Bought A Wet Plate Collodion 8x10 Silver Tank Kit

Picked up this kit from the same Czech Republic seller that made my 16x20, 20x24 and 35x35 inch silver tanks. He is a good quality builder, and very reliable.

I currently have a working 8x10 silver tank, but it is a bit dodgy. This kit has multiple components. I can also use the fixer tank and the drying rack, so decided it was a good investment, cost $355 CAD. I now have a backup 8x10 silver tank, a new fixer tank and the drying rack. Extra dippers are also a good thing to have about. I will use all this new gear to death on the AMBROTOS KANATA project.

Fixer tank on the left, drying rack in the middle and silver tank on the right!

The 2 Possible Collected Ambrotypes

I have the Ambrotypes ready for the second phase of the Alberta Art Collection buy. I drop them off next week for inspection and judgement. They are not perfect, but they are quite beautiful. I love each in its own way.

If the images sell and are added to the "Alberta Collection" it will allow the trees to live on. They could possibly live longer in the collection than the live trees do in real-life. These tree Ambrotypes might be shown 100-200-300 years from today, anything is possible. It is like another form, another longer lasting type of life.  I am pleased the Ambrotypes might be collected but am also happy about the possible $2000 that might be earned.  $2000 worth of Silver Nitrate would be bought with that money. More Silver Nitrate allows for more Ambrotypes, bigger and better ones! Anything that allows me to make more pictures, fills me with joy.

These are the two images.

Cottonwoods #3, AMBROTOS KANATA, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, Sept. 2022

Cottonwoods #8, AMBROTOS KANATA, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, Sept. 202

Facebook Discussion On Art

DY

Some artist follow their voice when practicing their art. The sad thing is 99.99% of artist will be forgotten. I used to work at a university art department. I've meet a lot of MFA students that have sincere, beautiful and moving art that will remain in obscurity. It's my hope that most artist will create art out of a personal need and not for recognition and ego fulfillment. Those artist that just need to create art, dying in obscurity is enough. Fame and fortune is just a bonus.

• Gerry Yaum

  DY I think that is the key. Doing art because you have to, need to and want to, and then moving on from there. Back when I was around 17, I was confused about what to do with my life, it sort of tortured my thoughts. I decided at that age that I wanted to make photographs, my kind of photos, the photos I felt were important. I just had to do it. After I made that decision, I had a clear path forward, I felt a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. So that is what I have always done. That choice has brought me so much joy, so many experiences, so many friendships, so much satisfaction. I think that what artists should do is follow their hearts, make the art they have to make, make the art they want to make and f-ck the rest of it!  Being happy, doing what you love, is enough. I will make photos till I die; photography-art has never ceased to add beauty to my life. It has given me a reason to be, a reason to to be alive. The best choice I ever made, was that decision as a 17-year-old. Follow your heart folks!

Quote: Albert Einstein

“Given the millions of billions of Earth-like planets, life elsewhere in the Universe without a doubt, does exist. In the vastness of the Universe we are not alone.”

Quote: Tony Bennet

  "I always paint nature. Nature is the boss."

Venezuela, by Tony Bennett

Print Sales? A Facebook Babble

Got this question today, and gave a long winded (my style) answer.

Lots of prints!

MW

You’re going to have these available for purchase?

• 
  

• Active

  Gerry Yaum

  MW......The booklets never happened (original story from 2019). I might have done for an old show, but that's it. I was thinking of doing up a webpage for print sales. Mostly to earn money to pay for the ambrotype project. The 2 recent ambrotypes that my province (Alberta Foundation for the Arts) might buy, would earn $2000 CAD. $2000 buys quite a bit of silver nitrate!! It's kind of like free, extra money you can throw back into what you love. But there never seems to be enough time. My idea when younger was that when I hit 70 I would spend the last 10 years or so of my life printing my life's work on silver gelatin and platinum-palladium. I thought it would be a good time to do it, retired, no job work, lots of time, fun to do, etc. Then I got older (now 59) and I keep having more and more photo ideas and plans. All kinds of new projects keep popping into my head. Want to do photos in Asia, in Canada, with this camera and that one, in this way and that way! They are all long term and difficult projects. Crazy ideas like doing a series on Indonesian sulfur minors who work in volcanoes. Mammoth Ambrotype photos of all of Canada along with series in garbage dumps and slums in Thailand, plus donation work to help those in the pics. It goes on and on. So when will I have time to print the existing negs and files? Not sure if it will ever happen. Maybe I could do up a website, with scans only and print the photos people are interested in, one at a time as they request them (if they request them). A much easier thing to do. Thanks Michael...

Artist Inspiration From Facebook

Had a question from a Facebook friend recently. I had been posting lots of art book pics I had been studying and he asked me this:

MW

I'm not familiar with this artist. Curious to learn how you use other artist work in your life? Is it inspiration or does it allow you to see the world differently?

Gerry Yaum

MW

 I think it is a bit of both. Some artists work inspires ideas and imagery in my mind. Turners' landscapes are feeding ideas for my ambrotypes. This man Bonnard inspires through his self-portraits. The other thing I love about artists and art books is reading about their lives. Trying to understand their desire, hard work and creativity. Learning what they went through to make their art. Trying to get, what made then tick. It is fun to be in their worlds, seeing things through their eyes. The man is often dead for hundreds of years, but he lives on through his paintings, photographs, sculptures. I have always found that amazing and beautiful. A form of immortality!

Vincent

An old book of mine which I love pulling out of the shelf now and again. A combo of Vincent’s drawings, paintings and writings. Lovely stuff!

Quote: Tony Bennett

 

Bonnard Book

 Received this wonderful new artist (at least for me) art book today on Pierre Bonnard.

Paintings by Pierre Bonnard

Possible Work Sold and Collected By "Alberta Foundation for the Arts- Art Acquisition by Application"

Some possible good news today. Two Ambrotypes were short listed to be added to the permanent Alberta Art Collection. They are not part of the collection yet, but maybe they will be. Money earned ($2000 CAD), if it happens, would be used to buy Silver Nitrate. The first possible Ambrotype sales, to fund AMBROTOS KANATA. Here's hoping this works out!

This major wet plate/ambrotype project will run upwards of 15 years and probably cost in excess of $100 000 CAD to produce. We will need to travel back and forth across Canada, making plates up to 35x35 inch in size, expensive, expensive, expensive. My hope is to earn some bonus money by selling plates, doing workshops and talks. All money earned from the project will go back into the project. This is the first positive sign that my evil plan may actually work!

Audio: My Head Hurts, But That's Ok

Ever since mom got diagnosed with the early stages of dementia, dementia that might be hereditary, I have been worried. To help fight any possible future illnesses, I have tried over the last few years to exercise my brain as much as I can. To that end I am studying as many languages as I can, playing lots of chess (my hope is to work my way up to the near impossible MASTER level), eating healthier and reading tons, learning in general. I am trying to keep the brain cells active and vibrant. Not sure any of that will matter, but it certainly cannot hurt!

Learning multiple languages at the same time is tough, as tough as it gets, my head hurts! Still, it might help with the mighty D problem, and it certainly helps me make better photographs, as I gain access, friends and build relationships through language. That then translates into deeper and more important imagery.

Video: Facebook Reel, Beaver Pond

 

Video: Beaver Pond, AMBROTOS KANATA, 8x10 Clear Glass Ambrotype, Elk Island Park

Beaver Pond Version 2, AMBROTOS KANATA, 8x10 Clear Glass Ambrotype, Elk Island Park, Alberta, Canada, June 2023

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 16

Part 16.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 115

Part 15.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 14

Part 14.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 13

Part 13.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 12

Part 12.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 11

Part 11.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 10

Part 10.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 8

Part 8.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 7

Part 7.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 6

Part 6.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 5

Part 5. 

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 4

 Part 4.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 3

 Part 3.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 2

Part 2.

Video: TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY Retrospective Book Possibles, Part 1

I will be posting a series of short video clips of possible photographs for my possible retrospective book, here is part 1.

A book is a long shot at best, but heck, gotta try, don't we! I know so many people that never try, do not want to be in that camp.

Old BARGIRL Image, History

I was working on this old image today, it might be included in the retrospective book design TEARS OF A BUTTERFLY. The photo is from 2003, from a series I did that year called BARGIRL. I was in Thailand for 1 year in 2003, working on the series and other pics, miss those times now.

The BARGIRL photographs were difficult to do, I needed to speak a ton of Thai and I had to visit the areas the workers worked. There was lots of sadness, substance abuse, even violence. You also had to worry about the corruption of local police and bar owners who did not want true stories told about the workers they were exploiting.

Many times my subjects told me about their difficult lives. I got very good at the Thai language when it came to speaking about families. I had desperate people asking me to translate letters, help them emotionally or financially or just to be there so they could cry on my shoulder. Many times after a night of shooting, I came back to my apartment drained emotionally.

The BARGIRL series lead to the  longer (2007-09-12) BODY SELLERS photographs (8x10 studio shots on white backgrounds). After BARGIRL and BODY SELLERS I had to leave that world, got burned out, could not take it any longer. Going to places like Klong Toey Slum or the Dump in Mae Sot was so much easier in comparison, a much healthier place to be.

BARGIRL was tough but there were fun and lighter moments, some joy and happiness as well. I love the smile and laugh on this workers face (I will have to go back to my notes to find her nickname later). My memory of her is of a person who was happy, laughting, at least during the 1 time we made pictures.

Note* Picture shot with flash, a Contax G1 and Agfa Optima 35mm film.

Bargirl 1 in shortime room, BARGIRL, Pattaya, Thailand, 2003

Video: Playing A Game At The Dump

Found this tonight. They were all playing a gam. The playing field was drawn lines with water in the dirt. Mae Sot garbage dump. Part of THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP project.

Photo Story: Khun Anapon 2022

Found this photo while looking through my pic files tonight. It was made in 2022 during my last trip to Thai. Khun Anapon had lost his home and was sleeping in an open area of the freeway. I photographed him that one day, then the next he had disappeared. I have photographed Anapon for years under the freeway. I think the first time was back in around 2011. He is a former Muay Thai boxer who travelled to Japan as a fighter. I hope he is safe, people often disappear and do not return. I might include this photo in the coming book design.

Anapon under the freeway, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY, Klong Toey Slum, Bangkok, Thailand, March 2022

3 Ambrotypes Overexposed

  

First Mammoth Ambrotype

Mixed Flowers, 20x20 Inch Clear Glass Ambrotype, June 2023

My first semi successful Mammoth Ambrotype. So much to learn yet.