Power and pylons

August 23, 2020August 23, 2020 fishyfisharcade4 Comments

Long time subscribers of this blog will know that I enjoy making photographs of power lines. It’s a fascination that goes back to my childhood, probably borne out of watching the old Play Safe public information films that were screened on the television here in the UK warning of the dangers of overhead power cables and electrical substations.

I’m not obsessed by them, and don’t go out with the purposes of “pylon spotting” or anything like that, but I find the way they traverse the landscape quite evocative and find they make for interesting photographic subjects.

The three images presented here today feature not only pylons, but the source of their power as well in the form of power stations. After I visited North Leverton windmill, I drove towards the nearby village of Sturton-le-Steeple which is adjacent to the large West Burton power station. One of the public footpaths near the village provided a great vantage point to see the (still quite distant) facility. Another station, Cottam, is visible in the distance to the south in the final of these three photos. These, and other power stations, sit beside the River Trent from which I believe they draw water for cooling.

They are impressive structures, dominating the landscape from miles around.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 7 mins 45 secs @ 22.5°.

Taken on 25 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Three more windmill photos

August 22, 2020 fishyfisharcade4 Comments

These three shots will probably mark the end of my North Leverton windmill photos for now. I still have a few more, but they’re quite similar to what I’ve already shown, so will probably stay in the archive for now.

I think these three are pretty nice pictures though (despite the over-developing problems) and the last of the trio is maybe my favourite of all the photographs I made at the location.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 7 mins 45 secs @ 22.5°.

Taken on 25 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

A windmill, a door, and a door bell

August 21, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Three more photographs of North Leverton windmill today (there will probably be at least a few more to come in future posts too). Today’s pictures were made with my Sure Shot Supreme compact. While it doesn’t provide the same detail as the medium format Zeiss I used for my earlier photos, the 38mm lens was a much better focal length for geting the whole mill in shot.

This next shot is my favourite of the three here. I like the simplicity of it, but there are nice details to be had if you look for them too – the shadow of the windmill’s blades on the left tof the frame, the shed to the right, plus the bell (and what appears to be some sort of cat-flap – although I could quite easily be wrong about this) on the door.

And finally, a detail shot of the bell itself.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 7 mins 45 secs @ 22.5°.

Taken on 25 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Down a back street in Retford

August 20, 2020 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

Another photograph from my short stop-off in Retford after visiting North Leverton windmill. I was just wandering around looking for pictures when I spotted this back street behing the town hall building that looked like a nice shot.

Overdeveloped again (from the same roll as yesterday’s photo), but I think it works pretty well still.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 7 mins 45 secs @ 22.5°.

Taken on 25 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Man in an (overdeveloped) trilby

August 19, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

The first shot on this roll of HP5+. A roll that I’m pretty sure I’ve overdeveloped. From the point of hanging the negatives to dry I had a feeling something was amiss as they looked noticably denser than I might have expected. Once scanned it became apparent that the highlights were much brighter than they should have been and there was more grain than expected along with the loss of some fine detail.

The reson for this, I believe, was my developing the roll on a hot day where controlling the temperature of the developer was difficult. By the time I was ready to start the process, it had risen from 20 degrees to 22.5, so I had to consult the Ilford compensation charts to see how that would affect the time. While the charts are very helpful, they only show compensations for whole degrees, so I made a best guess to put my time somewhere between those quoted for 22 and 23 degrees. I think I should probably have shaved another 15-20 seconds from the time.

I’ve managed to save pretty much every frame with some post-processing tweaks in Lightroom, but they’re not what I’d planned. Still, everything’s a learning experience, eh?

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 7 mins 45 secs @ 22.5°.

Taken on 23 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

A window on work

August 14, 2020 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

I sometimes wonder at the purpose of these windows placed in the barriers that surround construction projects. Is there a specific purpose for them? Or are they there, as might seem obvious, to allow passers by to have a nosey at what’s taking place on the other side of the fence?

It seems that the obvious reason in this case is the actual reason. The windows are there for public engagement to allow them to see what’s happening on the construction site from behind the safety of a barrier.

I’m not sure that I would want someone to have a little window to peep in on me doing my work whenever they felt like it. Then again, my work is likely far less interesting to the average passer by. Perhaps I should buy an excavator…

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Agfa APX100. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10.5 mins @ 20°.

Taken on 23 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Big chicken (it’s too hot!)

August 12, 2020 fishyfisharcade6 Comments

It’s still ludicrously hot here today. Well, compared with the normal temperature at least. It’s undoubtedly positively cool in comparison to many places, but we’re not prepared for it. Whereas it would be the norm for people to have air-con units, or buildings designed specifically to keep cool in locations that regularly get heat, we don’t generally have the need for that in the uk – It’s usually cold and rainy. 🙂

Anyway, it’s too hot to type for long and I’m almost finished scanning a strip of negatives and very much looking forward to a cool shower, so another quick post today I’m afraid.

So, somewhat randomly, here’s a big chicken…

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Agfa APX100. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10.5 mins @ 20°.

Taken on 23 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Street art

August 11, 2020 fishyfisharcade4 Comments

It’s too hot to sit at my PC typing this evening, so this will be quick post.

A couple of pieces of street art a stone’s throw from each other – you can see the second piece in the first picture if you look closely.

I’m not sure of the artist of the first, but the second is by Phlegm and decorates the rear of the building that housed the now sadly departed Rare & Racy store. It closed because the building was compulsorily purcheased for re-development, but years have passed and not a sign of this has yet appeared.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Agfa APX100. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10.5 mins @ 20°.

Taken on 23 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

An abandoned church

August 10, 2020 fishyfisharcade8 Comments

This is the entrance to the former Christ Church Central building in Sheffield city centre. The building is no longer used by the church – it appears they’ve moved just across the road to what looks like a bigger location.

I’ve never been in either building but used to work nearby when I was younger and also found it interesting how the church resided in a low-rise building mostly indistinguishable from the other small industrial units that surrounded it.

Now it looks like a group of weeds are awaiting the doors to be opened.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Agfa APX100. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10.5 mins @ 20°.

Taken on 23 July 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Denby Dale again

August 9, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

As with yesterday’s post of 35mm photos of Emley Moor, today here are a couple of 35mm shots of Denby Dale (or, more specifcally, the viaduct) taken on the same visit as the medium format pictures I posted here.

Of the two pictures, the first one (above) is my definite favourite. I also have a medium format version of the same scene but, despite it’s increased resolution and detail, I prefer the more gritty look of the 35mm image. It would perhaps have been nice to have a train crossing the bridge, but my time was limited and I didn’t know the running schedule.

The second shot is another variant of one of the medium format pictures I made (which can be seen in the linked post above), but taken from a vantage point a little further up the road.