Tag: @800

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Figures in a gallery

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Another sculpture in The Hepworth (and, yes, once again I didn’t make a note of it’s title or the artist’s name because I am an idiot…). I took two photographs of this scene, one with the figures in focus, and the one published here, with the sculpture sharp and the couple out of focus. I definitiely prefer this one – partially because of the effect, and also because the pose they’re in is much nicer in this shot.

I decided to take a walk before I began work today and got out for about half-an-hour. Although still lovely and sunny, the temperature has dipped considerably since Sunday and there was a distinct chill in the air. Although it wasn’t too early, the sun was still low enough to cast some beautiful light, especially on the local churchyard with is currently full of blossoming trees.

I had a Canon Sure Shot in my pocket, so took a few photos during my walk. The blossoms made me wish I had some colour slide film in the camera rather than the Delta 400 that I’d loaded.

Orbit

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+ (@800).

Taken on 14 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Bank holiday scanning

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I’ve spent much of the afternoon listening to music while scanning the roll of film I developed yesterday. I’ll post about my second attempt in another post (once I’ve uploaded some of the pictures), but suffice to say it all went well on the whole.

The OCD part of my brain likes to do things in a certain way, so it’s a little on edge that I’m scanning and uploading my home devved rolls before some of the lab devved rolls that were shot earlier. It’s hardly ruining my life or anything, but there’s still a niggling sense that I’ve broken some sort of rule.

The truth is that any rule I’ve broken is one that I’ve abitrarily set myself anyway. Maybe I should just set a new rule that states that I should learn not to worry about such silly things and just, like, chillax man. 🙂

Today’s photo is an earlier one – from my trip to The Hepworth gallery before the lock-down came into force.

Ston R

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+ (@800).

Taken on 14 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

An empty dress

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This translucent mesh dress is an exhibit in The Hepworth gallery. As with yesterday’s photo, I didn’t take note of the artist of the name of the piece unfortunately.

It did make me think that there are going to be an awful lot of unfilled dresses in clothing stores around the world right now. I’m not sure of the lock-down restrictions in other countries but, here in the UK, non-essential shops are now closed, including clothing stores. The only places selling clothes at present (online excepted) are supermarkets that happen to have clothing sections.

Given the fast-moving pace of fashion, by the time the lock-down is lifted most of the clothes currently sat unpurchased in stores due to the coronavirus will be either out of fashion, or out of season, likely prompting huge sales when the shops re-open as they attempt to clear stock for new autumn lines (assuming the lock-down is at least partially lifted by then) and to try to recoup some of their investment.

Also, while most shops are cleaned frequently, I wonder just how much dust will have settled by the time they need to prepare to open to the pubic again. A situation like this gives rise to so many things that I never really gave thought to before – even things as everyday and mundane as vacuuming a store each night.

Empty

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+ (@800).

Taken on 14 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Tiring developments

fishyfisharcade4 Comments

Today’s post will be shorter than those from the last week or so, mostly because I’ve had a busy day and want to kick back and put my feet up for a bit. When I say busy, it’s not that I’ve been doing any heavy lifting or anything, but today was my first attempt at developing lack and white film at home, and it’s been kinda mentally tiring as I’ve tried to get everything right and not mess the whole thing up.

The good news is that I have some negatives that (from first glance) look ok. They’re currently hung in the shower drying (there’s an irony in that statement, surely…) so the proof will be when I come to scan them.

I’ll post the results and an account of my experience in a forthcoming post, but suffice to say that not everything went to plan…

Until next time, here’s someone admiring a nude in The Hepworth.

FILM - In front of a nude

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+ (@800).

Taken on 14 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Distraction

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Despite the lock-down, today has been quite a full day so far.

After breakfast, I decided to take a walk – as I’m not at work today I decided on a longer outing so I could get a bit more of a workout (insomuch as brisk walking counts as “working out”). I chose a route that took me through the industrial estate before cutting back across to the Trans-Pennine Trail and then back home. As usual, I took a camera in case I saw any shots I could get while out. One of the things I photographed was a notice affixed to one of the businesses stating that visitors should ring the bell and wait to be admitted due to the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve been taking photographs of coronavirus related sights that I see when out and might post about them when I have a few developed, but want to capture them for a record of the times whatever the case.

Taking the photo today led to a car pulling up beside me and the two men inside asking what I was doing. They’d seen me taking the photo and I think they were suspicious that I might have been casing the building for nefarious purposes or something. When I explained why I’d taken the shot they seemed satisfied and drove off. The 1975 35mm film SLR I was using to take the photo was probably not an efficient tool for mischief even if I had been inclined that way. 🙂

When I got to the Trans-Pennine Trail it was busier with people jogging, cycling and walking dogs. Certainly not crowded in any sense of the term, and it was easy to keep a wide berth from others, but I think I’ll avoid it in future at weekends (unless I go out especially early). I took a few photos while walking and finished the roll in the camera, so tomorrow might be the day I have my first attempt at home developing. Eek!

Once back home, the rest of the morning was taken up by washing the cars and then giving the garden a once-over. The grass is now cut (and so begins another summer of regular mowing duties…), the weeds pulled, and some general tidying-up. There’s quite a lot of garden waste left over and, given the normal outlets for disposal are closed, I will probably have to burn it later in the garden incinerator.

The result of this is that I’ve mostly been distracted from whatever today’s news is regarding the pandemic. I’m happy to keep it that way if I’m honest. Plenty of time to catch up on that stuff later.

Today’s photo is of someone else apparently distracted…

Distraction

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+ (@800).

Taken on 14 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

People and shadows in a gallery

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It’s now been a week-and-a-half since the COVID-19 lock-down measures were put into place here in the UK. So far, things are ok – as a full-time home-based worker, I’m used to not leaving the house to commute to work, and social-distancing from my colleagues is the normal state of things anyway apart from when we have face-to-face meetings (which are all stopped now in any case). As a result, the lock-down measures are not inducing any sort of cabin-fever at this stage.

I must confess however, that I’m missing being able to go out where I want. I’m taking walks most days to get some exercise and fresh air, but even places that would be just a short drive away are starting to feel like slightly exotic destinations. The thoughts of driving out into the countryside (or even just into the city centre) are tantalizing given the “so near, yet so far” forced remoteness of even relatively mundane destinations. I’m estimating that the current lock-down will last through to the end of May at the earliest, so a good eight more weeks of this yet.

Still, things could be worse – returning home from my walk this lunchtime one of our neigbours, who has two young children, was out on his drive cleaning the paving. I said “Hi” (from a safe distance) and enquired as to how they were all doing. “I’m sick to death of watching Frozen” was one of his responses…

Another photo from The Hepworth today. I didn’t have high hopes when I took this picture as it was very dimly lit in this part of the gallery (to protect the prints and other artwork on display), so I had to shoot it wide open at f/1.7 at 1/30sec. I was expecting camera shake, but it’s nice and sharp, even if the shallow depth-of-field has rendered the man slightly out of focus.

Gallery shadows

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+ (@800).

Taken on 14 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Back to black (and white)

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After a week or two of posting colour images, today marks a return to black and white. I still have a number of colour images from the two recently shot rolls that I haven’t posted here though, so maybe they’ll get an airing if I feel a splash of colour is required.

Today’s image is of the stairwell in The Hepworth gallery in Wakefield. I visited the gallery back in the middle of the month before social distancing rules were introduced, and then enforced by the nationwide lock-down. The gallery, along with other such venues around the country, has now closed until further notice, so I was lucky to get to attend when I did.

The reason for my visit was an exhibition about the relationship between the photographer Bill Brandt, and the artist and sculptor Henry Moore, who had met during the second world war when they were both documenting the plight of people sheltering from air-raids in London’s Underground stations. Their relationship continued with an interest in a number of shared themes throughout their careers, including the human body, the landscape, industry and others.

While I was predominantly interested in Brandt’s photography over Moore’s artworks, the latter’s sculptures are wonderful to see in person and made for a number of interesting photographic opportunities, some of which I’ll be posting over the coming days.

For now though, here’s a more mundane subject, but one which I think has made for a nicely satisfying picture – namely the mid-level landing in the gallery’s stairwell. I liked the shapes, textures, tones and symmetry (although it’s not really symmetrical).

Hepworth stairwell

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+ (@800).

Taken on 14 March 2020