Sunday, February 23, 2014

Print: Baby Boy Learning To Stand "Families of the Dump" Series, Mae Sot Thailand 2013

Here is another shot made with the new Burmese refugee families at the dump in November. The mother was holding up the baby to try to teach it to stand, her daughter is in the background (a young girl I photographed  numerous times). I made this print on Agfa classic fibre photo paper, it is a paper I loved in the past. Not sure if this paper is old and fogging or what, but it does not seem to have the same deep blacks and wonderful tones that I remembered and loved. Maybe I am more used to using Ilford and Oriental papers now which are more expensive papers with a thicker base. I will keep printing this and the next few photos on Agfa classic and see how it goes. Maybe I am out of love with Agfa classic fibre, which I believe is still available in Europe with a new manufacturer.

Update: Version 1 of the negative after the print dried, I like the tones much better in the dried print than what I saw in the wet paper. I will try to burn down the white areas especially the foreground and the mosquito netting. I also need to lighten the young girl in the background and maybe add or subtract 1/4 contrast. For my first attempt it's a good try but the photo can be improved in many ways, bleaching the mothers face might also add a bit of highlight focus to the subject. Anyway lots of fun to come, but first I need to watch the Canada Olympic gold medal hockey game then take a nap, more darkroom work tomorrow.
Version #1 printed on discontinued Agfa Classic fibre paper.
Update: Version #3, more contrast, more burning around edges and mosquito netting.