hello, and 2 from the Land of Smiles

[stet]

Well, I'm finally well-settled in a new home in Thailand, and have only this week started to really catch up with RFF again. And first, I'd like to offer my apologies to Ralph, Ray, Joe and everyone involved in the RFF Book 2 project; during the move I basically fell off the face the planet as far as my net life, and I'm really sorry I didn't get in touch with you about it.

So, my girlfriend and I decided to make the move out here last year. We met a few years ago working at a newspaper in Cambodia, ended up together and working in news in Arkansas, then got the itch to be back out this way.

We came out here with four cameras and a vague hope of setting up a darkroom, or at least finding one we could rent time at or a lab that will process bw. No such luck. BW service is gone from Chiang Mai. We had to go to Bangkok to get D-76, fixer, etc. It's getting hot, too, and at room temp the developer is at 90F. At the photo supply store, we met a really cool photojournalist who works strictly in bw with RFs, Leica and Mamiya. His name is Philip Blenkinsop, and he works for a French PJ agency. If you google him, you'll see some disturbing photos from East Timor before independence.
Also, and a must for an RF buff in Bangkok, we went to AV Camera, which had an incredible collection of RFs: tons of Leicas and Canons, Contaxes, a Nikon 1, gorgeous Canon 50/.095. All behind glass and a sign that says "sorry, personal collection. not for sale."

Naturally, this place is teeming with photo opportunities. Right now I'm digging the markets, especially Chinatown, and am thinking about a couple different series on workers. There is a critical election/gov't meltdown going on right now, but for the most part it's barely perceptible in Chiang Mai. The man in hot water, the prime minister, is from up these parts, so he has a lot of support here. There's been only one major protest, and of course, it was up the street from our building and we were out to dinner in the other direction. Our night manager told us when we got back, and we hustled out to catch the tail end of it.

I did, however, go to a pretty for-real and crazy punk show, and I posted a photo from there in the recent photo thread. Here's another from the show, and one from a market-type thing.

Canon 7s, CV 35/2.5 pancake, Tmax 100
click here to see a larger version and read the sign: http://static.flickr.com/38/121392282_4f6c289a21_b.jpg

Canon 7s, CV 35/2.5 pancake, Sunpak 622, Kodak 400UC

I love it out here, and feel pretty energized about shooting. I'll post more photos as I get them.

*rick

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Hi Rick,

Really like that first shot.

BW is gone from Chiang Mai? That surprises me, I would not have thought the digital revolution would be so advanced in Thailand already. Or is it some other factor for BW's demise?

cheers

 

[stet]

Nope, it's just done in by digital. Photo Bug was the last place, and they quit 8 months ago. They still stock Tmax and Tri-x, though, but no chemicals. And the rentable darkroom I'd heard about at Art Lab is done, too. The guy running the photo class/darkroom packed up for Bangkok.

Every time I go into photo bug, there's a bunch of customers and no one is picking up or dropping off film. And, it seems like everywhere you look, there's a tourist/foreigner with a D70s, or a Thai with a 5D. the D70s has to be the most popular travel camera here.

To be fair, there are some younger Thais shooting bw still. I know Chiang Mai University still has a darkroom, and I met a photographer selling postcards at the walking market who said he might be able to get me into the private, rentable darkroom he uses. I've also seen some silver prints for sale by younger Thais.

Film's not all lost, but it's close. You can still get C-41 done everywhere. But Photo Bug's E6 machine broke last year, and they figure it's too cost prohibitive to order the parts from Japan. I heard the newly expanded Denchai is doing E6, but most of the foreign pro shooters here, if they shoot slide film at all, send it to IQ Lab in Bangkok.

I'm guessing that if there is another factor besides the digital revolution, it's the high cost of good cameras and gear here, period. Some other RFF'ers had warned me that it's relatively more expensive here than other countries in Asia, and it's true. Prices are the same as in the US. But you can get a digital P&S really cheap, way cheaper than a halfway decent film body or even a film P&S and buying film all the time.