Category: Medium Format

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Running out of new photos

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I’m really eking out the shots from this roll. The number of photos I’ve made over the past three months has been minimal compared with what I’ve done previously, and I’m about to run out of new stuff to publish soon (in the next few days in fact). I’ve talked about this before, but have always managed to get some more in the can before that happened, but this time it will be pretty tight and I might have to fall back on the archive.

I start the best part of two week’s leave in a few days time though, so I’m hoping that I can get out and do some proper photography and fill the tanks a little. We shall see.

My new laptop arrived this morning. Thanfully this one a) isn’t filthy and, b) actually works. It’s currently restoring my backed-up data so I’m hoping I’ll be largely back to normal operations by the start of next week (just in time to go on leave…). As is always the case, while I’ve been getting the new machine set up, the weather outside has been (not frightful) lovely and it would have been a great day to head out with the camera. This afternoon the clouds closed in and we now have mist as the evening draws in. Part of me is tempted to go out and do some nightime photography, but I have to cook food for everyone today and I doubt I will still feel like going out when that’s all sorted. Got a day out tomorrow though, so maybe I’ll get some pictures then…

By the tree a bench

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

More laptop woes

fishyfisharcade5 Comments

My replacement laptop arrived today. It didn’t work. And so the saga continues.

The replacement machine arrived this morning and I made the swap for my old, faulty laptop. I was somewhat dismayed when I saw the replacement as it was covered in scratches and other cosmetic marks and I commented on the delivery man that it looked like it had been through the wars. Still, I need a working machine and I had no option but to make the swap. The first thing I did was to give the case a good wipe down with some disinfecatant wipes. This removed the majority of the surface dirt, although not the scratches. Then I opened it up.

The inside was disgusting. It looked like a laptop that someone had used as an ashtray, or perhaps left it open in a dusty shed for years. It was absolutely filthy. Again, I gave it a thorough clean with disinfectant wipes before then giving the whole machine a further scrub with some isopropyl alchohol to remove the remaining crap. Eventually it was in a reasonable state – although still far from the like-new condition that I’d managed to keep my old laptop in. It really makes me wonder how some people look after things so poorly?

Once cleaned, I took it up to my office to start the process of getting it connected. The first problem I noticed was that it didn’t have a VGA output. While I know time has moved on and such things are passe now, it did mean that I had no way to connect it to the older of my two monitors. The second problem was more significant. Upon powering up the machine I was presented with a message informing me that the power-supply did not have sufficient wattage to power the laptop. This meant I had to call the service desk once more to find out how to proceed. You can only imagine my delight when I was told that they would have to swap out the laptop and PSU as a pair for another machine! I now have to wait until tomorrow for another replacement to be delivered, but with the added annoyance that I spent half-an-hour of my own time cleaning a filthy machine that I’m now going to hand straight back. I’m not a happy person about this.

So, moaning over, I suppose I’d best post a picture on my blog that is supposedly about photography. It’s another from the Clumber Park outing and this one is perhaps my favourite from the roll.

House with a bay

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Cash for gourds and a trip to the cinema

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Another photo from Clumber Park, this time of a selection of gourds for sale.

My replacement laptop has still not arrived. I rang about it this morning and was told that it will be tomorrow. So, being restricted in what I can do at work I decided to book the afternoon off and go see the new Spiderman film.

Given the rapidly rising numbers of Omicron covid cases I was a little concerned about sitting in a packed auditorium, and the cinema I normally use (which only charges £4.99 for an adult ticket) was almost fully booked for all showings, with just the odd seat available amongst otherwise full rows. So I decided to look at another chain instead. This one charges more than double the price for adults, but (perhaps unsurprisingly!) there were far more empty seats to choose from, so I decided to pay the extra and hope that it wouldn’t fill up too much.

As it happened, while the central block of seats was quite busy, the blocks to either side were much emptier and the person closest to me was a good two metres away and the others even further, so I was quite relaxed about the risks present.

The film was really enjoyable, if maybe not up there in the top tier of the MCU movies.

Cash for squash

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Plants on a shelf

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Today’s post sounds like some sort of rubbish sequel to Snakes on a Plane. 🙂

It’s been a pretty slow day at work today, mostly because I’ve only really had my phone to use to try and do any work, which has limited my options somewhat. I’ve not heard anything about when my replacement laptop will arrive yet, but I’m hoping it might be tomorrow.

My mojo has been largely absent over the past few months where photography has been concerned, but I’ve found myself watching photography videos on YouTube again over the past week and it’s lighting a pilot beneath me and driving some inspiration to get out with the camera. I’m not back to that sense of compulsion to make photographs that I’ve had in the past just yet, but I’m hopeful that will return in time too.

Plants

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Outside the greenhouse and broken laptops

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Today has been something of a letdown. In the continuing saga of my attempts to get my laptop upgraded to a new build I went into the office to meet up with the engineer for the installation. My attempt to install the build myself a couple of months ago ended in failure, and there have since been three other attempts – all abortive for one reason or another – until today, when I finally met the engineer to get the work sorted.

Unfortunately it failed, and this time in a more impactful way, with the outcome being that the computer is now bricked. So I’m now without my laptop and unable to work (beyond accessing email and other apps on my phone) until I get a replacement machine. Thankfully this shouldn’t take too long and might even be as soon as tomorrow, but I’ll still need to restore my data and get things set up properly before I can get back to normal, so I reckon it will be Wednesday at the earliest before this is all done, and possibly later.

Luckily, this week seems quieter than normal – not sure if people are already getting ready for Christmas – and I don’t have too many things that will be badly impacted by the disruption, although I had a bunch of jobs I wanted to catch up on while I had a bit of breathing room. Last week would have been much worse had it happened then though, so in a way I’m glad that the appointment that was supposed to have taken place then was cancelled.

Today’s picture is of the greenhouse / glasshouse at Clumber Park again.

Greenhouse tree

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Glasshouse

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Today’s photo is of the greenhouse in the walled kitchen garden at Clumber Park. I’d hoped to go inside and make some photos but it was closed off (although I did manage to grab one sneaky photo through the barriers – I’ll probably post that tomorrow).

One of my son’s had his second Covid vaccination today, so that means we’re now all at least double-jabbed. He’ll have to wait until March until he gets his booster though. On the way home we stopped off to get him some shirts that he’s asked for and, as it was lunchtime, popped intot the Burger King that was nearby. I decided to try the meat-free Whopper to see what it was like. I’ve already had the McPlant from Macdonalds and have been impressed by just how close to a regular beef burger it is, so wanted to see how the Burger King alternative stood in comparison. Turns out, pretty well. Again I couldn’t really tell that it wasn’t meat and it tasted just as good as any other burgers I’ve had from fast food chains like this. While I’m not vegan (or even vegetarian), I’m more than happy to eat these meat-free alternatives if they taste as good as the real thing. In fact I’m happy to eat any vegetarian / vegan food full stop if it taste nice, not just those that are mimicing meat dishes.

When we arrived home, despite it raining, I put the Christmas lights up outside the house. It took longer than I’d expected – mostly because of my pernicketyness at trying to get everything lined up just right. They’re all up (and now lit), so that’s that sorted out for the next few weeks until they get taken back down again.

Clumber greenhouse

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Behind an open gate

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I liked the look of this house as I walked past. I’m not sure that it’s used as a residential property as it’s in the bounds of Clumber Park, a National Trust property, so it may be used for administrative purposes.

The building is enclosed by a tall fence so my view was limited, but as I approached the gate began to open to let a van make its exit, so I quickly grabbed this shot. I’m a little disapointed that the white van at the rear of the building is in shot – if I’d taken a step to the left I’d have avoided it’s inclusion.

The photo (and most of the others on this roll) were made back in early November on the same day that I shot the roll of Ortho Plus from which I’ve already shared picture. It was about a week before we lost Stan, so this roll has sat undeveloped in my office for tha last few weeks. Normally I’d develop it myself, but I wasn’t in the mood so took it to my local lab instead and paid for the privilege of someone else doing it for me.

As I watched, the gate opened

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 6 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Alpine Lodge

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Another in my set of unseasonably snowy November photos. The last in the set in fact.

This temprary bar forms part of the Christmas Markets (or did – I’m not sure if they’re still there) and is situated in the Peace Gardens beside Sheffield town hall (the building at rear left). The other building is the Mercure Hotel, part of the St. Paul’s Square complex that was built on the site of the old town hall extension.

There’s a fountain beneath where the bar is sat, so I hope it didn’t get unexpectedly turned on!

Alpine Lodge

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.

Taken on 27 November 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Christmas tree

fishyfisharcade2 Comments

My wife put up our Christmas tree and the trimmings on Monday. Normally I would help with this, but my input this year consisted mainly of carrying all the boxes downstairs. This was mostly because I had to travel into my local office on the day for my fourth attempt at getting my laptop upgraded to a new build. It fell through again, so there will now be a FIFTH attempt next Monday. I could provide details of the whole sequence of events, but they’re really not very interesting.

So, back onto the decorations, my main involvement this year will be to put up the exterior lights on the front of the house, which I think I’ll do this weekend. It’s not too difficult – we have a small first storey roof that runs across the front of the house, so it’s just a matter of using the step-ladder to attach some clips to the guttering and then attach the lights. Probably about a half-hour’s work. We shall see…

The photo today is of the big Christmas tree in Sheffield town centre outside the town hall. It doesn’t seem as tall as the ones I remember from my childhood, although whether this is just one of those misrememberings that you get when recollecting childhood memories, I don’t know.

Christmas tree

Yashica Mat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.

Taken on 27 November 2021