Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
Signs, banners, and even messages on clothes were prominently displayed by many protestors during the Enough is Enough march. Here are a few examples…
Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford Delta 3200 (shot at 800asa and pulled in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 1 October 2022
On Saturday 1 October 2022 a number of demonstrations and marches were held in towns and cities across the UK in protest of the cost of living crisis engulfing the country. This was further driven by the disastrous “mini budget” that had been delivered by the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and her Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng which effectively benefited the wealthiest in society.
Such was the impact of this budget – causing grave consternation in financial markets, impacting the value of the Pound and pushing inflation into double-digits, as well as losing support amongst their own government, party, opposition parties, and the general public – that the Chancellor and Prime Minister were both forced to resign, making Liz Truss the shortest serving PM in UK history, lasting just seven weeks in the post.
I thought it would be good to document the local march, so headed into town with my Olympus OM-1N and XA3 cameras in tow. I’ll split the pictures over the next few days. This first set shows people meeting at the starting point for the march.
I loaded a roll of Delta 3200 into the OM-1N, but overexposed it a couple of stops by shooting it at 800asa and then pulled it in development (mostly because I didn’t have any HP5+ to hand, or I would have shot that at 800asa and pushed it a stop instead). I think the Delta looks quite good shot this way, and I’d probably do the same again if I don’t need the extra couple of stops of light.
Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford Delta 3200 (shot at 800asa and pulled in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 1 October 2022
The Tinsley viaduct has been a feature of Sheffield since 1968, carrying the M1 motorway across the Don Vally to the east of the city. It was unusual at the time for being one of the first two level road bridges of its kind. Until 2008 the viaduct had a fellow landmark in the shape of the two cooling towers of Blackburn Meadows power station. The power station remains, albeit in a new form, but the towers were demolished – to much local consternation from people who didn’t want to lose a landmark that indicated they were almost back home following a journey, and which was felt to be an intrinsic part of the city’s identity. The twin cooling towers can still be found on items of Sheffield memorabilia despite the fact they are no longer in existence.
To the west of the viaduct – towards Sheffield – would have been the site of much heavy industry when it opened but the most noticeable feature now is probably the large Meadowhall shopping mall.
Fujica GW690 & Fujicolor Pro 400H. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken on 22 October 2022.
Walking around one of the industrial parks on the outskirts of the city, I really liked the way the side of this Boeing facility was illuminated by the early morning sunlight. There’s probably a better angle to photograph it from (avoiding that slightly annoying lamp post in the middle of the frame), and maybe something that would look good in large format…
Fujica GW690 & Fujicolor Pro 400H. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken on 22 October 2022.
Few words and many pictures today…
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Fujichrome Velvia 50. Lab developed & home scanned.
Taken on 4 November 2022
Why is Toad from the Super Mario games so popular? Becasuse he’s such a fun guy!
Ho ho ho. 🙂
It’s autumn and toadstools, mushrooms, and fungi of all manner of varieties are in full evidence. There were numerous examples to be seen when I visited Padley Gorge the other week, including some teeny-tiny specimens growing from the trunks and stumps of trees. I’m glad I had my macro lens with me!
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Fujichrome Velvia 50. Lab developed & home scanned.
Taken on 4 November 2022
Another lone Velvia 50 autumn photo today – probably the last of these single images with a group of pictures realted by theme tomorrow and then, if I have time, the remaining decent photos from the roll as a kind of autumn blowout.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Fujichrome Velvia 50. Lab developed & home scanned.
Taken on 4 November 2022
An insanely blue sky thanks to Fuji Velvia 50. It works pretty well with the golden birch leaves, I think.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Fujichrome Velvia 50. Lab developed & home scanned.
Taken on 4 November 2022
There was a lot of bracken in this area, but this plant stood alone and was catching the sun. I wish I’d done a better job of checking my corners and moved that encroaching frond at the bottom-right of the picture though…
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Fujichrome Velvia 50. Lab developed & home scanned.
Taken on 4 November 2022
A few years ago I bought myself a roll of Fuji Velvia 50 as a treat. At the time I think it cost me in the region of about £11 for the roll, which seemed expensive. Little did I know…
Anyway, moaning about the price of film aside, the reason I bought it was to try and photograph some autumn colour. Unfortunately, when that autumn came around I either didn’t have the time, or the conditions weren’t right, and so the season passed. I kept the fim in the fridge though, thinking it would keep until the following year. But I didn’t shoot it again. And then covid arrived and limited my ability to shoot it even further. In the subsequent time I actually picked up a few more rolls of Velvia 50, albeit expired, and I’ve shot a couple of of those (although, given its cost, it always feels like a “special occasion” sort of film), but none of it during autumn. This year though, I had my chance – I booked a week of work for the first week of November which, this time, would be unperturbed by pandemic related lockdowns.
I went out a couple of times during the week to do some photography – the first trip to Bakewell (images to come at a later date), and then, later in the week, a visit to Padley Gorge and its surrounding environs. It was there that I finally shot the full roll of Velvia 50. I’ll probably share most of the worthwhile results in a seperate autumal-themed post, but there are a few that I like enought to post individually, or in small sets, today’s picture included.
This was the first day of the season that I had encountered frost – I had to scrape the car windows before heading out and, although I didn’t set off too early, there was still a little frost left on the ground when I arrived (although it was quickly steaming away where the sun hit it). Just across the road from where I parked my car there were numerous fallen leaves right beside the footpath, all with a light frosting of ice, and the one shared here today grabbed my attention. I was very glad to have taken my Sigma macro lens, and used it for almost every shot on the roll, even the non-macro stuff. It’s a very nice lens and one I should make better use of.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Fujichrome Velvia 50. Lab developed & home scanned.
Taken on 4 November 2022
