Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

A wet morning in Blackpool

Back at the end of June I spent the day in Blackpool for The Big Film Photowalk, a series of events around the country that had been organised by Analog Wonderland, the UK based film stockist. I posted about the events of the day here.

While the photowalk in Blackpool took place in Stanley Park, about a mile or so from the seafront, I parked near the town centre as my wife and her sister had accompanied me for the day and were planning on wandering round the shops while I went to take photos. As I was early for the photowalk, I took the chance to go and shoot some photos on a second camera I’d brought with me – my OM-10 – loaded with a roll of expired Fuji C200.

As I said in my other post, the weather on the day was not what I would have chosen. And while the photowalk had its share of drizzle and gloom, the beginning of the day along Blackpool’s seafront was worse, with bouts of full rain and a stiff breeze to contend with. I wasn’t confident of success, especially as I would usually prefer black and white for these conditions, not expired C41 film. Thankfully though, I was wrong, and I really like these colour pictures. They certainly capture the mood, and where there is colour in the scene, it really jumps out of the frame.

I managed to get pictures of the central and north piers, some (unused!) deckchairs, the sea defences, and obligatory shot of Blackpool tower, a shelter, a slightly pitiful looking crazy golf course, and some hardy metal detectorists on the beach.

Sheltering deckchairs
Curving to the pier
Central Pier
North pier
North pier (partial)
Beneath the North Pier
Gimme shelter
Blackpool Tower and reflection
Detectorists
Overgrown crazy golf
The Regent

Olympus OM-10 & G.Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 on Fujifilm C200 (expired 2012 and shot at 100asa) . Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 29 June 2024

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Further scenes from a steam rally

I still have a sizeable backlog of photos that I haven’t yet published on the blog (or, in some cases, even uploaded to Flickr yet). I’ve already posted quite a few pictures that I took at this year’s Sheffield Steam Rally back at the end of June, but those were all medium format shots. I also finished off a roll of expired Fuji C200 on the day as well, and the photos below are the best from that batch.

Hopefully, in the coming days, I’ll share the rest of the photos from this roll, which were taken elsewhere and turned out better than I had expected…

Chimney adjustment
Can anyone hear a ticking sound?
Steam rally scene
Tinkering
Smoky convoy
Twin engines
The back of an old tractor
Hook-a-Duck
Steering wheel
'71 Fury
Land Rovers

Olympus OM-10 & G.Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 on Fujifilm C200 (expired 2012 and shot at 100asa) . Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 30 June 2024

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Galadriel’s keeper

I don’t often make portraits, I’m much too shy to ask people if they’ll allow me to, and it takes a real effort to overcome this and ask if I can. Even then, I often rush in my nervousness and end up with a sub-par result (either missing focus, or not watching the edges for distractions usually), so I’m quite pleased how this one turned out. I spent a while talking to the man (whose name I didn’t ask because of my socially inept brain!) before I took the shot.

Galadriel, who stands proudly conducting the music, was missing her baton on this occasion. Perhaps one of those monkeys stole it? 🙂

You can witness Galadriel in action here.

Galadriel and her keeper

Fujica GW690 & Lomography Color Negative 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 30 June 2024

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Sheffield Steam Rally 2024

It’s that time of year when I flood the blog with lots of pictures of traction engines and other vintage vehicles. This year I visited the Sheffield Steam Rally, as usual, but also visited the Haxey Feast, which is a new (and at present, smaller event, so I have quite a few pictures to share.

I might drop them in batches, like this roll of Tri-X, or maybe some as individual frames. We’ll see how it goes.

Fred Harris Electrifying New Dodgems
Topping up the water
Traction tow
Steam truck #2
Steam truck #1
Brass rubbing
At the steam rally

Fujica GW690 & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 30 June 2024

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Trans Pennine Trail and the Cuckoo Way

A few weeks back I decided to go for a walk on the Trans Pennine Trail. I’ve walked the stretch close to where I live before, reaching as far as Renishaw a few miles to the south, but I’ve never followed it any further than that.

So, on the day in question, I decided that I would see what was down there, walking the stretch between Renishaw and Staveley and then following the Cuckoo Way on the return journey.

Over the fields to Mastin Moor
Looking east from the Trans-Pennine Trail towards the village of Mastin Moor. The Cuckoo Way meanders its way north over near where those pylons stand.

The Trans-Pennine Trail follows the path of an old railway along this stretch of it’s route and is relatively straight as a result. It’s also flat and doesn’t tend to get muddy at all. The Cuckoo Way, on the other hand, follows the route of the Chesterfield Canal and can be hiked all the way from Chesterfield to the River Trent – about forty five miles away as the route takes you.

Beside the Cuckoo Way
Looking west from the Cuckoo Way. The Trans Pennine Way is where the row of trees is on the horizon. The houses are on the outskirts of Staveley.

The Cuckoo Way is easy to walk in many places, particularly sections where the canal still exists, but this stretch just winds through fields, sometimes with little sign of where the waterway once flowed. This particular stretch was quite muddy. Not wet sloppy mud, but the thick stuff like you find on a playing field after a game of football has been played when the ground isn’t dry. It quickly clogged up the soles of my hiking boots with it’s thick clay-like weight and took quite some time to wash off when I got back home.

Wood and steel
Heading back north and following the former route of the canal. Teh Cuckoo Way is just off-camera to the right.

Fujica GW690 & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 27 January 2024

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Shelters by the sea

The weather in the UK is, being generous, changeable. A day at the seaside, no matter what the forecast might promise, always bears a risk of it raining for the full duration of your visit. So what are you meant to do in these situations? Get wet?

Well we inventive Brits have a solution to everything, and so many seaside resorts around the country have you covered with a selection of shelters in which you can attempt to avoid the elements. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from simple bus-shelter-style to grandiose Victorian architectural gems. And if the weather is nice, maybe you can just take the weight of your feet and enjoy your fish and chips or an ice cream or something.

I really like this couple of photos. I don’t think there are any other shelters like this in Cleethorpes, but I know there are many dotted around the country’s resorts. maybe a long-term project is a possibility?

Shelter #2
Shelter #1

Fujica GW690 & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 28 December 2023

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Interesting house

I take a lot of pictures of buildings of all shapes and sizes, but sometimes I find one that grabs my attention because it has a particularly interesting design.

The photo in today’s post illustrates this quite nicely. I have no idea of the history of this structure, but it’s an unusual shape to be sure. The wedge-shaped roof of the far section, to the oddly narrow middle section, then dropping down to a single storey section that has, what looks like, a more recent extension. It looks like an interesting place to live (I’m not sure, but it might be made up of apartments) and, as I walked past it in late December, I could see the Christmas decorations still present within, giving it a very homely feel.

A curious house

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

Taken on 28 December 2023