Place-Shoot-Process

Tae-Tawatchai Pattanaporn is the owner of ‘The Place,’ the studio called PATANI STUDIO.  He is also a photographer who loves ‘shooting’ black and white photographs with negatives and a doer who manually ‘processes’ every step of his own photographs.

PATANI STUDIO, located in Yaowaraj area, may seem to be a familiar place for the true fans of taking photos with negatives.  A photography exhibition called ‘Rong Wongsawan’s Last Word’ was launched on November 29 at the new gallery zone of the studio.  The exhibition drew the attention of analog photographers attending the studio for their photos to be processed and to appreciate handmade photographs from this studio.

When PATANI STUDIO was established six years ago, the use of negative films in photography was unique for only small groups of photographers.  At the present time, however, negatives have become the prominent and well-known alternative in photo taking.  That opens the door for this studio owner to do more with photographs.

Apart from Café’s and bars that lined up Soi Nana, residential communities are hidden along small branches of the Soi.  PATANI STUDIO, for us, seems to fit perfectly with the community.  A two-roomed studio does not stand out from the rest of the environment, instead it sits there quietly waiting for interesting people to visit.

Tae welcomed us to the exhibition room, located in the same Soi of the studio, just a room away from the main studio.  Glass windows allow us to see the lifestyles of the residents as well as photographs on display on the wall.

For Tae-Tawatchai Pattanaporn, the studio and the exhibition room are both his workplace and home.  The opening up of the gallery zone is like the expansion of the old home in response to his profession and living life to the fullest.  It is also another challenge of his work taste.

“It is fun to me in that it is the test of how it would come out under the budget I had.  If it comes out OK, I will be delighted.  It is like the construction of a house: how the color, space and area can be managed.  It can compare to how you look, choose and build a house: a house full of trees or how the environment would be.  The result reflects the owner’s characteristics and also the artist’s vision.  I graduated in designing, so I can design my own place.  It should, not only be practical, but can promote photographs on display,” Tae explained his idea for the new space.

Tae graduated from the Faculty of Architecture.  He had worked only once in the architectural field and discovered that he ‘disliked’ it and it was not his way of life.  He gained experience of photographing during the data collection period.  However, when his real love of photography started is what we wanted to know.

“After graduation, I joined the ‘Work and Travel’ program in the United States.  I liked going to bookstores and browsing through books about photography since the photography and architectural books were on shelves next to each other.  That seemed to be the first time I realized myself of my interest in photography.  Back in Thailand, I had not come across photography books much and I did not pay any attention to them.  I took many books from the United States back to Thailand.  Then, I took a basic course of photography at Polytechnic College, Si Praya with the incredibly cheap fee at 1 Baht an hour.  I wanted to learn the basics of photography.  After that, I learned it myself and also asked experts for advice.”

Photographs needs space

If asked where we can watch photographs, the answer would be ‘everywhere.’  We can see photographs everywhere and all the time.  But for the quest of the place where we can appreciate the beauty of the photographs, the answer can be quite difficult.  For him, he has always thought of the place where people can see the beauty in detail.

“There is no specific place for photographs.  Photographs do not need big spaces, but it is hard to find a perfect small space for showing photographs.  That may be because its commercial market is not so big as other forms of visual arts.  The income for any commercial gallery is not worth the investment.  It is something in the middle of everything.  There may be some markets, but not much.  There are few works of new gen photographers, only the old ones who were considered classic pieces of work in the international market. Although new gen of photographers come back taking photos with negatives, photographs are still in their mobile phones.  There is no place for them to be seen and appreciated.”

“Photographs do not need a big space, somewhat closed.  The intimacy style of work needs even smaller space.  The light condition also plays a major role.  We understand people who want to exhibit their work, but there is a small number of places to choose,”

The first exhibition displayed in this square room is the photographs of Rong Wongsawan: The National Artist in Literature.  He created and left behind a rich collection of written works with beautiful language to Thailand before he passed.  His photographs were shot through Tae’s eyes.  He used 135 mm. and 120 mm. negatives.  He went up to Tune In Garden for the interview three times between 2007 and 2008.  Accompanying him for the interview was Nung-Worraphot Phanphong, a renowned interviewer with 30-year experience.

All negatives were revived in the paper forms after so many years in stock.  Due to the unique specialty of the element, the negatives can retain every subtle detail from the day the shutter was pressed until now.  That made us have a clear view of Rong Wongsawan’s every move in his work space.

“When we first looked at the negatives, we thought they would not survive the time.  They may not have been printed out since the negatives were thin and the contrast was rare.  For photos taken indoor, the blur light was reflected from the forest into the room, not the light in the room itself.  The late morning light came in directly, but it was not beautiful.  I was worried at first. I used 120 mm.  negatives to shoot photos with slow speed shutter, no flash, no tripods.  We took very few photos because the light did not allow us.  I did not think I could print them out 10 years ago, so I kept it.  Two years ago, browsing through old films, I came across this set and tried printing small photos and put them in my diary.  The quality did not come out 100%, but they were beautiful.  The 8×10 inch photographs were printed out later.  They were only a proof for a writer, not for the exhibition.”

This photographer is not a big fan of the late famous writer.  He only knew who he was because of his alias: The Eagle of the Literature Garden.  We asked about his preparation, at the age of 25, to shoot illustration photos of a historical figure as a model.

“I did not prepare much, it was like we had to meet someone and then went with the flow.  Under one condition, we traveled to Chiangmai by train and met him at the clinic where he would have his renal dialysis treatment, then we went up to Tune In Garden together.  Sometimes, we had to wait until the next day before he could be interviewed due to his exhaustion after the treatment.  We had to stay there a few days at a time.  We came down to Chiangmai together for his next treatment, then we parted.  At first, he had to come for his treatment twice a week, then it was three times a week.  That is the maximum interval for the patient.  So, he became very tired in the later state.”

“At first, we tried to think of some pattern, but it could not be set.  He was both the elder and patient.  It depended on the situation at hand, both his movement and ours, the light condition, the proper environment, etc.  That is the nature of photography.  Even if we want it, we cannot get it.”

From that journey, Tae realized that Rong Wongsawan is not only a famous writer, he is an artist who has got a passion for taking photos using negatives, too.

“I learned that he used to be a very good photographer before going on the literature road.  Not many people know about this.  He knew a lot about cameras.  He was serious about photography.  He used Mamiya.  He said the lens was good, but the technique was bad.  He said he loved it, things like that,” Tae recalled his conversation about cameras with Rong Wongsawan.

What we wanted to know was the recollection of the memory ten years back of what he got from Tune In Garden.

“It may be the seriousness of living life, making choices, trying to put myself in the good position of both personal life and family even when we think we are not ready financially.  Rong Wongsawan, is a writer and not rich, but he could manage to send his eldest son (Wongdamleung Wongsawan) to study abroad.  He could build a homy house on the hill.  He could choose to live there happily.  He has a good taste.  That is what I learn to give the importance to the profession I love, to work to the fullest, to have discipline, to be continuous and, also, to take complete responsibility to other duties.”

Currently, Tae’s studio is ready to welcome analog people to watch the work and results of the progression of developing negatives into photographs through the exhibition called ‘Rong Wongsawan’s Last Word’ at PATANI STUDIO Soi Nana, Yaowaraj.  The exhibition is from Wednesdays to Fridays between November 29, 2020 and February 14, 2021 from 12.00 noon to 6.00 p.m.