The River Wye at Bakewell

December 5, 2022 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

A couple of years ago I made plans to visit Bakewell during the autumn in the hopes of catching some nice colour in the trees. Sadly, covid-19 lockdowns put paid to those intentions and it was not until last month that I had chance to bring them to fruition.

While there’s a definite autumnal air to the pictures I made on the day, the colours in the trees were not spectacular. The best of the colour seemed to come early with some vivid tones from the maples, but most other species seemed to remain resolutely green. They’ve gradually turned now and mostly lost their leaves, but they never really lit the place up this year. Oddly, some of the nicest colours are now apparent in the bright yellows of the leaves still remaining on birches, but most of the other trees have now dropped their coats.

However, despite the state of the foliage, it was quite a nice morning weather-wise in Bakewell with enough cloud cover to make for interesting skies until it thickened to produce rain around lunchtime.

The four photos published here today were made soon after arriving in the town and shot as I walked across and beside the River Wye up to Bakewell Bridge. The first shot was made with my 50mm Zenzanon and the rest with the 75mm. The final shot is pretty much the same composition (and taken within a minute or so) of this black and white picture made with my Olympus XA3.

The last shot has a cooler tone to the others. I’m not sure why – probably something in my post-processing though.

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 and Zenzanon 50mm f/2.8 & Fujicolor Pro 400H. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 1 November 2022.

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Bakewell bridge and willow

December 1, 2022 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

The bridge that carries the A619 Baslow Road across the River Wye at Bakewell can be quite frustrating to photograph. It’s an attractive structure but, due to it carrying traffic on one of the main routes into and through the town, along with the popularity of the place as a tourist trap, it can be difficult to catch a moment where some vehicle isn’t raising it’s distracting head above the top of the walls. I’ve nearly managed to avoid it in the picture published here today. But not quite. If you look carefully there’s a van peeping into view. Not a bad picture though and I have almost the exact same composition to come in a future post, but this time on 6×45 and in colour.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford Delta 400 . Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 1 November 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Private

September 17, 2021September 18, 2021 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I wonder how many people attempted to traverse the private road before the owners decided to not only put up a sign, but also furnish the gate with its own custom wrought-iron version as well?

I guess one of the downsides of living in a picturesque tourist town is that you get lots of tourists, some of whom might be somewhat over-reaching in exactly which parts of the town they can explore.

Keep out of this place
It’s not free to be explored
It’s private you know

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 16 August 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Walking beside the Wye

September 14, 2021 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

This photo was made on our first visit to Bakewell in almost a year. I last visited back in October last year. I’d planned on going out again when the autumn colour kicked in properly but the country was thrust into a series of “tiers” based on Covid-19 infection rates and I was unable to travel beyond our local area.

While it was nice to get out there again on this day the weather wasn’t the best, being dull and rainy while we were there. I shot twenty frames with the XA3 and got a few nice pictured despite the conditions, including this one looking up the River Wye.

I was very busy with work and sorting our cat out after his recent accident, so stumped up to have this and another roll lab developed to save me the time.

A trip to Bakewell
On a dull and rainy day
Can still be quite nice

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Lab developed in Xtol.

Taken on 16 August 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

The bridge on the River Wye

October 30, 2020 fishyfisharcade4 Comments

My apologies. Today’s choice of photograph was almost 100% selected so I could use such a cheesy pun as a title. 🙂

No sign of Alec Guinness here though, just people enjoying the riverbank footpath alongside the River Wye as it flows through Bakewell.

It’s one of those photos where it looks like the people in the shot are looking at you as you take the picture but which, upon closer inspection, they’re looking elsewhere. The guy appears to be testing the capacity of his pocket to breaking point!

Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 18 September 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Church Alley

October 29, 2020 fishyfisharcade4 Comments

This interesting little street caught my eye while I wandered around Bakewell a few weeks ago. I think it would make an interesting photograph under most conditions, but the contrast caused by the emerging sunlight definitely brought it to life. I think stepping back a little might have benefited the scene but IIRC I think I was backed up against a wall. As a result the end of the Church Alley sign has been truncated by two letters.

The Controlled Zone sign kinda contemporises the scene somewhat, but I’m not one for trying to create faux oldy-worldy scenes with my photographs, and having this sort of street furniture in the shot will date it and make it old-fashioned at some point anyway I guess. Similarly the television aerials – in this ever more online world, I wonder how long it will be before television transmitted over the airwaves disappears, leaving these antenae as relics of a bygone age?

Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 18 September 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

A door out of true

October 28, 2020 fishyfisharcade3 Comments

Today’s photo is a relatively straightforward composition made harder by the fact that the door is not perfectly aligned with the frame and stonework. As I lined up my camera to take the shot I was befuddled somewhat by the fact that, if I lined up the lintel of the door, then the door panels would be skewed. Line up the door and the masonry is now out of true. In the end I went for the door panels, but even there something looks awry.

I’m glad it’s like this.

Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 18 September 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

A smattering of Ektachrome

October 25, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

A bit of a mini image dump of Ektachrome images today, mostly because I’ll get onto something else from tomorrow.

There’s not really any theme to them other than they were all shot in Bakewell. I liked them enough to upload to Flickr, but I’m not sure any of them really elevate above average. Perhaps I should seek a job in the art promotion scene, eh? 🙂

Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Kodak Ektachrome 100 EPP (expired at some unknown date).

Taken on 17 September 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Cricket pavillion and lawn roller

October 24, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

A couple of photographs today depicting things emblematic of the game of cricket: a pavillion, and a lawn roller for keeping the ground in good condition, particularly the pitch, where the bowling and batting takes place. Both pictures were made in Bakewell, a picturesque market town in the Peak District.

I’d say more about cricket but it bores me to the back teeth (apologies to any cricket fans who might be reading!). I place the origin of this lack of interest at my dad’s feet – he loves cricket, and indeed pretty much any sport for that matter, and I was subjected to it endlessly on television as a young boy. Where this might had nurtured a lifelong love of sport in some, for me it did the complete opposite. That doesn’t mean I can occasionally appreciate it though. And make pictures.