Month: December 2024

35mm · 4x5 Large Format · Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Twelve favourite photos from 2024

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Somehow, another year has concluded. I feel that I’m spinning closer and closer to whatever is at the centre of everything, each orbit feeling shorter than the last. At this rate, I expect a year to feel like five minutes before too long!

So as the year comes to a close I’ll pick my annual selection of favourite pictures, one from each month. very subjective as usual, and as always I could have picked one of several from some months. The pickings have become much slimmer over the past couple of months though, mostly due to other matters being on my mind and not shooting as much. December’s entry (given I’m keeping this selection film-based) is one I’ve only shot since Christmas, and only developed and scanned today. I expect this one may be usurped as I have a couple more rolls yet to scan (and one roll of colour from Barcelona to send off for processing) which may contain a preferred picture. We shall see.

One thing I’ve noticed is that I seem to have gone for a bit of a bridge theme for this selection. 🙂

I’ll end this bit by wishing you all a very happy New Year and wish good things for us all in 2025. Have a good one!

January

Over the water

Yashicamat 124G
Kodak Tri-X (@800asa)
Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

February

Powerstream

Olympus XA3
Ilford HP5+ (@800asa)
Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

March

Under the bridge

Olympus XA3
Ilford HP5+ (@800asa)
Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

April

Beneath bridges

Zeiss Mess-Ikonta 524/16
Kodak Tri-X
Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

May

Shot through the heart

Olympus Trip 35
Fomapan 100
Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

June

Over the Idle

Yashica Mat 124G
Fujifilm Pro 400H
Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.

July

Landing

Fujica GW690
Kodak Ektar
Lab developed.
Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

August

Beach scene

Olympus OM-10
G-Zuiko AUTO-S 35mm f/2.8
Ilford FP4+
Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 10mins

September

Mablethorpe High Street

Fujica GW690
Kodak Plus-X (expired January 2008 and shot at 100asa)
Adox Rodinal 1+50 13mins @ 20°

October

Freshly ploughed

Yashica Mat 124G
Kodak Portra 400
Lab developed
Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro

November

Tacos

Nikon F80
Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD
Kodak Ultramax
Lab Developed
Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro

December

Passage

Yashica Mat 124G
Kodak Tri-X
Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

So that’s another year’s round-up. And now I begin anew with a bunch of fresh pictures in 2025!

Digital · Photography

By the skin of my teeth

fishyfisharcade3 Comments

Although we booked our pre-Christmas trip to Barcelona several months ago, it was only a week before we were due to depart that I realised that my passport was close to its expiry. Checking the entry requirements for Spain I became pretty concerned when I realised my passport needed a minimum of three months until expiry from the date we returned home. Looking into this further on the Spanish consulate website, I got the slightly more specific “90 days, minimum” figure.

Thankfully, my passport just squeaked through the requirements, but there were definite nervous moments when going through border control where I wondered if they might refuse my entry and put me on a plane back home!

I’ve now sent off for a new passport so at least I’ll not have to worry about this again for the next decade!

Airport scene

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 23 December 2024

Digital · Photography

Bars on the window

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Clear skies in Barcelona meant there was some gorgeous light about, although the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter mean that this only falls on locations at certain times of the day. When you catch it though, it’s lovely.

Another misty day here in the UK today, so I got out for the third time in as many days with my Yashica Mat 124G and a roll of Tri-X. I’m hoping to start developing the three rolls on Monday.

Lamplight

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 20 December 2024

Digital · Photography

A room with a view (through the curtains)

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While we were in out hotel room in Barcelona last weekend, I noticed this scene through a gap in the curtains. I liked the contrast of light and shade, and the golden and blue colours of the scene outside.

Meanwhile, back at home after Christmas day, we’ve had misty conditions the past couple of days, so I’ve managed to get out and shoot a couple of rolls of Tri-X through my Yashica Mat 124G. I might get the opportunity to develop them over the next few days before I post my annual favourite photos post (and I don’t yet have any film photos for this month).

Beyond the veil

Ricoh GR III

Taken on 21 December 2024

Digital · Photography

A trip to Barcelona

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My wife and I spent the weekend just gone in Barcelona to visit the Christmas markets and just wander round the city. It’s the first time I’ve traveled overseas so close to Christmas and I was a little concerned that we might get caught up in a mass of travelers going home for Christmas, but everything went very smoothly and, while Barcelona was pretty busy, the travel was not.

We had a very nice time just wandering about the place, not doing anything in particular other than visiting shops and markets and eating nice food. We visited the Sagrada Familia as there was another Christmas market there, and I did consider going inside the cathedral, but I would have needed needed to book tickets in advance and there were none available to buy on the day as it was fully booked. My wife isn’t particularly interested in visiting cathedrals anyway, and I would have felt a little guilty if I was dragging her around the place while I took photos and admired the architecture, so I wasn’t too concerned about missing the opportunity. Maybe I’ll get another chance one day.

I shot a roll of colour 35mm film while there, but it will be after Christmas before that gets developed, but took some more photos with my Ricoh GRIII, including the one posted here today, so will share some of those once I’ve gone through them all.

This large star can be found in Plaça Sant Jaume in Barcelona, Spain. It is titled Origen and was created by Xevi Bayona and Àlex Posada. It projects light from the points of the star onto the facades of the buildings in the plaza.

ORIGEN

Ricoh GRIII

Taken on 20 December 2024