphine etc. He has lost to much weight so quickly, but he is still walking with the help of a walker.

I like the look of film better in black and white than the digital stuff I have done so far. I feel especially comfortable with Tri-x and the Leica's. Shooting one film has helped me a lot. When you shoot multiple films your like a drunken jack rabbit bouncing around aimlessly, but when you get to really learn a single film you know what the photographs are going to look like before they are developed and printed. I think I have reached that level with my Tri-x and Leicas, I can pre-see the finished shot in my minds eye.

All the 35mm pics below were made with a 50mm 1.4 lens and a Leica M6. The room was very dark, I shot at 800ASA with the lens set at f1.4 and the shutter around 1/15 or 1/30. The film received 2 hour stand development in Rodinal diluted 1/50.

Even when Tri-x is out of focus or has very shallow focus like these f1.4 shots there is a grittiness and strength to the images thats very unique.

Leica M6 with 50mm  F1.4 and Tri-x 800ASA

Dad last night, ring flash with hasselblad and Tri-x

Will Ask For 6 Months

After we lose dad I plan on asking work for a 6 month leave. I will need to run away for a while and regroup, taking photos and fulfilling my vow to dad to try to do a photo book is the best way. I am not sure if work will give me a leave, maybe not, if not I will take my 7 week vacation time, come back to work on saving enough money to allow me to quit and do the 6 month trip eventually.

I will need to just get away to deal with dads loss, the only way I know how to do that will be to make pictures. Doing photography has always pulled me through all of lives bad moments, hopefully it will work this time, it will be the biggest test.

Tomorrow I when I meet dad I will tell h I'm about my idea. I have taken longer trips to Thai, in 1999 I was there for 10 months and in 2003 1 year so a 6 month trip is not quite so long. Making some important pictures and then getting them published in a real book with a dedication to my father is a life goal now. I will keep at it until I am gone, failure is not an option.

More Time

Spent more time with dad today, 2 or 3 hours this evening which was very nice, sad at times but good overall. We watched TV together and talked, I took a bunch of photos. Asked him if he wanted me to stop taking pictures he was OK with me continuing to photograph. I will be more selective and shoot a bit less so I am not a burden. He liked the blurred head shot I did of him the other day asking me to clean up one area under his nose, which I will do, maybe a bit of spotting. I think it is a fair interpretation of what he is going through now and dad quietly appreciates that its being remembered through the photography.

Will go back tomorrow to be with dad again after I do a bunch of yard work. I am off to the darkroom now to develop a 120 roll and 2-35mm rolls of the recent stuff.

Over the last 6 months I have visited dad almost everyday, hopefully there are still many days we can spend together.

This is the photo I showed him today:

Dads Eyes

My fathers eyes keep haunting me, he did not talk much yesterday but his eyes watched me. He has lost so much weight that is eyes look sunken back in his face now. I wish I could do something to make him feel better. He smiled and laughed one time yesterday and that was so nice to see. Today when I visit I will take him the photos I took of the family last night. That is one great thing about digi photography it is extremely fast, no down time.

Dad is entering the part of his illness where he is becoming more and more physically isolated, he is losing the ability to do do things one at a time. People talk about their loved ones dying and you nod your head knowingly but until you experience it first hand you really have no idea how much it hurts.

Dads eyes keep coming back to me now as I try to sleep, all I can do is think of him, sleep does not come. I will try again.

Dad and mom laughing yesterday

Quote: Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong speaking about all his "I am not doping lies"  It's great that he is taking the blame himself, we should all acknowledge and be responsible for the choices we make in life.

"No-one forced me or bullied me, so I'm not going to say, 'It's not my fault.' I blame myself, that's the bottom line."

Politely Pushed Out Of My Photo Club

Tonight I got politely pushed out (with some of my own assistance) from a photo club I belonged to for around 20 years. I think the decision to leave even thou it was instituted by the other club members was fair and the best solution for all involved. There comes a time in your creative life when you advance in different directions than your peers and you need to leave to continue to grow and not become stagnant. I think that has happened with myself and this photo group, we see good photography differently and have not much left to offer each other.

I was getting less and less out of the meetings and also contributing less to the other members. Years ago I would show photos and view the work of others from the club eagerly. As time past and as I found my own indvidual voice it got to be less and less rewarding to be part of the group. The people there are very good helpful and dedicated folks who love photography but there type of photography and mine did not mesh well. I was like a thorny cactus in a room filled with beautiful flowers. I was showing nude ladyboy portraits and hard edge documentary photography like "Families of the Dump" and the other club members were sponsoring trite photo project themes like "Reflections". We grew apart and were speaking different languages at the end.

Once every 5 or 6 years I might show up as a guest and say hi to the group but my time there as a regular member is over. It is best for the club that they bring in new members that fit the mold and style of everyone else. People are always most comfortable if others are just like themselves. I tended to be a boat rocker which sometimes caused tension and resentment within the club.

Having a dude or dudette member that actually shows up with photos is also very important! Attendance is something I could not guarantee any longer, not only because I work nights in security but also because I am planning extensive long term trips. Last year I attended only 1 meeting, the year before maybe 2. If everything goes right over the next 20 years of my life possibly 5-10 years will be spent in Asia-Africa-Central America working on my photography projects. It would be unfair and selfish of me to take up a spot in the group if it could benefit someone else. Plus of course if your not really wanted any longer there is no reason to hang on, it is best to smile, say thank you and leave.

If any of my former club members read this I would like to thank them very much for helping me in so many ways to become a better photographer and  hopefully a better person. You are all good people and I will miss you, good luck and best wishes.

Keep shooting!! No excuses, make photographs!!!

 'Ain't Photography Grand!"

Goodbye!

Scary

Here is a converted Digi shot of dad made with the Mark II yesterday. I am not really that happy with the look of the digital b/w.  I plan on shooting mostly film this week with dad with the odd digital camera pic for colour.

Last night was thinking how scary it must be to die. You lay in bed not able to move much staring at the ceiling thinking of dying. How terrible that must be, maybe you have memories of your life that are good and bad but your future is only death and how many months, weeks or days until it happens. I need to go and spend more  time with dad this week, maybe not to talk so much as that tires him out but just to be there in the room with him so he is less scared of his future.

Update: Just talked to mom about dad, I guess he is still not doing to well. Last night when we talked with him I mentioned that I was having problem with the upstairs bathroom in my house. Dad told mom about it this morning, he must have been worried and thinking about my leaky toilet all night. That's my dad in a nutshell, here is he in the last few days of his life dying of cancer and he is more worried about his sons plumbing problems than himself. Dad always put me and my sister first, from the day we were born, until the day he dies his children always came first.

Dad yesterday more 

Quote: Sierra Leonean Proverb

"The family tree bends, but does not break."

Admitting The Truth To Yourself

When you love someone who is dying it is so hard to admit the truth. You see him day to day and his health is getting worse but you make up excuses in your mind why that is happening. You say he will be better tomorrow and today is just a bad day. You do not want to admit to yourself pr anyone else that your father is near the end. Maybe if you do not admit he is getting worse he will not die.

Dad's voice has grown weaker over the last few days. Today I talked to him for a few minutes before work and he was so frail had such a weak voice, it was just a load broken whisper. Dad is a man who could move a fridge up a flight of stairs by himself when he was in his mid 70s and now at 82 he has trouble putting a pillow under his head. How can that be? How can things change so fast?

If he was a weaker man he might be gone already. My heart keeps making excuses but my head tells me dad does not have much time left. I selfishly want to keep him with me at all costs but his life is so limited now, that is unfair thinking. He can still walk a bit with a walker and eat and talk a bit but most of what he was, is gone now, never to return. Dad is not in pain which is a great thing, modern medicine has saved him from experiencing that but most everything else he loved he has lost the ability to do.

Next week I am off work, it might be my last week with my father.

Links: Documentary Film "After Kony: Staging Hope"

I watched a wonderful documentary tonight set in Uganda. The film is about the staging of a  play in a refugee center populated by impovershed Uganda families, and how the play helps the actors overcome the trauma they have endured in their lives. Watching this movie was a joyful experience that brought a tear to the eye. Seeing these the beautiful people in the doc was inspiring, it made me want to go and visit Uganda to tell stories and make photographs.

Check out the film, here are some links.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1992224/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt-U-FjH7Ao

Quote: Lewis Hine

"In fact (the picture) is often more effective than the reality would have been, because, in the picture, the non-essential and conflicting interests have been eliminated."

Dad Yesterday

Here is a photo I took in my few minutes with dad last night. I try to photograph dad everyday, this shot is a bit underexposed it was the first of 8 or 9. I corrected the exposure for the later photos but the best picture was this one.

I had to rush to get to work on them and I could only speak to dad a bit last night, I told him about my day and what had been happening. He just looked up at me, smiled a bit and did not say much. It must be so hard to watch your life slowly drift away. Everyday driving to work after visiting my father he is all I can think of. He did everything for my sister and I, I wish so much that I could do more for him now, anything more would be good, anything at all.

Maybe I should stop taking his photo but he wants me to continue, he never stops me and helps out with the pictures as best he can. Earlier he told me that taking the photos were a good thing. The photography is my way to deal with his loss, my way of expressing my love for him. I will check again this week to make sure dad is OK with the photography. If he asks me to stop photographing him I will stop immediately. These photos are in a way the last conversation we will ever have, and I will be able to talk with him through them after he is gone.

I like the digital shots better in colour now than when I convert them to b/w. Film and real photo paper has a better feel in b/w but I think digital wins hands down for colour photos. The digital camera has allowed me the best of both these worlds, I am very happy I bought one. I will shoot my colour photography with digital and my b/w stuff on film.

Dad Mark II 24-70mm set around 50mm, August 15 2014

Link: National Geographic's Past

It always amazes me how photographs from the past can bring people and things long since forgotten back to life. Who was this beautiful woman? What was her story? I would have loved to have met her, learned about her life and made her photograph.

Unearthed Photographs From National Geographic

A Kenyan woman with her pet deer in Mombassa, March 1909 by Underwood & Underwood

Quote: Robin Williams

Question from interviewer:

If the 60 year old Robbin Williams could get the 30 year old Robbin Williams in a room. What would you tell him?

"Enjoy, don't be running so fast, and that's it! How much have you loved, that's a simple question, love doing what you do or love being with people, if you can answer that question pretty positively your doing OK, its a good life."

Links: Carpe Diem

With the passing of Robin Williams I am revisiting one of my all time favourite films, "The Dead Poets Society". This scene is especially meaningful, the need to "seize the day", to make the most of life while we still can. Hopefully on the next 6 month trip I can do a bit of day seizing. Everyone out there in internet land seize your day as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4eNPVQeFTg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpe_diem

Links: Different Destinys

Found this video online today of a lucky young girl who is being raised by a Western father and a Thai mother. In the video they are visiting Burma it's a beautiful little film that shows the love of her parents and how lucky some of us are when we are born into a world with money. I could not help comparing the future of this young child with the Burmese children I photographed in the dump (second video), who dig in garbage to survive. Both vids have children with loving parents but their future lives and opportunities are so different.

http://burmabeat.com/videos/show/burma-1-4-may-2014/5369a373140ba04f3d8b4579
http://vimeo.com/91131638

I have to a better job next time with the 5x7 portrait series. I need to communicate the story of the lives of  "The children of the dump" with more power and scope. Raising awareness and telling the stories of forgotten people is always a good thing. I owe the "Families of the Dump" a great debt, they have welcomed me and allowed me into their lives, I must do work that is worthy of that trust.

Dad

Dad has not been doing to well the last few days. I need to spend much more time with him this next week off, I am not sure how much time we have left with him. Dad has the will and spirit to live on, he wants to do so many more things in his life but his body is letting him down. He told me he would like to cook for the family,make some pyrogies or bake some bread. He would like to work out in the yard or go for a walk but he can do none of that now.

I wish I could give him some of my good health, some of my energy, give him a year or two of my time so that he could do what he wants to do. It is so unfair, dad worked his whole life earning money to provide for his wife and children. He worked hard until he was almost 80 years old. Then just after he quits and stops worrying about work he only has 1 year and a bit of time off before they find he has cancer. He deserves to have some time to just to lay around and enjoy life, he has earned that privilege. I wish I could give him that extra time, but I can't.

Dad In Colour And Black And White

I am not sure I like shooting in colour that much, here is a shot made with the Mark II and 24-70 F2.8 soon, the zoom was set to 24mm. I posted the image here both in colour and black and white as a comparison to all me to think about this some more.. I find the b/w shot simpler more focused thou it is fun to play around with the colour image adding contrast and saturation etc in photo shop elements. I got a blue cast to many of the whites in the colour image, not exactly use why (to much burning?). I have to learn how to work in layers etc when I make the finished colour photos for exhibition later.

I want to use the digi and colour for the coming sex tourist, sex worker relationship project but it is going to take some getting used to.

Dad yesterday August 14 2014, Mark II 24-70mm, saturation and contrast boosted.

B/W of image above, contrast boosted along with some burning and dodging.

Link: Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution

Here is a link to a short important documentary on the civil war in Syria. Part of the film is about a 24 year old former English teacher who becomes a war photographer, what an amazingly brave and dedicated person. She is using photography to tell the world what is happening in Syria.

Death happen so fast and easy in war, in this documentary you see it twice, its very frightening  to watch, everything you are ends in a few seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdPz2wkoMjY&list=PL5C4649994EE8F096

Technically Easier To Shoot Digital

I am finding the Mark II digital camera technically easier to shoot than the Leica's. I can shoot faster with the zoom and auto focus that I can with the Leica rangefinders and I can also work in much lower light conditions. The two main reasons I bought the camera were to photograph dad with a higher res camera and to shoot in low light. Today I did pictures that encompassed both of those digi benefits, photos of dad in a darker room. Not having to change film, not running out of film, not having to focus, deal with light leaks or changing lens makes for easier shooting. I find the Mark II with 24-70mm digital much easier to shoot as compared to 2 Leica M6 film camera. You also have the benefit of instant feedback on the LCD to ensure your on the right track, you can make corrections if your going wrong. When you shoot film your committed and mistakes are often not realized until the darkroom, when it's to late.

I am shopping for a 24mm F1.4 which will become my main lens for the camera. I am copying the way my friend Larry shoots, he has done great work with a Mark II and Mark III and the 24mm F1.4. There are two versions of the lens, it should cost me somewhere between $1000 and $1400 USD. After I buy this lens I will shut down on gear buying for another 3 or 4 years until I purchase a used Mark III ( from Larry?).

Another advantage with digital is when you want the clarity and detail in your shots you get it. I can shoot this 35mm film style camera for detail and the Leica's with film for more of a traditional look and feel. The grain, higher contrasts and fiber paper of film photography has the very strong look I prefer but at times its good to have other options.

I will also do all my future color work with the digital camera. I plan on doing the sex tourist/worker relationship series in color and will probably find other projects that work better in colour as well, the Mark II will allow for easier creation in those worlds.

Still as always tools are only tools and you need good light, the right situation, the right subject, the right moment captured and the right story to make good photographs. Good photographs are very complex things, there is lots that goes into their making, plenty beyond cameras and lens. We should try not get to much gear fixated.

The other important thing to remember is that all tools that help you make better photos should be used. If it's digital fine, if it's film fine, whatever works, who gives a flying f-ck! what camera you use. I used to belong to a photography group where only film was allowed, no digital images were accepted. Whenever I face a creative situation where people tell me "No you cannot do that!" I tend to rebel and fight back. Rules that prohibit creativity are wrong, plain and simple.The end photograph is all that matters, what tools you use to get there is of very minor importance.

Back In The Dark

I am back in the dark tonight working on a photo of dad again. The pic is a tight head shot of dad looking back up at the camera. This picture was made with the Leica R6 Tri-x at 800ASA and the 60mm lens at a slow shutter and f2.8. There is something so beautiful about film photography and grain, I think this image works better because it was shot on film. I want to shoot more of this style in the future, both here in Canada and overseas.

Here is my second attempt at printing this negative, I will burn down some additional areas of the print with attempt  #3.

Update* I ended up doing 6 versions of the print from grades 4-4.5 with various degrees of burning. I will wash and then dry the 11x14 prints. Later I will bleach them to try to bring out the eyes more before toning and final archival washing. I want to show the photo to dad next week.

Now it's off to bed, got to get back on my security 12 hour nightshifts tonight.

Tonights Colour Abstracts Of Dad

Here is tonights colour abstracts shots with dad. I used the same, asa 6400 and shutter 1/13 as the back shot from yesterday but I this time moved the camera, last time dad was moving. I am thinking that if I ever show these photos I might try a diptych, triptych, or quadtychs like below in one long frame.

Dad version #1 tonight Mark II 24mm-70 1/13 F 11

Dad version #2 tonight Mark II 24mm-70 1/13 F 11

Another Look At The Darkroom, My Favourite Place In the World

Here is another quick look at the darkroom, shot these with the new (used) Mark II today. I had a workshop booked but it got cancelled at the last minute, will have to reschedule, so I made some digi shots of the darkroom space instead. This is my favourite place in the world.

Backups

I just did a search on EBay for a backup compact flash storage card. The pro master card I got included in the price of my used Mark II camera sells for $159.94 USD! Gosh these things are expensive, will hold off on getting another one for now. I did manage to buy 2 backup batteries for the camera for $19 USD (free shipping). If need be I can always buy a compact flash card in Bangkok, these things are a to easier to find than Tri-x is. Even 10 years ago I was having major problems buying Tri-x in Bangkok but digital SD or Compact Flash cards are everywhere. It is always good to have backups thou, will probably buy something before the next trip.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Promaster-32GB-Compact-Flash-UDMA-Memory-Card-1289-New-/380728211317?pt=Digital_Camera_Memory_Cards&hash=item58a52b7775