Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
The last of my three Yashicamat photos from Doncaster in today’s post. Of the three, I think this one is the best. It only came about when I took an idle glance upwards while walking back to the shopping centre where the car was parked. I liked the curved layers of the building.
It always pays to look up every now and then. There’s a lot to miss otherwise.
Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°
Taken on 8 January 2021
While wandering around doncaster in the rain, waiting for my wife and her sister to finish their shopping, I walked past the building in today’s photo. Not being a Doncaster resident I had no idea as to what it was, only that it was boarded up.
A little online research today reveals it to be the Grade II listed St James’ Street Baths. Historic England describe it as: Public Baths, Turkish and Russian baths suite, and winter concert hall, 1932. Built to designs by the Borough Estates Surveyor, Mr R E Ford. Red brick with sandstone dressings and slate roofs.
There is a lot more information about the building and it’s history on the Historic England website.
Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°
Taken on 8 January 2021
I hope nobody is getting bored of mist yet? There are still more to come – some of them in colour! 🙂
I think the lone tussock of grass in this helps the shot a lot. It would still have had a pleasant abstract nature without, but it being there in the foreground anchors the image.
Apologies for the somewhat short posts this week. I’ve had some other things to keep me occupied so not enough time unfortunately.
Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 50mm f/2.8 MC & Ilford HP5+ (@1600). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°.
Taken on 7 November 2020
A companion shot to yesterdays trees in the mist. You can see that same copse of trees on the other side of the footbridge, but this shot was made before the ones posted yesterday. I collapsed the tripod down to get the low point of view.
Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 50mm f/2.8 MC & Ilford HP5+ (@1600). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°.
Taken on 7 November 2020
I’ve undoubtedly said this before on here somewhere, but I’ll say it again: Fog and mist are a gift to photography. The diffused light; the sense of calm; the way they hide and obscure distracting detail; and – most of all – the sheer atmosphere (quite literally) that they bring to bear is a wonderful thing to behold.
I do admit to saying this as someone for whom fog and mist are relatively uncommon – at least at the times I’m usually out of bed! I can fully understand the “grass is always greener” sentiment that this bears, and that for those who live in places with regular foggy conditions that this might all be a bit business-as-usual. But for me, well, I love these conditions.
So, when I saw the weather forecast showing this day as having fog, I was up early and out with my camera. I went somewhere I’ve been a number of times before – a walk that takes me across the River Rother, through a copse of trees (it’s probably a plantation as the tress – Poplars I think – are in somewhat orderly rows), and then either up to the Trans-Pennine Trail, or looping alongside the river, then down to Renishaw golf-course, and back around to the starting point.
I’ve photographed these trees on a number of occasions and know that the look their best in a veil of mist. It’s not a large area and on clear days it’s easy to find a distracting background element creeping into the frame. In fog, however, the trees feel like they go on forever.
Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 50mm f/2.8 MC & Ilford HP5+ (@1600). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°.
Taken on 7 November 2020
The River Rother on a foggy autumn morning a few weeks ago.
Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 50mm f/2.8 MC & Ilford HP5+ (@1600). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°.
Taken on 7 November 2020
A boarded up entrance to an out-of-use building.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Ilford HP5+ (@1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°
Taken on 5 September 2020
As I’m still top-and-tailing my camera review post (it’ll no doubt be a crushing disappointment after I’ve carped on about it so much over the last week or so…) so I’ll drop in a few photos I took inside St. Mary and All Saints church in Chesterfield a couple off weeks ago. This is the church famous for it’s crooked spire, a phenomenon believed to be caused by uneven heating of the lead in the stucture by the sun. While I’ve made a number of photos of the spire and outside of the building in the past, I’ve only ventured inside on two or three occasions – including this one.
I quite enjoy making pictures of the artefacts and ephemera within churches. Theres a wonderful sense of history to be had. As church interiors are often quite dimly lit, and as the use of tripods or (especially) flash are generally forbidden, I decided to shoot some Ilford HP5+ pushed to 1600asa. While this increased the grain and contrast a little, I’ve found that HP5+ handles both very well and they are not overwhelming at all.
Various statues, shrines and other paraphernalia of the church.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Ilford HP5+ (@1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°
Taken on 5 September 2020
I took a walk out this afternoon to drop off a parcel at a local shop that accepts Hermes packages. The day has been bright and sunny and, while there was a slight coolness to the breeze, it was still very mild and I had a bit of a sweat going by the time I got home (I do walk fast though – much to the complaint of my family who accuse me of taking them on forced marches when we go out!). There are now definite signs of autumn colour on the trees and small drifts of fallen leaves can already be seen here and there.
Autumn is my favourite season, but one than seems to pass by all to quickly. This year then, I’ve made myself a promise to go out to walk at least three times a week and to take in and savour the changes that occur. I hope that this will help me to enjoy it while it lasts and not just suddenly realise it’s Christmas and the last three months have disappeared in a blur!
Keeping to the autumnal theme, today’s photo is of an acorn I picked up while walking with my family a couple of weeks ago. It was a fairly fresh acorn – still green – and I dropped it into a planter on the back garden after making the picture. Maybe it will take root.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Ilford HP5+ (@1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°
Taken on 30 August 2020
An angelic candle-bearer silhouetted against a window in St. Mary and All Saints church in Chesterfield – the one famous for it’s crooked spire.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Ilford HP5+ (@1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°
Taken on 5 September 2020
Steel City Snapper photography 