35mm · Film photography · Photography

Straight lines and curvy lines

I’m still in my “don’t feel like posting” mood today, although not so much as before. I didn’t have an extra-long day at work today, as with the previous two, plus the report I had to deliver has now been sorted and presented, so that’s out of the way and off my mind to a large degree (although there’s still further work to be done as an outcome). I don’t think the warm weather we’re having at the moment is helping much either, even though it’s not unseasonably hot or anything, rather we’ve had a run of colder-than-expected temeratures and now it’s bounced back to normal it feels like a heatwave in comparison.

The weekend beckons though, and while the usual chores are waiting to rob me of my time (the grass needs cutting again) I should have enough time to at least try and relax and do something I enjoy. This weekend, if the sunshine holds, that will hopefully include a walk to try out some expired Velvia 50 that I have four rolls of. This will be my test roll and give me a good idea of how the film performs given it’s age and give me confidence (or not) as to it being useable. I have some Sensia 100 received from the same person and the first roll of that looks fine (although I haven’t scanned it yet).

Anyway, I’m supposed to be averse to posting at the moment, so I’d better bring things to a close with some photographs. A couple more from my XA3 test roll.

The first photo is looking up to the large block of concrete that is the O2 Academy, but which will always be the Roxy nightclub to people of a certain age. It sits atop a large NCP car park and, while not to everyone’s taste, is quite a distinctive structure.

The second shows a much older building in the shape of the NSPCC building. It’s surrounded by more modern structures, but the curve of the block-paved roadway leading up to and around the building makes for a nice image.

Drinking and dancing
Loud music and toilet floods
That allright f’yers?

Roxy (as was)
NSPCC building

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 16 May 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Modern monolith

Like a Borg Cube descended to Earth, this angular structure sits adjacent to the River Don behind Savile Street. The circular “portholes” and horizontal bands break up what might otherwise be a plain and undistinguished structure. I like the way it looms in the picture both above and below the water.

Angular it stands
A monolith by water
Blue and grey tower

Riverside

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Kodak Colorplus.

Taken on 9 May 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

What If?

Today’s photos show the side of the Sheffield Hallam University building. The poem was added in 2007 as part of the “Off the Shelf” literary festival that took place. It was written by Andrew Motion, the British Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009.

Sheffield Hallam University

The poem is partially obscured in both these shots due to the trees and the temporary buildings, but the full piece reads as follows:

What If?

O travellers from somewhere else to here
Rising from Sheffield Station and Sheaf Square
To wander through the labyrinths of air,

Pause now, and let the sight of this sheer cliff
Become a priming-place which lifts you off
To speculate
What if..?
What if..?
What if..?

Cloud shadows drag their hands across the white;
Rain prints the sudden darkness of its weight;
Sun falls and leaves the bleaching evidence of light.

Your thoughts are like this too: as fixed as words
Set down to decorate a blank facade
And yet, as words are too, all soon transferred

To greet and understand what lies ahead –
The city where your dreamling is re-paid,
The lives which wait unseen as yet, unread.

Andrew Motion

Sheffield Hallam University

Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken on 20 December 2020

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

The Pennine Centre

The Pennine Centre is Sheffield’s largest office complex. Construction completed in 1975, having taken two years.

For many years, the structure was the home of the HSBC bank (or Midland Bank in its earlier years), but they have recently cacated the premises to move to new office space in the city centre. The service centre where I used to work did so much business with the bank that some members of staff were permanently on-site.

The building is currently vacant, but expecting new tennants. I spoke briefly with a security guard before making this photo and was impressed to hear that there are several floors of underground parking beneath the structure.

Office-space

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

Taken on 1 November 2020

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

A further expired Ektachrome 100 EPN photo

A short post today, just another picture from the roll of expired Ektachrome 100 EPN I shot recently.

There were going to be three images shown, but WordPress has decided that, no matter what I do, it will only show one of them as a link rather than a picture. There’s probably a solution – like using the old editor or something – but I don’t have the time this evening.

Somewhere they'll catch the sun

Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Ektachrome 100 EPN (expired 2008).

Taken on 14 September 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

The Hub

A couple of pictures of The Hub, home of Sheffield University’s Student’s Union. This was a museum –  the National Centre for Popular Music – when it was originally opened in 1999. It closed a little over a year later due to lack of visitors (including myself).

Passing The Hub

Hub lids

Olympus OM-2n, F.Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10 mins @ 20°.

Taken on 21 June 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Old places

A trio of shots of old buildings still present in the Attercliffe area. There are many more than just these, but I didn’t photograph the others. 🙂

The old Burton’s menswear building and the Adelphi cinema are next door to one another, and neither has been used for their original purpose (or for much else) in many a year. The Momento picture framing shop is still actively trading. Given the post box outside, I wonder if this might have been a post office at some point in the past? I’ll ask my dad next time I see him as he’ll likely know, having grown up and then worked in the area when he was younger.

FILM - The tailor of taste

FILM - Adelphi

FILM - Momento

Kodak Retina IIa & Fomapan 400.

Taken on 26 January 2019