Ivy on a tree trunk

December 23, 2019 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

As we approach the end of the year – and decade – I’ve been wondering about a favourite shots of the year post or something along those lines, so I expect that will be the subject of a post in the coming week. I’ve also been pondering some project ideas for the coming year – two of which I’ve already started, although it’s really early days yet and they could fizzle out just as easily as they began, so I’ll wait until there’s something worthwhile developing (pun fully intended) before I make any posts about them.

In terms of new photos, I have a roll of XP2 that shot recently that’s been scanned and I’ll start to upload from, plus a currently unscanned roll of Tmax 400 that I put through the Holga last week. I’ve also shot a roll of HP5+ today, and plan on shooting more film during the fortnight I’m on leave, so there will be a batch of new stuff to see soon, but as the labs I use are now closed for the holidays, I’ll not tbe getting anything developed until the start of the new year now.

For today then, here’s some ivy on a tree trunk that I photographed in Boston Spa last weekend.

Olympus OM-1, Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 800asa).

Taken on 15 December 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Views of the River Wharfe

December 21, 2019 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

A few more images from Boston Spa, taken last Sunday. These show the River Wharf, which was flowing with some force on the day, and there was clear evidence of it having recently breached its banks – flattened grasses around the footpath and debris in the trees much higher than the waterline. The weir was also making a great deal of noise as the water poured over it, and the area below the fall was boiling and churning away from the force.

Sat atop the weir was an entire tree that had been swept downstream at some point and become lodged there. It’s possible to get right to the water’s edge next to the weir and a fence prevents people from accidentally falling into the water below the weir, but the river above the weir is not similarly guarded and was moving with unnerving swiftness, so I stayed well back from the edge. (instead just risking fractured limbs on some slippery rocks).

Thorp Arch Bridge spans the river just downstream from the weir, and again there was significant noise caused by the water passing the piers and notable turbulence and whirlpools just below the structure. The bridge opened in 1760, has five arches and is Grade II listed.

The final image is looking downstream from atop Thorp Arch Bridge, this time shot with the Zuiko 75-150mm zoom.

Olympus OM-1, Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 (and Zuiko 75-150mm f/4) & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 800asa).

Taken on 15 December 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

An autumn morning in Boston Spa

April 18, 2019 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

A photo that’s around 18-months old now at the time of posting. It was taken at Boston Spa in North Yorkshire. They have a camera fair there several times a year, and I’d decided to visit. The morning was lovely and crispy, as the best autumn mornings are, and the light was lovely. This was my first (and so far only) roll of slide film, although that will change when I get around to shooting the roll of Ektachrome that is waiting patiently in the fridge.

Nikon F70, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5 – 5.6 AF-D & Agfa CT Precisa.

Taken on 15 October 2017

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Fishing on the Wharf

October 18, 2017 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I went to the Boston Spa camera fair at the weekend (where I bought a Zeiss Ikon medium format folder – which needs a small bellows repair before I can use it, and a Zuiko 135mm f/3.5 lens for my OM-1). I took the Nikon F70 with me and a roll of Agfa CT Precisa to shoot. I chose the Nikon as it’s in-built metering is far superior to any other 35mm camera I own, and I wanter to try and make the most of what was my very first roll f slide film. I shot a few frames at Boston Spa, then a bunch more when I stopped off at Brodsworth Hall on the way home. The remaining frames were shot on a day off yesterday at Clumber Park.

My initial findings are that:

Seeing a set of slides that you took for the first time is a magical experience.
Slide film really DOES have a lot less latitude when it comes to shadows and highlights (although none of my shots suffered too badly as a result)
My usual basic processing techniques in Lightroom don’t transfer from reversal to positive film (not without some tweaks, anyway)
The shots taken with my 50mm prime are superior to the ones with the 28-80mm zoom.

Overall though, despite my hit rate not being quite what I usually get (although I might’ve been rushing the roll a bit), I’m pretty happy with the results, and there are one or two lovely picturs (by my standards, at least) amongst the rest.

The shot here isn’t one of the best (although I do really like the composition, with the angler at bottom left), but it’s the only one I’ve uploaded to Flickr so far.

I’ll definitely be shooting more slide film at some point though.

Nikon F70, Nikkor 28-80 f/3.5-5.6 AF-D & Agfa CT Precisa.

Taken on 15 October 2017