Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Holgacolor

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I like my Holga camera. I find, despite its lo-fi credentials – plastic lens, single shutter speed, being built like a cheap toy etc. – that it can produce some sublime photographs when used to its strengths. It’s notable in my case though, that this generally tends to be where black-and-whitefilm is concerned. While I’ve probably not shot enough colour film with the camera for this to be a fair comparison, I’ve found my non-B&W results to be less impressive.

Holgacolor-6
Holgacolor-4

For this roll, it probably doesn’t help that it’s an expired film with some colour shifts (albeit nothing too bad), and one that I had some trouble scanning to my satisfaction to boot. It might also be argued that the images I made are not my best from a compositional point-of-view either – I’m not sure I was seeking to get the best from the roll, rather than just using it up.

Holgacolor-5
Holgacolor-3

Whatever the case, I don’t think these work as well as they might have done in B&W. I don’t hate them, but the feel a bit “meh” at the same time. I’ll leave it up to anyone who reads this to make up their own minds on the matter.

A plastic piece of junk?
Beauty is more than skin deep
I think you might find

Holgacolor-2
Holgacolor

Holga 120N & Fujifilm Superia 100 (expired 2008).

Taken on 17 July 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

At the back of the museum

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I’ve walked around the outside of Kelham Island museum on a number of occasions but not beein inside a single time. One day I will. There’s a road beside the museum leading to a visitor car-park and the scene in today’s photo is close to this area. Visitors walking through the museum come out of the buildings at the right of this scene, and go through the gate at the left (beside the carven guardsman). A low wall and fence enclose the area.

I’m not sure what these parts of the building are, perhaps small workshops or maybe a former office area. Whatever the case, I liked the detailing in the windows and brickwork.

Single-glazed windows
Let in noise and let out heat
But look nice on film

Workshops

Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 4 July 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Making the same picture

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The photo posted here today is a composition I’ve shot on quite a few occasions. It’s one that just seems to work and always catches my eye. I’m not sure how many times the scene has featured on the blog (at least once before, here), but I know I have several different versions. This one is, I believe, the first time I’ve shot it on 6×9 though.

Again

Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 4 July 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Down a wet cobbled street

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The Kelham Island area of Sheffield has provided me with pretty good pickings from a photographic point of view and it’s often a place I’ll head to if I’ve got some camera time but no real idea of where to go. The area isn’t huge but there are still parts of it that I’ve not seen. Plus, the ongoing gentrification means that there are always new things popping up down there.

It’s a little sad to see the old industry converted into apartments, but the industry was mostly gone anyway and the other option would probably have been a decline into dereliction. At least this way a lot of the architectural heritage survives with new purpose.

It was a day of changeable weather when I made this photo and five minutes earlier I’d had to rush for shelter (along with a few other people) when the heavens opened. The rain on the floor in the photo is the evidence of the downpour.

My small umbrella
Under the onslaught of rain
Was insufficient

Rainy-day cobbled streets

Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 4 July 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Wig & Pen

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A couple of photos of the Wig & Pen pub in Sheffield City centre. I don’t think I’ve stepped foot in here for thirty years! I remember going in occasionally on work’s nights out, but it never featured as a venue when out with my friends. It didn’t use to be red back then either, but it makes for a nice vibrant picture.

Stuck for a haiku?
Just make up some old rubbish
That will do just fine

Red frontage
Wig & Pen

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).

Taken on 13 June 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

The old synagogue

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The interesting building seen in this picture used to be a synagogue and cloister’s chambers, originally built in 1872. As with so many buildings in the city, it has been re-purposed and now serves as student accommodation.

As time moves along
New uses for old buildings
Places recycled

The old synagogue

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).

Taken on 13 June 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Haymarket

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Just a simple photo of a street today – Haymarket, in Sheffield.

I think the Velvia 50 (and the F80s matrix metering) have done a pretty nice job with the scene. Early morning sunlight was casting a combination of contrasty highlights and shadows – something I normally keep well away from where slide-film is concerned – but in this case the result is very pleasing with lots of detail and lovely rich colours.

Golden Touch gaming
Fruit machine prizes at stake
Be gamble aware

Haymarket

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).

Taken on 13 June 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

An exciting new office development

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So says the slightly forlorn looking billboard. Assuming the exciting development is coming to this piece of land, there’s little sign of progress as yet.

Exchange Street leads up to what was once the thriving market area, with Castle Market up the street and to the right, and the Sheaf Market to the left where the modern red brick car-park can be seen in the picture. The markets have now moved to The Moor at the opposite end of the city centre – a move much lamented by some. The new markets are busy, if smaller than the old locations, while the original site of the Castle Market is supposedly being re-developed into a park.

Scent of the market
Fish and fruit and meat and veg
A memory now

An exciting new office development

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).

Taken on 13 June 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

City living

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A picture of one of the many apartment blocks that have risen across Sheffield city centre in the last couple of decades. Th university seems to throw up ne buildings on a contant basis, but I believe this one is private accomodation. I’m not sure if the building shown here has a specific name, but it stands on Blonk Street right beside the river Don just above to point where the River Sheaf merges.

Velvia colours
From a roll of expired film
Vividly azure

Modern accomodation

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).

Taken on 13 June 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Up the Don

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BAck to expired slide film once more, this time some Velvia 50 getting on for 20-years expired. As has been the case with previous rolls of untested slide film where I have more than one at my disposal, this was again shot mostly to test the results. Once again though, this doesn’t mean shooting test cards or anything like that, it’s just a case of shooting the roll at box speed to see how it performs with the hope that it all goes well and I get a bunch of interesting pictures as well as a knowledge of how the film fares. I can then update my settings and so on for future rolls of the same batch.

This Velvia 50 produced mostly well-exposed photographs but has a very warm tone to the results. I’ve reduced it somewhat in my scans but it still persists. It’s possible that Velvia just scans this way and that I need to modify my technique accordingly, or it might be a colour shift caused by the age of the film.

I’ll bear this in mind when shooting the other rolls.

This image shows the River Don in Sheffield where it flows past the Kelham Island area to the left of this scene.

A mirror surface
Broken by the ripple wakes
Of a pair of ducks

Up the Don

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/18 AF-D & Fujichtome Velvia (expired 2003).

Taken on 13 June 2021