dark history

Some photos from the darker parts of my travels in Cambodia. Nearly half the population of Cambodia was wiped out under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.


A few of the skulls in the Buddhist stupa at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia.

Scan of a print on Ilford Fiber paper. Shot on Kodak Tri-X 400 pushed to 800. Scanned in color with a few tweaks to try to recreate the print as it looks to the eye.


One of the irrigation rooms at Tuol Sleng Genocide Prison in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia.

Scan of a print on Ilford Fiber paper. Shot on Kodak Tri-X 400 pushed to 800. Scanned in color with a few tweaks to try to recreate the print as it looks to the eye.

seasia in color

Been spending some time in the color darkroom.


I was framing this shot of the Royal Palace and these three monks walked around the corner. Could not have worked out better.

Scan of a wet print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper. Shot on Kodak Portra 800.


Crossing the street in Vietnam is an adventure in itself. Yet after riding a motorbike you somehow find harmony in the chaos. As long as you're in control. I never got passed holding on for deal life on the back of one.

Scan of a wet print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper. Shot on Kodak Portra 400.


I found this cart in Bangkok's Chinatown. Street food is huge in this part of the world.

Scan of a wet print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper. Shot on Kodak Ektar 100.

chambok village homestay in cambodia

This set is from Chambok, Cambodia. We had a homestay for one night in this village near an eco tourism center. The center coordinated homestays with a few families in the village. We also went around a school and temple in the village where I got some of these photos. I'm in the process of contacting the eco village to have a copy of these photos sent to the village.


These girls were hanging around the temple in the village. This is one of my favorites from the trip.


Classes were on break when we visited the school. The students were coming back into class and these guys were eager to pose for the camera.

Da told us he was the only student who spoke English. He had learned it from his dad and was happy to practice with us.

A boy who is too young for school, but was following his mother around.

This is our homestay host and her son.

first photos from southeast asia

I've been slowly developing and printing rolls from a trip to Southeast Asia I recently took. Other than a point and shoot, I took just my Minolta Autocord. Other than a few minor problems it held up during the trip, although it's still scratching some of my negatives. I think I got some good results though. I've been spending much time in the darkroom the past few weeks getting my favorites on paper. Below are a few from Cambodia. There will be more in the weeks ahead.


This photo was taken at Phnom Pros in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. There was a family of these guys and I think this guy was putting himself between us and the youngins. Luckily he didn't give me rabies.


This is part of the Bayon Temple Complex in Angkor.


This was taken on out way to Sihanoukville in Cambodia. There are two or three pigs in the cage on the back of the bike. They did not look very happy, but perhaps they are still too small to be dinner.

color prints

Been doing a lot of color darkroom printing lately. It's a bit more time consuming than black and white due to the fact that it's difficult to find the right color balance. Sadly these scans don't do the actual prints justice. I got them pretty close but the print just looks better on paper than on the screen. Same thing can be said for scanned negatives though.

gang of six deficit plan

The Gang of Six plan seems to be the most likely solution to the August 2nd debt ceiling deadline. The plan doesn't seem much of a compromise to me. Yet it is very likely Obama will support it. A major tax cut would be given to the top tax bracket (from 35% to 23-29%), which, other than just after Reagan's presidency, is at it's lowest point since the great depression.

This just about sums it up:

Just about the only specific piece of the Gang of Six proposal, as explained well by Rep. Peter DeFazio above, is the move to chained CPI, a benefit cut for Social Security, veteran’s benefits and any program with a cost of living adjustment, along with a regressive tax cut.

Overall this plan will place most of the burden on the working class. It's about time we put the myth that these cuts help job creators to rest. Let's not forget the huge income inequality we have in this country.




In other news, the US claim that no civilians have been killed by drones in Pakistan is a lie. From a recent study:

Yet a detailed examination by the Bureau of 116 CIA ‘secret’ drone strikes in Pakistan since August 2010 has uncovered at least 10 individual attacks in which 45 or more civilians appear to have died.

Also an interesting read from Glenn Greenwald; the governments case for the anthrax attacks in 2001 is full of holes.

That Ivins lacked the means, ability and equipment to produce the sophisticated strain of anthrax used in the attacks -- especially to do so without detection and leaving ample traces -- has long been one of the many arguments as to why it is so unlikely that he was the culprit (or at least the sole culprit).

[...]

But, of course, in the U.S., the nation's most powerful political and financial factions -- especially those who control the National Security State -- are immune from meaningful scrutiny and investigation. As a result, President Obama -- in what I think is one his most indefensible acts -- actually threatened to veto the entire intelligence authorization bill if it included a proposed bipartisan amendment (passed by the House) that would have mandated an independent inquiry into the FBI's anthrax investigation.

On the lighter side of things, they now have fake Apple stores.

squared

Been using my Autocord TLR shooting both black and white and color film. I'm really liking this camera. The waist level finder is like using the best lcd ever made and I've found I can hand hold it still for stupid long amounts of times. Gotten sharp images down to an 1/8th of a second. After the jump is a set from the past few rolls I've shot.

He might be orange, but we call him Blue. My roommate's cat was relaxing then perked up at the sound of the buzzing self timer on my autocord and froze perfectly still for the half second exposure.

Arts Market at Civic Center.

TLR

Another camera I've been lucky to inherit is this Minolta Autocord from the early 60s. The leather covering on it was in pretty bad shape so along with getting it cleaned and fixed up I got a Deep Jade leather kit from Camera Leather. I was also lucky to find a hood and UV filter from a local used camera store, Camera Heaven. Definitely the place to go in San Francisco for rare photographic accessories.



I've shot a few rolls through it with one to scan. Still getting a feel for this camera. Here's a shot from Coronado Beach in San Diego. With a negative 4 times the size of 35mm, the details are great. Scans much easier, too. The square format also makes for interesting compositions.

train east

Finally got photos from my train trip out to Chicago uploaded. You can view the set here on Flickr. I've also created a set of my favorite shots.

darkroom

I have about 6 rolls of film I've been meaning to upload from a trip I took a little while ago. Finally got them developed and scanned, now to sort through them and clean them up for web use. In the meantime here's one of my favorite shots from the trip. It's at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago. This is a scan of an 8x10 print.

It scans a little weird so I'll have to play with my scanner settings some to get it right. This was shot with my leica iiic on kodak tri-x.

developing my own film

Decided to take a dark room class. Haven't started printing yet, but did develop my very first roll. This is a large set, so click here for all the photos.

more info on this photo on flickr

more info on this photo on flickr

vehicles and performers

Some shots taken in San Francisco. Just got back from a trip and have 6 rolls I need to develop.

1/500@f/6.3
Summitar 5cm f/2

1/500@f/4.5
Summitar 5cm f/2
See this on Flickr

1/500@f/4.5
Summitar 5cm f/2

1/500@f/3.5
Summitar 5cm f/2

1/500@f/4.5
Elmar 3.5cm f/3.5

Taken with a Leica IIIc. Film is Ilford HP5+, scanned with an Epson V500 and minor edits done in Lightroom.

desolate

1/100@f/12.5
Taken along a railroad line in Sonoma County, California.

1/500@f/6.3
Taken along a railroad line in Sonoma County, California.

1/200@f/6.3
Chinatown in San Francisco on a very rainy day.

1/100@f/12.5
At the San Francisco Art Institute overlooking North Beach.

1/100@f/12.5
A bridge in Yosemite Valley

1/500@f/12.5
Forecast said it was going to be raining. No mention of snow.

1/200@f/12.5
Near Yosemite. The main road had just as much snow on it.

All photos taken on Kodak BW400CN and were scanned with an Epson V500 with minor edits done in Lightroom.

Invasion Libya

Update 1 - 3/23/11
Update 2 - 3/25/11

As I've been following what's going on in Libya closely, I thought I'd keep an ongoing post with links for those interested with some commentary. This post will be updated with new developments. Al Jazeera has great coverage including a live blog.

For some background, University of San Francisco Professor Stephen Zunes wrote this article just as US naval ships were moving into the region when fighting between rebels and Gaddafi's forces first broke out. For a perspective on Libya's role in oil production, see this piece.

Missile hits Gaddafi compound in Tripoli from Al Jazeera, 3/21/11

‎But Arab League chief Amr Moussa on Sunday condemned what he called the "bombardment of civilians" and called for an emergency meeting of the group of 22 states to discuss Libya.

He requested a report into the bombardment, which he said had "led to the deaths and injuries of many Libyan civilians".

"What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians," Egypt's state news agency quoted Moussa as saying.

[...]

However, Navy Vice Admiral William E Gortney added that any of Gaddafi's ground troops advancing on pro-democracy forces are open targets for US and allied attacks.

"If they are moving on opposition forces ... yes, we will take them under attack," he told reporters.

"There has been no new air activity by the regime and we have detected no radar emissions from any of the air defence sites targeted and there's been a significant decrease in in the use of all Libyan air surveillance radars."

The drawbacks of intervention in Libya, an opinion piece from Al Jazeera, 3/20/11

The Daily Show from 3/21/11. Great commentary on the situation in Libya.

As Gaddafi Forces Launch New Attacks, Reports on the Ground from a Divided Libya - Democracy Now reporting on the situation in Libya on 3/3/11.

No-Fly Zone Enacted as U.S. and Allied Forces Launch Air Strikes on Libya Amid Growing Concerns for Civilian Safety - Democracy Now reporting as the no-fly zone is enacted on 3/21/11.

--------------------------------

Update 1

Libyan rebels form 'interim government' from Al Jazeera on 3/23/11

Libya air force 'unable to fight' from BBC on 3/23/11. US Commanders were saying this after the first day, yet there were still strikes enforcing this so called no-fly zone.

CBS Poll: 50% Approve Of Obama's Handling Of Libya - Haven't read and watched US media on this, it comes as no surprise. I'm sure most of those opposed to Obama's handling of this say he hasn't done enough.

Debating Intervention: Is U.S.-Led Military Action the Best Solution to Libya Crisis? on Democracy Now, 3/23/11

Strikes will 'antagonise' many in Arab world, says Chomsky - from the Irish Times, 3/21/11

U.S. rescue chopper shoots six Libyan villagers as they welcome pilots of downed Air Force jet - From the Daily Mail, 3/22/11

Six Libyan villagers are recovering in hospital after being shot by American soldiers coming in to rescue the U.S. pilots whose plane crash-landed in a field.

The helicopter strafed the ground as it landed in a field outside Benghazi beside the downed U.S. Air Force F-15E Eagle which ran into trouble during bombing raid last night.

And a handful of locals who had come to greet the pilots were hit - among them a young boy who may have to have a leg amputated because of injuries caused by a bullet wound.

The imperialist scramble for Libya from Socialist Worker on 3/23/11. Includes comparisons to Kosovo.


--------------------------------

Update 2

Is Barack Obama's Libya intervention a flip-flop from what he said in 2007? from PolitiFact.

Savage asked Obama, "In what circumstances, if any, would the president have constitutional authority to bomb Iran without seeking a use-of-force authorization from Congress? (Specifically, what about the strategic bombing of suspected nuclear sites -- a situation that does not involve stopping an IMMINENT threat?)"

[...]

Obama said, "The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation."

White House: Libya fight is not war, it's 'kinetic military action' from The Washington Examiner on 3/23/11.

US remains military muscle in Libya campaign from Raw Story (AFP repost) on 3/25/11.

Mission Creep - Opinion piece from Al Jazeera on 3/25/11.

another roll in the leica

Ran another roll through my iiic, this time a roll of Fujifilm Neopan 400.

Heat Lamp and the Sky
1/100@f/12.5

Tree's Shadow in a Pond
1/500@f/12.5
At the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park

Walking down the Cobblestone Path
1/100@f/9.0

Children on the loft
1/2@f/2.0
flash: EZ420@1/16 in umbrella, camera left. hand fired
my old roommates got these at a garage sale. quite creepy.

shades
1/4@f/4.0
This was taken with a NOOKY HESUM, an extension tube for the Summitar 5cm that's used for close up photography. I took a couple photos with it, but they're all underexposed. It looks like 1/4 on my iiic is really fast. Going to have to do some tests to check other speeds.

The glasses are actually centered in the frame, but because this frame and others around it were so dark, my scanner had trouble picking up the frame and it came out like this (plus some minor cropping). I kind of like it though.

Holy Smoke
1/10@f2.0

1/100@f/9.0

1/100@f/9.0

1/100@f/9.0

1/100@f/12.5

All negatives were scanned with an Epson V500 with minor edits done in Lightroom.