Out Shooting

Did some portraits of a friend with the 4x5 field camera set up. Think I am rushing to much with technique and not flowing with the work. Am still learning all the tech stuff and do not have the control and communication during the session, not saying what I want to say. I need more time with the 4x5 and greater confidence with this machine, better photographs will follow.

I also shot some Landform images with the Xpan on the beach of the lake I visited, lots of weeds and foam from the windy days over the 2 days proceeding the photographs. It was fun to also visit a local historical village and try my hand at photographing pigs (fast smelly little suckers!).

Picking Over A Guys Parts

This week I went to an estate sale for a local photographer who had passed on late last year. It was rather sad to see all these people swarming over his things trying to buy things up cheap. A man spends a lifetime building up a collection of items, creating his little trove of treasures and in a few days its all gone and all that is left is a house of empty rooms.

I was lucky enough to get a brand new never used Cibachrome CAP-140 processor for $20. Over the last 3 days I have been using some of my old chemistry and donated color photo paper to print up some images for my camera club. The processor is designed for color slide positives (Cibachromes) but I have been using it for color negative prints and might try to do some larger B/W RC printing as well. This machine sure makes the color printing process (been replaced for the most part by digital ink jet printers) so much easier than dealing with tubes and pouring chemistry in the Jobo systems.

I did one of the rejected color heads, a color head of my father and also a portrait of Nit from 2008, will do a print of the ladyboy sex worker Cake from 2008 tonight.

Quote: Oliver Wendell Holmes (Writer)

"Photography is a mirror with a memory."

Goals

Was writing out my goals as a photographer to a friend in email today and this is what I came up with, #1 and #2 are far and above the most important.

1) Make photographs that speak to me, I should not compromise in these photographs. I should do work that I think is of value and not do something simply to be accepted/shown and sold.

2) Create a body of work that communicates a message that will inform and educate the viewer and hopefully lead to change that will help the subject of the photograph.

3) Have the work collected and shown by major galleries/museums around the world.
4) Have a high quality photography book/s made of the images.
5) Have the work shown in smaller galleries/magazines etc.
6) Have the work collected in private collections.

Khon Thai Thoughts

Photographs I want to make for the Khon Thai project keep flashing through my head. I like to plan what I shoot ahead of time when I am in Canada but I need to be careful I also need to be open to photograph in unplanned ways when I am in Thai. Sometimes luck and circumstance should take over when your in the field, you should be open to changing your preconceived notions. This photograph made in 1999 of a security guard keeps flashing into my mind, I want to do up close and personal portraits like this as well as shots that include a little more background information.

Blad Heads

On Sunday I did some square format availible light blad heads of mom and dad. Will be doing some more of these heads this coming Sunday of other family members but will not post them online without their permission.

Quote: Dorothea Lange

"The camera is an intrument that teaches people how to see without the camera."

What it is

Photography is about having something to say and then saying it. All the cameras/films/lens/technique only allow you to communicate your message and are no important than that, they are tools to help you say what you want to say.

The key is to have something to say and then saying it.

Alberta Open Photo Competition 2010

Went to the opening of the Alberta open photography exhibition (my 5 sex worker color heads were rejected by the jury). A nice night in a nice setting. The photographs were shown in the basement gallery at the Jubilee Auditorium a very nice pretigous facility. They had food and drinks and lots of folks looking over the work. I enjoyed myself, met and talked to 5 or 6 friends. Discussing photography and being around people who love photography is always fun.

Now the not so nice part of the evening. The photos overall were of a very poor quality. Little challenged the mind and nothing that I saw challenged my heart. I walked around and heard a lot of "Thats nice or Thats good." comments but thats about it, no one became involved in the work, there were no passionate discussions, all friendly friendly/nothing nothing boredom. The work shown was stuff you could take home hang in your washroom and forget about. It was fast food photography, that was quickly eaten, forgotten and left a bad after taste.

I did like a few of the landscapes and a few of the building shots especially some by a few photographers I know well but overall the quality was exceptionally poor even worse than last year. Of the 64 images on display there was 1 portrait maybe 2 (kinda), last years competition also had only 1 or 2 portraits. There are no people in the Alberta? No people in the world to photograph? Some photographers beside myself must have submitted some portrait work, documentary work, nude work etc. How many photos of wagon wheels, bales of hay and landscapes can we look at?

JUDGES OF THE ALBERTA OPEN, PLEASE BROADEN YOUR VISION, SHOW US MORE THAN THE SAME SAME BORING BORING PHOTOGRAPHS. SHOW US MORE THAN YOU CAN SEE AT A THOUSAND SITES ONLINE, SUPRISE US, EDUCATE US, STIR SOME PASSION IN THE VIEWER, REACH FOR THEIR MINDS, THEIR HEARTS!! PHOTOGRAPHY IS A GREAT ART FORM, PLEASE SHOW PEOPLE THE POWER IT CAN HAVE.

Last years show:

http://gerryyaum.blogspot.com/2009/08/vaaa-alberta-open-photo-show-2009.html

Double Rejection

I got rejected from 2 local shows here recently, the 2010 Alberta Photography Open Show and from the Profiles Public Art Gallery. Feel bad I could not get the work I feel is important seen that but no harm in trying. Hopefully someday some of the photographs that receive multiple rejections will be shown somewhere.

Here are the rejected sex worker color head images. Screw the rejections I am pushing forward and making more of these color/ringflash heads in the future already bought the film! : ) You got to make the photographs you think are important, photos that stir your heart, eventually some day some way they will be shown. If they never are seen outside of this blog then heck at least I went out swinging!

Quote: Minor White

"One should photograph a subject not only for what it is but for what else it is."

Quote: Sammy Davis Jr.

"Being a star has made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could never hope to get insulted."

Quote: Sal Mineo (Actor)

Speaking about death:

"Before it happens I mean to do the things I want to do. I will not end up saying, 'I wish I had.'"

The Power of Photography

This wonderful story from Gordon Parks about his photographs of Flavio speak to the power of photography and how it can have a positive effect on the people who are photographed.

Gordon Parks Flavio Story, MOVING AND INSPIRATIONAL

Camping Shots

While camping this past week I did a portrait in the style I might use for Khon Thai. I think I will go with a stronger flash in the Khon Thai images. The flash adds an element of seeing, Diane Arbus said it best:

"One of the extcitements of strobe at one time was that you were essentially blind at the moment you took the picture. I mean it alters the light enormously and reveals things you don't see."




I also did some more traditional landscape photos. Taking photographs is fun even when it comes to landscapes which have been done to death.

DAT Recorder

Picked up a portable DAT tape recorder today on Ebay. I hope to use this wonderful little (slightly old tech) machine to make recordings on my next trip to Asia. I want to record some of talks I have with people about their past and current lives. Last year I had a wonderful conversation with Long about her life but was unable to record it, much of the talk I have now forgotten. I would also like to place some small clips of these taped conversations on the blog or website.

It might be useful to make up a audio diary of some kind, which would allow me to organise my thoughts, and possibly use the tapes later in a book project/s of some kind.


Long Shortime Bar Sex Worker, 2008

Quote: Anonymous

"Portraiture is 1 part subject, 1 part photographer, and 1 part viewer."

Quote:Roger Housden (Writer)

From his book "How Rembrandt Reveals Your Beautiful Imperfect Self"

"That's the best thing about looking at the paintings: the looking. I find, on coming out into the world again, makes me more human. Makes me less absorbed in a world of my own, more able to see others as they are. Makes me remember the advice of Philo, the old philosopher from Alexandria, who said, "Be kind; for everyone you meet is engaged in a great struggle.""

On Rembrandt:

"...he manages to take everyday people and imbue them with qualities that elevate their humanity..."

On Rembrandt's paintings:

"When I stand there before them, I myself feel more human, more alive and engaged. As in all his later work, Rembrandt invites me to participate in the painting, instead of being a mere observer of it."

2 Group Shows In 2011

Well its official will have 2 group shows locally next year. One will be at a new local gallery with 2 other photographers in April 2010 and will consist of new work shot during my next trip to Thailand this November. The second group show will be of the 2009 sex worker on white background work, the opening is in October 2010.

It looks like things are improving for the work show wise, hopefully my first 1 man show will happen sometime in 2012. It will be so nice to get the work seen by a bigger audience. Sometimes I feel the only people who see my photographs are photo club members, friends and family. The more shows that accept the photographs the larger the audience. More importantly the more the work is seen the the better my subjects stories can be told.

Scanning 8x10 Negs

Scanning 8x10 negs is long tedious process, it is one of those things you have to do but do not want to do. Finishing the scans will allow me to make submissions to galleries. I have been in contact with wonderful gallery in Canada that seems interested in my white background sex worker photographs. I need to make a submission of all available work for their consideration. If they they like what I send them and like the 20x24 prints I will send as samples then I will get my first one man show! This same gallery is planning on having a book competition I will enter these scans in that competition as well.

I will try over my coming week off to make up a mobile scanning setup, this will allow me to scan negatives during my regular night work shift when I have some free time. I want to spend my regular week off devoted to new photographic pursuits, not by doing old negative scans. By using the portable scanning system I should be able to find extra hours to get the scanning completed.

Future Show Possibility

Next year I might have the chance to place some of my new work in a joint photo show with a local photographer. The show would be of work shot in Thailand during my coming trip in November of this year. I plan to start working on my "Khon Thai" series this next trip, which is very exciting. It would be strange to be making photographs that already have a place to hang, quite different than working with the hopes of a show somewhere.

The photographer I would be hanging my work with if this happens is very accomplished and skilled, the best photographer I have met in the city. I have to be on top of my game to make work that holds up next to his.

If this happens it should be exciting and fun, a nice start to the "Khon Thai" project that might take 10 plus years to complete.

Quote: Walker Evans

"Most people in our tradition are basically rather scared of feeling. You have to unpeel that before you can really get hot and get going and not be afraid of feeling."

Will Make Audio Recordings

In my past trips to Thai I would write down quotes and little diary notes. The idea was to make a record of what I was doing so that I could eventually use the information in some form of book. Today on Ebay I bought a portable DAT recorder, the hope is that I will be able to record conversations and and my personal thoughts in a more accurate way.

Last year when I sat with Long in her room and she told me about her life, I wished I had made a recording of it, now I can do that. I can make a audio (not video just yet) record of these important meetings. It will help me get accurate quotes for possible future books and I can also place some sound files online in this blog and my website.

It also just seems right to make a recording of what is said, what they say matters and should be remembered.

Xpan Panoramic Test Shots

Been doing some experimenting with a Hasselblad Xpan camera. I saw some of the documentary work of Michael Von Graffenrie when I was in Paris, his use of the panorama frame to do concerned photography was quite intriguing. He was able to tell a larger story per photograph because of the long horizontals of visual information the Xpan shoots. Often his photographs communicated a bigger picture than a standard 35mm frame can, a bonus with the Xpan is that you can shoot standard frames as well as panoramic. I am thinking of using this camera in conjunction with standard 35mm Leica rangefinders.

Mr. Josef Koudelka

I had some luck yesterday here in Paris. I had been looking at a book by Josef Koudelka at several different book stores over the last few days. When I went to the Magnum Gallery yesterday I finally decided to buy it for 60 Euros. The lady at the Magnum gallery shop suggested I go to Magnum agency to see some original prints on display there. I rushed across town, got lost and finally found the agency. The photos on display were very good especially a b/w series of peoples faces in a conference room area. After 40 minutes or so of looking at photos and and photo books in a relaxed friendly atmosphere I decided to leave. A nice French gentleman (Mr. Clemente) a photographer who was temporarily working the front desk of the agency told me that Mr. Kouldelka was upstairs and phoned up to ask if he would come down and sign my book. Josef Koudelka very graciously interrupted his work day to come down and sign the book, a kind generous man it was an honor to meet him. I also owe thanks to Mr. Clemente who went out of his way to help a stranger. Magnum, quality people doing important work.

It was a lucky day, a real lucky day, many things had to fit together for this to work out for me. I bought the book on that day luckily and on leaving one Magnum book place was told about the second office agency. After 40 minutes of looking at pics I was leaving and got caught in the doorway when it started to rain, Mr. Clemente who was smoking up front and I started talking. He saw me put the book down against the wall and then told me about Josef Koudelka being upstairs. It was a series of great coincidences. In fact I only went to the first Magnum book shop because the gallery I had planned to originally visit had been robbed earlier that week and was still closed. Because of all those coincidental things I got to meet a photographer I admire greatly, one of the best alive. A nice memory all round!

Update* That book is now a prized possession, that I keep safely stored away in my large photography library.Another great thing about this event is that I get to bug my friend Larry all the time, "Did I ever tell you about time I met Josef Koudelka?" have done that 10 or 15 times so far:)

By Josef Koudelka from his book "Gypsies"

Manets Olympia

Today I took my time and really studied Manets OLYMPIA for about 1 hour. Your able to get very close to the painting without glass in between you and the canvas. I got a real good look at her expression, originally I felt it was more angry and rebellious but on a closer look it struck me as sad and confined. It affected me more than anything else I saw at the D Orsey, Manets Olympia is a prostitute who receives flowers from her john-lover. When you can look at the near lifesize face (big painting) it totally changed my interpretation, I recognised a look in her that I had seen in Thailand-Cambodia, a sadness, a frustration that I had missed before when looking at the book versions. I am not sure how much time Manet spent in the brothals of Paris (he died of Syphilis) but he got the expression just right on Olympias face.




I also saw some carvings by Gaugain that I somehow missed my first visit, stunning in there raw power. There was a mask that also had a full figure in shadow on the inside that was particularly moving.

In Paris

Been in Paris for the last 4 days, an amazing historic city of art and cafes. My first impression was that people tend to be sitting at outdoor cafes drinking latais and wine, gossiping and relaxing. The French seem to enjoy life to the fullest, laying in parks, playing music enjoying a glass of wine.

Am staying at a very small apartment with a ladder like entrance and a double bolted door behind a large heavy street door with electronic combination code access. Not sure if all this security is normal or because of the crime in the area but it seems very secure.

Two days ago I went to the Musee de Orsay, was amazed at the art on display. You walk along and there is 5 or so Gaugains, then 5 or so Van Goghs followed my Manets Olympia and Monets pond lillies, Rodin sculptures, Degas, Edward Munch etc etc. You sort of get dizzy with all the great work you see.

Yesterday went to Pere Lachaise the most famous cemetary in the world. Shot a bunch of film on things I found interesting including the the people tourists in the graveyard. I also did a bit of grave visiting, Chopin, Gaulthier, Modigliani and Morrison. Jim Morrisons grave was a bit of a nightmare complete with angry staff and security. They had Morrisons grave surrounded by a metal fence and it was the number one draw, old, young and those in between crowded around the little opening to his grave trying to see what they could see. There were two photos on the grave along with burning candles, a near by tree had graffitti on it that the staff was trying to clean off, when I and another guy (young American) tried to take photos of the cleaning, one older male staff member got angry and started yelling NO PHOTOS, NO PHOTOS, he even got into a pushing match with the other guy, yelling at him in French. I ended up backing off and he left me alone but I got most of my photos anyway as I was using a 21mm lens and got some of the cleaning in the shots on the edge of the frame, they did not realize they were in the photograph.

It was an exhausting day of about 9 hours in the cemtary shooting from 8am till about 5pm followed by a 3 metro line ride home and 8 block walk back to the apartment. The shower on returning felt wonderful and I was a bit dehydrated even thou I drank 2 bottles of water at the cemetary. I had some more water a bit of cheese and was off to bed. Am glad I saw what I saw there but do not think I will go back this trip to much to do, to many places to go.


Stairs into my Paris apartment

Protests in Bangkok

Blood in the streets of Bangkok, 43+ dead, hundreds injured, tragic times. I feel like I am in the wrong place, I should be over there making photographs of what is happening, photographing the people from both sides. I am here in Canada working my regular job, I should be in Bangkok making important photographs.

Hopefully the people in Thailand can resolve this mess with no more deaths. Stop the killing and address the problems of the society or there will only be more and more serious problems in the future.

Quote: Aaron Siskind

" The main thing a work of art has to give you is order. It takes all this mess of ours, which is so wonderful and disturbing, and puts it together for us so that we can contemplate it. It removes you from life so you can live your life."

Improved Website Up

Uploaded my recent website work. I have a new simplified design which will hopefully make it easier for visitors to surf through the photographs. I also included a history page to explain some of the back story as well as tech stuff for anyone that is interested.

Still have lots of work to do on the scans, adding galleries and fixing typos and the like. Check it out:

www.gerryyaum.com

Webpage Work

Been struggling away trying to update/upgrade my website. Lots of work trying to get everything in order. I am changing the front page, am adding a gallery and history of the photographs page. I am also making the Bargirl gallery smaller and adding 3 galleries, Bangkok Freelancer, Cambodian Brothel and Japanese Train.

The Bargirl gallery will probably get larger in the coming years, believe it or not I still have undeveloped color film from this series dating back to 2003! I am not sure how big all the new galleries will be but I think it will make it easier for the casual surfer if I make the galleries smaller and explain each on the history of the photographs page.

The Banarama and Khon Thai

Over the last few days I have been studying the work of Bill Burke. I have been thinking over and over again, how can I use the 4x5 Polaroid conversion Razzle camera to make the portraits I want to do in the "Khon Thai" project?

I see the pictures in my head but I have to translate that into a reality. I will work with some local people to perfect the techniques I will need in Asia. I can experiment and screw up now, but later it is important I be competent in my technique and focused on the portraiture I need to make.

Bill Burke Photos From Cambodia.

Improving Website

Been working on the net book all night, trying to improve the www.gerryyaum.com website. Am going to add a separate gallery page and a history of the photographs page. I am also going to rescan all the photographs and add additional galleries.

Hopefully with these added pages surfing the site will be easier for people. The history page will also explain the back story of the photographs, many people who visit the site never come to the blog so this short summary of the images should help people understand the photographs better.

More More More Sex Worker Scans For Submissions

More More Sex Worker Scans For Submissions

More Sex Worker Scans For Submissions