Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
Two car interiors – a Morris Minor and a Ford Popular. The bedraggled creature occupying the drivers seat of the Popular is, I believe, a womble, as featured in classic and beloved British TV show from the 1970s, The Wombles. 🙂
The wombles in the TV show were much better presented. Perhaps the showbiz lifestyle has taken its toll here…
Nikon F80 & Nikkor 28-80 f/3.5-5.6 AF-D on Ilford FP4+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 10mins
Taken on 29 June 2025
I think this building is a barn, but my understanding of farm architecture is limited. It stands in the small village of Eaton, right beside the main road through the settlement. A phone box stands in front of it, although it’s now been converted into a mini-library. I missed the focus on the phone box shot slightly (the point of focus ended up on the planet just behind it – I love the photos I can achieve with the GW690, but it’s rangefinder patch is not the easiest to see), which I’m a bit miffed about.
Fujica GW690 & Kentmere 100 (@400) Rodinal 1 hour semi-stand development. 1+100 in 500ml of water, with a couple of extra ml of developer added.
Taken on 2 August 2025
This picture was shot from atop the bridge seen in yesterday’s post. You can also see the same flock of sheep that appeared the day before that. This is my favourite shot from this roll.
Fujica GW690 & Kentmere 100 (@400) Rodinal 1 hour semi-stand development. 1+100 in 500ml of water, with a couple of extra ml of developer added.
Taken on 2 August 2025
This brick-built bridge crosses the River Idle to the west of the village of Eaton in Nottinghamshire. It’s quite a pleasant scene and there is a bench in the spot upon which a couple were sat before I took my photo. It would be a nice place to sit with a book.
Fujica GW690 & Kentmere 100 (@400) Rodinal 1 hour semi-stand development. 1+100 in 500ml of water, with a couple of extra ml of developer added.
Taken on 2 August 2025
I had to work fast to get the sheep in shot before they became obscured by the gate. As soon as they saw me they began to bleat and make an approach. Perhaps I look like a farmer. Or maybe they’re used to passersby giving them treats. I had no sheep snacks upon me, alas.
Fujica GW690 & Kentmere 100 (@400) Rodinal 1 hour semi-stand development. 1+100 in 500ml of water, with a couple of extra ml of developer added.
Taken on 2 August 2025
On the day I went out and made this batch of pictures, I started in a poor frame of mind. I was feeling grumpy and a bit depressed about stuff, so most of the first part of the day just involved me driving aimlessly about, too annoyed to spot potential compositional opportunities, much less take any photos.
This was the first shot I took during the outing (it was shot just before, and just down the road from, the picture I posted yesterday), and while it didn’t completely clear my low mood, it did get me started with some photography. The first shot is often the one that unclogs the gears, and I was able to then finish off the rest of the roll (albeit only eight frames with the GW690) and even make a start on another.
I’d started out thinking I was just wasting my time, but by the time I got home I felt much better about things.
Fujica GW690 & Kentmere 100 (@400) Rodinal 1 hour semi-stand development. 1+100 in 500ml of water, with a couple of extra ml of developer added.
Taken on 2 August 2025
Unlike yesterday’s photograph, this was a location that I’d never passed before. It’s not a lane that can be traveled as, although you can’t see it in my picture, it’s blocked off with a metal gate. Looking on Google Maps, it’s possible to see where the track leads (to a farm) and that there are two other entrances to the same track. For some reason I find “mystery” roads like this interesting, or rather I like to know where they might lead (it’s very often a farm though…).
Anyhoo, despite the lack of access, it was a scene I felt would make a good photo, what with the leading lines of the track and power wires.
Fujica GW690 & Kentmere 100 (@400) Rodinal 1 hour semi-stand development. 1+100 in 500ml of water, with a couple of extra ml of developer added.
Taken on 2 August 2025
While not the first time I’ve taken a photograph on this particular road, it’s the first time I’ve photographed this particular scene.
I like the rows of power and telephone lines that run down either side, they make me reminisce on the time when most roads had rows of telegraph lines beside them, even though they were likely mostly defunct when I witnessed them.
Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 9mins @ 20°
Taken on 5 July 2025
This house was just down the road from the irrigation hose in the shot I posted yesterday. I liked how it rose from behind the hedge. I have quite a few shots of scenes like this that are slowly spiraling around the germ of a project idea.
Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 9mins @ 20°
Taken on 5 July 2025
I spotted this irrigation hose through a gap in the roadside hedge as I drove past. Something about the way the light fell upon the reel made me feel it might be worth photographing, so I turned around, found somewhere to park, and walked back to get the image. There’s a slight, but easy to miss, juxtaposition between the crops in this foreground field, and the solar farm just visible in the middle of the frame.
Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 9mins @ 20°
Taken on 5 July 2025
Steel City Snapper photography 