Tuesday, June 24, 2014

"Khon Thai" And "Migrant Worker" Thoughts

The "Khon Thai" series (Thai People) is back in my thoughts again, I always loved that title. I kind of lost interest in the series because I did not want to exclude making photos of Burmese, Cambodians, Laotians etc. Now I think I can photograph those people as part of the "Migrant" series I thought of last week. So I can photograph 2 series at the same time, Khon Thai and the Migrant Worker series (got to think of a better name). The portrait work would be shot with view cameras, probably a combination of 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10. I already have some 4x5 work shot in the Klong Toey slum that I could include in the greater "Khon Thai" project. I will be creating 5x7 work of the Burmese families in the Mae Sot garbage dump that I can eventually use in the "Migrant" series. Things have a tendency to flow together even when your directly trying to connect them, it is strange how happy accidents pull you in the proper direction.

In the future when I spend extended periods in Thailand I can carry the large view camera on my shoulder or on a cart of some kind and travel the country making portraits of the Thai people as well as migrant workers. Things are starting to become clearer in my head, the future holds endless possibilities to create and tell important stories.