Weekend stuff

April 26, 2020 fishyfisharcade3 Comments

Today has been a somwhat uneventful day. I haven’t left the house, and the only photography-related activity has been reading my Portraits of America book, reading some blogs, and loading a roll of Fomapan 100 into my Bronica ETRSi (but not, so far at least, making any photographs with it). I did also upload a couple more shots to Flickr from the roll of Hp5+ I developed on Friday, one of which you can see in this post.

Yesterday, while not exactly exciting, was more eventful. My wife needed to pick up some things from the hospital and, as she was unsure if she’d be able to find a parking space outside the ward (and would otherwise have a lengthy walk), asked if I would drive her there. This was a reason for me to both drive the car – something I’ve barely done in over a month – and also, because we took our small car (which has been sat on the drive for weeks), give it a run to get some charge in the battery and get some movement in it’s parts. While hardly the trip of a lifetime, it was nice to be able to venture further from home for once.

Then, yesterday afternoon, I decided to combine a walk with picking up some things my wife had been been unable to buy during the weekly supermarket shop. I decided to get some decent exercise by taking a circuitous route around the area, looping around to the shopping centre, and then back home. At around 3.5 miles it wasn’t a really long walk, but I kept up a brisk pace throughout and got some good fresh air and exercise.

I also had the Sure Shot Telemax in my cargo-pants’ pocket, and managed to finish the roll of Delta 400 that it contained. Just a few snapshots as I walked, but maybe something worth a second look when I get around to developing them. The roll ended rather abruptly at frame #32 because I think the camera’s frame-counter has developed a fault – it sometimes jumps back to a lower number, or (in this case) miscounts how may shots have been taken. It’s done it before, but I don’t think it’s actually lost any images, still producing the expected 36 or 37 photos.

Today’s photo has both railway lines and power lines, and is the sort of composition that the Holga seems to eat up for lunch.

Holga 120N & Ilford HP5+ – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 9 April 2020

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

The incinerator across the marsh

April 25, 2020 fishyfisharcade6 Comments

One of the routes I sometimes take while out for a walk takes me past an incineration plant. This was built recently and is an EfW (Energy from Waste) facility which produces electricity from the burning on non-hazardous waste. I recall there was considerable uproar when the plant was first proposed – one of the concerns being that nearby residents would suffer from the smell of burning. As it stands, I can’t say that I’ve ever noticed any odours from its operation (although the usual prevailing winds probably blow it away from where we live most of the time anyway).

It makes for quite an imposing structure, both from the road that runs beside it, and from the marshy area of land that lies across the road to the east. I’ve walked through (or rather around) this area on many occasions as there is a public footpath that skirts the edge. However, on a recent walk, I noticed that there has been some significant work done – both here, and also in the woodland around the nearby Trans-Pennine Trail. There has been some tree felling, but the most noticeable change is the appearance of what seem to be a number of small ponds.

The marshy area used to be a large, open reed bed, but now has a number of more clearly defined ponds with footpaths snaking amongst them. My assumption is that this is some sort of improvement programme intended to aid wildlife and also make for more pleasant and interesting walking activities. I’ve not seen anything official to back up this theory though.

Today’s photos show both the marshy area and the looming incinerator and are from the first roll of 120 film I’ve home developed. I’m pretty pleased with the results.

Holga 120N & Ilford HP5+ – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 9 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Routine stuff

April 24, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

A long day at work today so we decided to have takeaway for tea – the plan was to get pizzas delivered, but the local pizza shop has closed for the time being apparently, so I ended up going out for fish and chips. Because of social distancing, the queue stretched from the doorway of the shop (where the staff are taking payment and handing over your order) right around the corner with everyone spaced out at sensible intervals. I was stood queueing for at least twenty minutes.

After eating, I had just enought time to clear away my film developing stuff (I developed a roll of HP5+ at lunchtime and after washing the equipment, I left it to dry on the sink drainer), and then grab a quick shower before calling our eldest, who lives in a different part of the country now.

Apologies that this is somewhat concise, but I’m tired and want to just hit the sofa and veg out. 🙂

Today’s picture is of a corner house that I passed while out exercising a week or so back. It’s a bit of a mundane scen, but the way it was lit and arranged called out to me, so I made a photograph.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 12 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Passing the signal box again

April 23, 2020April 24, 2020 fishyfisharcade11 Comments

When your movements are limited, as they are during the coronavirus lock-down, you find yourself passing the same places more often than you usually would.

While there are undoubtedly plenty of alternative routes I can take while out exercising, even giving the restricted radius I can stay within on foot, I’ve found myself passing the signal box and level crossing at Beighton Station a number of times in the past week or two. It was only a little over a month ago that I last posted a photograph of the same location in fact.

Perhaps this weekend, when I’ll hopefully have a little more time to spare, I might allow myself a longer walk and venture someplace different for a change.

Today marked the first time that I’ve loaded a roll of 120 film into my developing tank. Mt previous experience consists only of the tow 35mm rolls I’ve loaded and developed (and a few tests with a sacrificial 35mm roll). While both of those produced successful outcomes (today’s photos amongst them), loading the film onto the spirals was not straightforward, with both rolls requiring several attempts in the changing bag.

With that in mind, I was expecting the roll of 120 HP5+ to be a bit of a headache given its broader width and potential to flex more, but I needn’t have worried. It loaded easily and the whole task took me about 5 minutes from putting my hands in the bag. Of course I’ve yet to develop the film, so I maybe shouldn’t count my chickens just yet, but all being well, I’m pretty happy with how it went.

I’ve also changed the blog theme today. I think the new one has slightly larger images as standard, which is good. I’ll see how it goes though, and I might change it back if I decide I’m not keen.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 12 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #4

April 22, 2020April 24, 2020 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

One of the things I’ve heard mentioned on more than one occasion since this whole thing started – and particularly since the lock-down began – is that this feels like something from an apocalyptic movie.

In many regards though, things are much the same as normal – especially for someone like myself, who worked from home before this started anyway – the spring weather is nice, the air is clear and, if you venture outside, every day feels like you’ve gotten up early before anyone else is out and about, such is the reduction in traffic and pedestrains. It’s quite pleasant really.

And then you see the signs.

Affixed to cemetery gates, and on the noticeboard at the local park.

“STAY AT HOME” they proclaim. Adherence is a requirement to “protect the NHS and save lives”.

And the seriousness of the situation is re-cemented in the forefront of your mind.

Stay safe and keep well everyone.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 11 & 12 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Standard

April 21, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I’ve taken a LOT more images around the house since the lock-down began. Some work, some don’t – and I’ve got a whole bunch of colour shots that haven’t even been sent for developing yet, so who knows how those will turn out? Hopefully not too far from how I envisaged them through the viewfinder but, again, who knows? I’ll just have to wait and see.

Today’s photo of the standard lamp is one of three I made one evening a couple of weeks back when the urge came upon me. The effects of the lamps in the living room on various ornaments and parts of the room appealed. Sadly, the Sure Shot that was loaded with film at the time perhaps wasn’t the right tool for the job – even mounted on a tripod and using the self-timer, it struggled to make focus on two of the images. I’ve included both of those here too – they’re out-of-focus but hopefully you can see my intent (plus, despite the focus being out, I do kinda like the shot of the aerial socket and the cable shadows).

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 4 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Abandoned bridge

April 20, 2020April 20, 2020 fishyfisharcade10 Comments

The area close to where I live was once occupied by coal mining. The local colliery – Brookhouse Colliery – closed for good in 1985. While the colliery land has been re-purposed in the intervening years – much of it as a country park with large lakes where opencast workings once were – there is still plentiful evidence for it’s industrial past.

In the area around the Trans-Pennine trail there is a network of railway lines, one still active for passenger and goods use, but the others now disused with the tracks and the other equipment removed. Their presence can be felt in the various cuttings and bridges that still remain though.

Today’s images are of one of the surviving bridges – this one crossing the River Rother. Once, while exploring the surrounding area, I found myself atop this bridge and walked its length – a process that became significantly hastier when I noticed holes in the metal beneath my feet! I’ve not been atop the bridge since then, but there is a footpath that runs beneath it beside the river, which is where these were taken.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 4 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #3

April 19, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

The majority of the hospitality industry in the UK has now closed. After a period where the government advised people to avoid socialising in groups and that they shouldn’t go to pubs -something that caused dismay to the owners and operators of the establishments as, apparently, without a formal government order for them to cease business, they were inelligible to make claims against their insurance policies that would pay out necause they were unable to trade because of the situation – the government formally ordered their closure.

A number of pubs in my local area (although I suspect it to be a widespread thing across the nation) placed messages of support to NHS and other key-workers on their notice-boards when the closed. Today’s photo depicts one of these messages.

During the lock-down, with significantly less opportunity to go out, I’ve started to make progress on enjoying the large (and continually growing) stack of photo books that I’ve bought. Today I chose one of the books further down the pile that must have been there for a significant amount of time now: Portraits of America, by William Albert Allard. The book contains images from his National Geographic work in the US. I’ve only looked at the first set of images so far: a series on the Amish shot back in the 1960s, but the photographs are beautiful and I’m looking forward to enjoying the rest of the book.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 28 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #2

April 18, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

The local park is quite small and is essentially an open space in the middle of the housing estate where we live. Nonetheless it still contains a 5-a-side football / basketball court and sets of swings, climbing frames and a slide for children to play on. In normal times, the park would be populated by children of various ages, from older kids hanging out and playing football, right down to toddlers having fun on the infant swings or climbing on the frames while their parents watch them from one of the benches – something I used to do regularly when my boys were younger.

It’s a different story at present, and the park is largely deserted apart from the occasional person walking their dog, taking some exercise, or just passing through on their way to somewhere else.

The swings have been tied up and, on the day I took these photos, the equipment had been cordoned off with hazard tape (although someone has since removed it). No-one plays there at present.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 29 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #1

April 17, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

I took this photograph not long after the start of the UK’s lock-down. People can be seen observing social distancing while queueing to enter the superstore to buy groceries and other essentials. The store was operating a “twenty at a time” rule when this photograph was taken, but this changed the following day so that is was limited to twenty individuals instead of groups (couples etc.). The system worked efficiently and the waiting times were quite short.

Apart from items like pasta, hand-sanitiser, paracetamol and other previously panic-bought items, the store was well stocked with most goods.

As the lockdown has continued, and panic-buying has (thankfully) subsided, most stores are largely back to normal in terms of the stock they are carrying. The social distancing rules are well implemented and most customers now understand how they work. In some ways, and despite the fact you have to queue to enter the store (admittedly something I’ve not had to do in bad weather yet), the lower numbers of people in the shops makes for a nicer experience