Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
The last picture I have to share for the day I walked between West Stockwith and Misterton, is this shot or a bicycle in front of a barge at the marina where the Chesterfield Canal joins the River Trent.
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°
Taken on 24 March 2024
This wheel kinda looks like how I feel at present. I seem to be having a lot of trouble finding enthusiasm for anything, even things I enjoy, on a regular basis. I don’t think I’m depressed or anything, just that I can’t seem to find the energy to do stuff. My attention wanders but never really settles on anything, just drifts from one thing to another, not gaining any real benefit. I’m finding it difficult to focus on things, both at work and at home.
It’s not a permanent, 24/7 thing – sometimes I feel better, but it’s noticeable enough for me to be giving it thought. It’s especially frustrating because, sometimes when I have free time to do something I’d like I end up doing nothing, which is a big disappointment. Free time is something I have in limited supply and to waste it is not good.
I’ve started to wonder if I might have Long Covid or something, as these symptoms are often associated with that condition, but I don’t really have any of the other signs. Or maybe I’m just getting older.
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 9mins.
Taken 9 September 2023.
Continuing a theme from yesterday’s post, here’s another shot where my composition is out. In this shot I needed more of the foreground to avoid cropping the bench, and also more of the left hand side to avoid the edge of this part of the greenhouse being cropped. I should have moved further back, which would have solved both isssues.
Someone did point out that the loss of the left hand side of the frame could have been caused when inserting the film-holder, which could have accidentally caused the tripod head to rotate slightly if it wasn’t locked tight. It could easily have been my fault for not checking my edges carefully though.
Chroma 4×5. Fujinon NW 135mm f/5.6 & Fomapan 100. Fomadon R09 1+50 9 mins @ 20°
Taken 2 March 2023.
Despite owning a perfectly good bicycle, this man has taken it upon himself to build a horse. As I took this picture I had a brief moment where I wondered what would happen if it had suddenly sprung into life like something from a Harry Potter movie or something. It doesn’t have a saddle, so I expect riding it would have caused a degree of chafing.
Yashicamat 124G & Kodak Plus-X (expired 2008). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 6mins @ 20°
Taken on 27 August 2022
This quaint little street is actually a feature of Hornsea Museum, a place I only came across as I was leaving the town after my visit. The museum looked nice in the afternoon light though, so I pulled the car over into a parking space and grabbed a couple of pictures. I think I missed focus slightly on the second shot, but you probably can’t tell at the size it’s published here.
Olympus 35 RC & Kodak Gold 200. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken on 20 June 2022
A few shots today from my new (to me) Olympus XA3 which I acquired a month ago. I’ve shot three rolls with it so far and the results from each have been pretty impressive. It’s a low-frills camera, but it makes up for it with a sharp lens and tiny form factor – a benefit both in its portability and also because the film transport is so short that I’ve gotten 39 shots a roll from it each time!
The photos from this first roll were made on a walk around the edge of the city centre and intended mostly to test the camera for oparating problems / light leaks etc. (of which there are, thankfully, none) so expect a bunch of slightly randon pictures of buildings and anything else that caught my eye on the day in coming posts.
Random city scenes
Just the things that catch my eye
While taking a walk
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.
Taken on 16 May 2021
When I bought my OM-2n a couple of months ago it came with a Tamron Adaptall lens – a 35-70mm zoom if I remember correctly. The lens was in very nice condition but produced noteably softer results than my Olympus Zuiko lenses, so I sold it on. As I already have an OM-1 I have a small collection of Zuiko glass that I can use with the OM-2n already.
I did notice, however, that my F.Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 lens had developed a bit of looseness in the aperture ring. I don’t think it affects the funtionality, but the firm clicks when it rotates has become gentle bumps. So I decided, if I could find one at a decent price, to buy another.
I ended up with a Zuiko (note the lack of F.) Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 in great condition and at a low price. The lens is in the 5,XXX,XXX serial number range with “made in Japan” on the front ring. Apparently these are amongst the sharpest of the numerous variants of this lens that Olympus produced – not that any of them are optical slouches. While I’ve not done any like-for-like tests against my other version (and am unlikely to), this lens is very sharp.
Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Fuji Superia 100 (expired 2008). Grain2Pixel conversion.
Taken on 17 September 2020
After two days of fence painting I feel a little like this cicycle looks…
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Fuji Superia 100 (expired 2008).
Taken on 28 June 2020
The annual Tramlines festival took place in Sheffield last weekend and so I went for a walk around the town centre on the Sunday morning. I ended up taking very few photos of subjects directly related to the festival, but there were a number of other related events taking place around the town centre too. As I walked through Barker’s Pool I saw a bloke sat on the City Hall steps who I though might make for a nice subject. As I was sizing up the composition I heard the sound of approaching music and turned around to see a pair of decidedly unusual bicycle-mounted instruments approaching, so I took some photos of them instead.
Olympus 35 RC & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 21 July 2019
I took a day off work last week and did the first bit of film photography I’ve done in a couple of months or more.
Yashica Mat 124 G & Ilford Pan F 50.
Taken on 6 July 2018
Steel City Snapper photography 