Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
A very quick post this evening as I’ve been out at the movies and not had time to post until now. Sorry for the wait.
I saw Eternals
At the cinema tonight
Good MCU fun
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 25 October 2021
The crooked spire of St. Mary’s church looms out of the trees behind Chesterfield visitor information centre.
When seen from above
The crooked spire looks just like
A soft-serve ice cream
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 25 October 2021
It’s not that often that I cee circuses, so when I drove past this one in a field beside the road I took the first opportunity I could to turn the car around and go back and grab a couple of pictures.
Above the hedges
Looms the shape of a big-top
Circus is in town
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 22 October 2021
This viewpoint of Bolsover castle is always striking to behold, I think, and there was clearly good reason to place the castle in this location given it’s commanding position above the valley below. The castle dates to the 12th century and was built by Henry II and further extended in the 15th and 16th centuries.
M1 motorway
Runs like a river below
Bolsover castle
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 22 October 2021
Today’s photo is one of those scenes where, to my eye, everything just looked to be in the right place to make for an interesting picture. It definitely needed the power / telephone pole and wires I think, and I remember placing myself so that the lamp on the front of the building to the right would be silhouetted. It’s one of those pictures where I just though “yes” when I saw it come out of the scanner.
We’re now in that period post-Halloween and bonfire night here in the UK where Christmas kicks into higher gear. Now that those two have passed, retailers, advertisers and all the rest will launch into six weeks of increasing festivity ready for the big day. Last year quite a lot of people actually put Christmas decorations up as soon as bonfire night had passed, claiming the miserable Covid year meant they needed something to cheer them up. I wonder if that will persist? Personally it’s waay too early just yet. December 1st is my unofficial line I think. Advent clandars will appear then, the festive idents will appear on the terrestrial TV channels, and the first weekend after this date is usually when we trim the house. Still four weeks away yet though.
I also need to start putting together my gift for this year’s Emulsive Secret Santa now that names have been drawn. It’ll be back to a chunkier package again this year following last year’s paper-gifts only rule due to the pandemic. I’m looking forward to finding things to pop into the parcel.
Before we know it
Christmas will be here again
Where has this year gone?
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 22 October 2021
A slightly grandiose title today. It sounds like I’m about to launch into an essay on politics and propaganda or something. Well, if that’s what you’re here for then prepare for disappointment. Instead, you’re getting some power-line photos. The bonus is that they’re carrying telephone wires too. Woot!
I think it was the large web of wires atop the poles that caught my attention. Telephone poles are becoming less common in urban areas such as where I live, with new cabling being run underground through ducts, although there are still poles to be found on older estates, particularly out into the suburbs. Out in the countryside theough and they’re still pretty common, although not always with such a bounty of cabling. I spotted this pair in a small village while out driving arounf looking for photo opportunities. I think they look pretty good against the threatening skies.
When we’re mistaken
By something someone might say
We have got crossed wires
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 22 October 2021
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about how I’d gone out for a spot of photography as a break from all the renovation and decorating that has been going one, but then forgot to take my tripod with me.
Today’s photograph was made when I realised what I had done. Instead of a medium format picture of this scene, I used my XA3 which I had thankfully taken along too. Although the day was dull and without much in the way of good light, the HP5+ in the XA3 was being pushed a stop to 800asa, so gave me good leeway in the conditions.
I’m not sure how a 6×6 medium format version of this scene shot on Ilford Ortho Plus would have looked, but this HP5+ version came out nicely.
Sometimes a mistake
Can lead to good things instead
Of disappointment
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 22 October 2021
I made this picture on the day I went into town to have my laptop rebuilt. Unfortunately the re-build was a complete failure and a waste of my time but I did grab a few pictures on the way. This was a vey quickly grabbed shot as I liked the way the people positioned between or against the pillars.
Back to black and white
After a set of colour
Makes for a nice change
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 4 October 2021
Living in a large city I’m used to large fire stations. All the ones that I’m aware of have facilities to support a number of appliances, as well as the usual accomodation and training areas. As a result, the fire station at Mablethorpe always seems small by comparison. There’s a full size fire engine parked in there – you can just see it peeping out of the doors, and there are certainly enough fire officers around as I saw a video recently where they were dealing with a collapsed wall on top of one of the local stores, and there were several people in attendance.
I bet it dosen’t have a pole to slide down though.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this to be honest, other than to pointlessly note that a small town has a smaller fire station than a large city. Look out for more exciting blog posts to come… 😀
Making pointless posts
On the size of fire stations
In small seaside towns
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)
Taken on 16 September 2021
And so the “photos of houses” (or a “guest” house in theis case) continues. I expect thwo or three more days of these to go – although a couple of them are not houses, so there’s that…
I did manage to finish and develop a roll of HP5+ yesterday though, so the future of the blog, insofar as having some fresh photos, is assured for another week or so if I can get my finger out and start scanning them. 🙂
White against blue sky
A guesthouse gable-end shines
In September sun
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)
Taken on 16 September 2021
Steel City Snapper photography 