Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
These two pictures felt like they went together nicely, both showing unconventional truck-based accommodation.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Portra 160 / Kodak Ektar. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken on 29 June 2025
Something good that happened today…
I’m feeling pretty down today and was going to post this with no words at all, but that felt petty and childish. So the fact I’m making myself do so is a good thing, I guess, and better than being completely deflated.
Nikon F80, Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD & Kodak Ultramax. Lab developed, home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken on 10 November 2024
The roll of Kodak Ultramax from which these photos (and those of recent and coming days) have been taken was the first I’ve ever shot of this particular film stock. I’ve been quite surprised at the strong, vivid colour in the pictures. I’m not sure if this is just how the film looks, or if my Negative Lab Pro settings have enhanced the saturation in some way (I’ve not purposely boosted the saturation).
The reds, in particular, really jump out at me, especially in these two pictures of the street-food vendor, Falafel Guys, and the traditional red British phone boxes. There’s even a hint, daresay it, of Kodachrome in those reds and blues.
Some of the effect comes, I think, from the vignetting that the Z135 has a tendency to add to pictures, but that’s not all of it. Whatever the case, I have another three rolls of Ultramax waiting to be shot. I’ll not hesitate to use it again.
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Kodak Ultramax. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
Taken 14 October 2023.
A few pictures today of traction engines (and a wooden caravan) photographed at the Sheffield Steam Rally back in June.
I did a quick tally of how many negative I currently have waiting to be scanned today and it came as a bit of a shock. I currently have four rolls of colour 135 each with approx 38 frames on each, two rolls of colour 120 with 15 frames on each. On top of that I have four frames of large format sheet film to develop and scan, and also a roll of 120 HP5+ with 6 frames left to shoot before I develop and scan it. By my reckoning that will be 201 pictures to be scanned – a daunting prospect! Plus I still have three rolls of film that I’ve already scanned that have not been seen here in any shape yet! At least I won’t run out of stuff to publish on the blog any time soon…
Obviously not everything will be worth publishing, but I expect that I will be featuring more picture-heavy posts on here to avoid falling ever further behind, chronologically.
Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE, & Kodak Ektar. Lab developed, home scanned, and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken 24 June 2023.
The annual Sheffield Steam Rally returned this summer after a two-year gap due to the pandemic, so I headed out to take some photos. I was blessed with some nice weather that really suited this roll of Kodak Ektar I shot with my Yashicamat 124G.
As well as the traction engines, vintage cars, tractors, motorbikes etc., there were a few old caravans on display too. I have a bit of a fondness for caravans as they bring back happy memories of staying in my grandparent’s caravan several times each year when I was younger. Their caravan was much larger than the one in today’s photograph – a six-berth – whereas the one here was (if I remember correctly) a three berth model. The caravans in the picture are also “tourers” that can be towed from place to place by a family car, whereas my grandparent’s was a static caravan that remained on the site permanently. Given their small size, seeing how beds are somehow conjured almost from thin air by converting seating and other parts of the interior fittings is quite impressive.
The pastel colours of the caravan on this sunny day really work well with the Ektar, I think.
Yashicamat 124 G & Kodak Ektar. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken on 25 June 2022
Another photo from back in the wintertime – there’s even some snow on the ground! Again, it’s from the roll of Colorplus shot with the Sure Shot Supreme. I’m not sure when this caravan last took an outing, but it looks like it’s slowly being claimed by the undergrowth.
My second zine was sent off to the printers last night ready for the next round of the zine-swap I’m participating in. There are fifteen people involved this time so I might have to scratch for coins to find the postage! 🙂
Lonely caravan
Nestled in the foliage
Thoughts of holidays
Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Kodak Colorplus.
Taken on 12 February 2021
This caravan was parked next to the Minerva pub on the bank of the Humber Estuary at Hull and the words written upon it made me smile. For those not from the UK (or anywhere else that has a fanbase for The Housemartins), the words are a play on the lyrics of the song Caravan of Love. The Housemartins originated in Hull, so it seems particularly fitting somehow (although I’ve no idea if the band were gin drinkers or not).
Olympus OM-1, Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 800asa).
Taken on 19 October 2019
Steel City Snapper photography 