Tag: Architecture

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Sheffield old town hall

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The Old Town Hall in Sheffield dates back to the early 19th century, although there were other buildings serving the purpose before then. This building served as the home of the town trustees until the council (which was formed in 1843) took over the lease in 1866. A year leter the clock tower was added to the building as part or extensive renovations.

By the 1890s the council had outgrown the building and moved to the current town hall building on Pinstone Street. The old town hall then housed the local crown court and high court, where they stayed until 1995. The building became Grade II Listed in 1973.

The building has remained disused since this date and, despite a number of planned uses for the site being proposed, none of these have yet come to fruition. The latest plans are to convert the building into a mixture of apartments, hotel rooms, shops, and cafes.

The old town hall

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 50mm f/2.8 MC & Fujifilm Pro 400H. Lab developed. Home scanned and and converted using Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 5 February 2023.

35mm · Film photography · Photography

City structures

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I’d really hoped for better conditions on the day I made all these photos in London. The day before had beencontrasty sunlight, blue skies, and interesting swirls of cloud. The day I was able to do some photography was beset by drab featureless grey skies whose only redeeming feature was that the tops of some of the tall buildings disappeared into the cloudbase in an atmospheric fashion. Still, as a photographer in the UK, thses are conditions to which you must resign yourself because they are likely as not to arise when you least want them.

So here are four pictures shot in the City of London – London’s business and financial district – on a cold, grey morning at the end of November.

To misty heights
Gherkin
Into the grey
The foot of the Gherkin

Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 29 November 2022.

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Seeing the old in the new

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The modern building in today’s picture is The Diamond, a facility owned by the University of Sheffield which houses engineering facilities and lecture halls. It stands on the site of the original Jessop maternity hospital (where my eldest son was born) and parts of the original listed structure still remain, incorporated into the modern architecture.

Reflected in the glass is the tower of St. George’s church, now redundant as a place of worship and acting as a lecture theatre and student accommodation.

Seeing the old in the new

Olympus Trip 35 & Kodak Colorplus. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 23 September 2022.

35mm · Film photography · Photography

A new development

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I occasionaly drive one of my sons to work and the route takes us past an out-of-town industrial development. At this time of year, the light on the buildings in this area can be lovely and I’ve shot a few rolls of film down there recently to try and take advantage. As well as the existing buildings, a number of new structures are under construction, including the one in the blog today. The last time I drove past it a few days ago it looked considerably different to view presented here as most of the walls have now been fitted to the frame.

New development

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 September 2022

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Up on the roof

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Today’s picture is one of those occasions where I looked at an everyday scene and thought, “there’s a photograph“. It was taken from the rooftop level of a multistorey car-park and when I glances over the side there was something about the arrangement of buildings that just looked right. Part of it was due to the light (although I remember having to stand and wait a few minutes for a cloud to pass in front of the sun before it looked just as I wanted it to). Part of it is the different geometric patterns and textures on each of the buildings. I also like the way the road briefly appears at bottom left before vanishing amongst the architecture. It’s also a somewhat empty picture, with no signs of human foot or road traffic to be seen.

Up on the roof

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken on 27 August 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Living in Tetris

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This interesting looking residential building is in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and it reminded me a little of Tetris. It might be the bright, sunny conditions, but it also reminded me of the sort of scene you might see in a European city, perhaps in Spain or somewhere like that.

Anyone for Tetris?

Olympus 35 RC & Kodak Portra 800 (shot at 400asa). Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 10 August 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Keeping the British end up

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So said James Bond at the end of The Spy Who Loved Me. I too am “keeping the British end up” at present, although in the somewhat less pleasurable sense of elevating my broken ankle (at the end of my British leg…) rather than Bond’s double-entendre allusion to a bit of hanky panky in a submarine escape pod.

Unfortunately, in order to type up these blog posts I need to sit at my computer with my foot on the floor (although I am tring to figure out if there’s any way to raise it while I work, even if for a short period). This quickly results in a dull ache starting in my ankle and it soon starts to look noticably more swollen. Luckily for me, my posts rarely stretch further than a few paragraphs, so I will suffer the twenty minutes or so it takes for my art.

I’m off work at present as there’s no effective way for me to keep the ankle raised at my office desk, but I’m hoping it might have recovered sufficiently for me to return next week, even if I need to take breaks. This is the first sick time I’ve had in years and I feel oddly guilty about it, probably because the reason is due to injury rather than actually feeling unwell.

Here’s a picture completely unrelated to what I’ve written above because, well, I suppose I have to post a picture in my so-called photography blog. 🙂

Olympus Trip 35 & Kodak Colorplus. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 18 July 2022.

35mm · Film photography · Photography

A different point of view through the Olympus Trip 35

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A few days ago I posted another photo made at this same location. I was over to the right of the church for that one though, so it was completely out of frame with just the modern high-rise structure rising above the trees. I like this new shotfor the contrast between the two styles of architecture. That original image was shot with my Olympus 35 RC, this one with my Trip 35.

One thing that has struck me while looking at the photos from this roll of Kodak Colorplus is just how nice the lens is on the Olympus Trip 35. It’s a camera I’ve neglected – not having shot mine for a number of years – and then using it’s younger, more compact (and, for me, more recently acquired) sibling, the Olympus XA3 when I wanted a straightforward zone-focus point and shoot experience. The XA3 is a great little camera – truly pocketable – with a sharp lens, but I think the lens on the Trip 35 surpasses it. It’s amazingly sharp and doesn’t vignette either (which the XA3’s lens does to some degree). I shall have to ensure it gets more regular exercise from now on.

Construction through the ages

Olympus Trip 35 & Kodak Colorplus. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 18 July 2022.

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Inbetween

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I was going to post different photos and maybe write a longer piece today but my broken ankle is aching and I don’t want to be sat at the PC any longer than I have to.

The picture I’ve chosen instead was taken while walking to the railway station about a month ago on one of the hottest days the country has ever faced (since records began, at least). The following day was even hotter, breaking the aforementioned records in more than one location.

The day was already very hot even at the time I made this picture, sometime between 7 and 8am, but the scene caught my eye and so I stopped momentarily to take the shot.

Inbetween

Olympus Trip 35 & Kodak Colorplus. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 18 July 2022.