It’s very warn and muggy here again today. I have a bunch of Holga pictures that I’d planned to post, but I’m sat in my my office which is currently 31.4°c and don’t have the energy to add them all to the blog. So, instead, here’s a summery picture of a fella in Whitby holding a hotdog. It looks like it was hot on that day too (I can’t recall – it was nearly ten years ago!), but the people in jackets and hoodies perhaps suggest it wasn’t as warm as it is here today.
Religion isn’t really my thing but I do enjoy photographing religious artifacts and buildings – I probably fall under the umbrella of being a “cultural Christian” in that regard – although I find other religions artifacts equally interesting.
In the UK we have a wealth of churches dating back centuries, chock full of amazing architecture, artworks, stained glass windows and so forth. Even the more modern buildings, such as the brutalist architecture churches built in the post-war years, are interesting – sometimes even more so.
Most of the time any photographs I make of churches are of the exteriors. This is usually because many churches are not freely accessible, either to prevent theft or vandalism (sad, I know), or, in the case of grand cathedrals, require admission fees to wander around inside.
Sometimes though, particularly in villages out in the country, churches are still open and it’s possible to enter, enjoy their interiors, and make photographs. I took a few pictures inside a church at Tickhill last weekend that was open when I wandered past by chance. The picture of Mary and Jesus below is at Lincoln cathedral, but is outside, so I could make a picture without having to go inside.
I don’t mind paying an entrance fee if I know that there is likely to be something of interest to see and, importantly, I know I have sufficient time to wander at my leisure. I didn’t have the latter during this trip to Lincoln, unfortunately.
On another note, this weekend saw the 2025 Sheffield Steam Rally, so I went along today – as I do most years – and returned with a crop of exposed film (mostly medium format), so there will be traction engines to come at some point…
Yashica Mat 124G & Lomography Color Negative 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
Contrasting nicely with yesterday’s old building, here’s one that is considerably more modern. Named The Strelitzia after an Italian flower, this striking house in Lincoln is the work (and home) of a local property developer. Construction on the house began in 2007. You can find out more about the house and see what it looks like inside in this article.
Yashica Mat 124G & Lomography Color Negative 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
This building sits beside Lincoln cathedral to the south of the structure. I’m not sure what it is (or was) and it doesn’t have a label on Google Maps, so I suspect it might just be a residential property, but whatever the case it’s an impressive looking old building. I bet there are all manner of nooks, crannies, and passageways within.
Yashica Mat 124G & Lomography Color Negative 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
Yesterday evening I began to feel some pain in the back of my left hand near the wrist. I didn’t think much of it, it wasn’t too bad, and I fell asleep without noticing it at all. However, the pain increased overnight and became sufficiently severe that it kept waking me when I moved my hand, and then woke me completely at 5am. I took some pain relief, but it didn’t do much and I didn’t get any more sleep.
The pain wasn’t constant, only being apparent when I moved my hand in certain ways (or got it snagged on the quilt!), but I decided I needed to find out what the problem was so, this morning before work, I visited the minor injuries unit in the local hospital (my wife being kind enough to ferry me there and back again). Thankfully the wait wasn’t long (I was in and out in about an hour) and an x-ray showed that nothing was broken and I was diagnosed as having a sprain. They gave me a wrist splint, advised me that it would take up to six weeks to fully recover, and sent me on my way again.
Being the hypochondriac that I am, I’d had some concern that I might have somehow broken a bone (despite the pain being much less pronounced than the times I have actually broken a finger or wrist), so getting away lightly with a wrist support rather than a cast is a relief. I don’t have to wear the support all the time – and have been advised to use my hand normally as much as possible – and I should still be able to do most of the things I normally do, including driving and using cameras.
One thing I won’t be doing for a while is push-ups. I suspect that it was this that caused the sprain in the first place. Excercise isn’t always good for you, I guess.
Apropos of nothing, here are a couple of pretty-looking houses in Lincoln.
Yashica Mat 124G & Lomography Color Negative 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
I recently posted a whole bunch of other pictures of this impressive water tower that I’d shot with my Olympus OM-10, but here are a couple more – in medium format and colour!
Yashica Mat 124G & Lomography Color Negative 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
I find shops to be interesting subjects to photograph, especially older shops which retain some of their original charm and character (even if the business that resides within might have changed multiple times). Modern shops often lose some of this interest, I think, but they still feature displays that are of their time and which will, as the years pass, grow in interest.
I really like to see old photos of places I know and to remember how they used to look and note how they have changed in the intervening years. I think it’s a big part of why I photograph shops (and other sometimes mundane scenes) – one day I, or someone else, will find similar fascination in remembering and observing how things looked when I took my pictures.
Yashica Mat 124G & Lomography Color Negative 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
The temperatures have cooled noticeably today and I can feel a pleasant breeze from the window as I type this (yesterday my office was unbearably stuffy). However, I went out today and despite the fresher air outside, the house was considerably warmer inside than out when I got back, although it does seem to have cooled somewhat now we’ve aired it some more.
I decided to go out and make some photographs today. I’ve had the last couple of days free to do this but the hot weather really put me off. I also think I’ve been having a bit of a dip in my photography mojo recently too, finding it difficult to work up enthusiasm to get out with a camera. I expect that the drive to take pictures will return, but it’s a bit frustrating to have time for photography but not the inclination – it feels like I’m wasting opportunity.
My lack desire for picture taking was still evident this morning, but knowing it was the last day of my long weekend, that the weather was more inviting, and that I’d probably feel guilty for not going out, I gave myself a kick up the backside and headed out. I had half-a-roll of HP5+ in my OM-10, plus I took my Yashica Mat 124G and three rolls of film for that too (better to have too much film and not shoot it, than to run out).
In the end, I managed to finish the roll in the OM-10, and also most of a roll of 120 HP5+ in the Yashica Mat. Not only that, but I’m quite looking forward to seeing the results, which is a positive sign.
Next weekend is the annual Sheffield Steam Rally, so I’ll be heading there to get yet more shots of steam engines, classic cars, and suchlike.
Another digital picture today. I like the simplicity of this scene – the window seems almost to float.
Another hot and sticky day here again. It’s nothing compared to the temperatures and humidity in other parts of the world, of course, but it’s the UK and we’re not really geared up for much beyond drizzle and overcast skies. One thing we are very adept at, however, is moaning about the weather, whatever shape it comes in. 🙂
Here’s a shot I took during our recent trip to Spain, where it was very warm, but we were on holiday so it didn’t feel the same somehow.
Steel City Snapper photography 