Pandemic scenes #3

April 19, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

The majority of the hospitality industry in the UK has now closed. After a period where the government advised people to avoid socialising in groups and that they shouldn’t go to pubs -something that caused dismay to the owners and operators of the establishments as, apparently, without a formal government order for them to cease business, they were inelligible to make claims against their insurance policies that would pay out necause they were unable to trade because of the situation – the government formally ordered their closure.

A number of pubs in my local area (although I suspect it to be a widespread thing across the nation) placed messages of support to NHS and other key-workers on their notice-boards when the closed. Today’s photo depicts one of these messages.

During the lock-down, with significantly less opportunity to go out, I’ve started to make progress on enjoying the large (and continually growing) stack of photo books that I’ve bought. Today I chose one of the books further down the pile that must have been there for a significant amount of time now: Portraits of America, by William Albert Allard. The book contains images from his National Geographic work in the US. I’ve only looked at the first set of images so far: a series on the Amish shot back in the 1960s, but the photographs are beautiful and I’m looking forward to enjoying the rest of the book.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 28 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #2

April 18, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

The local park is quite small and is essentially an open space in the middle of the housing estate where we live. Nonetheless it still contains a 5-a-side football / basketball court and sets of swings, climbing frames and a slide for children to play on. In normal times, the park would be populated by children of various ages, from older kids hanging out and playing football, right down to toddlers having fun on the infant swings or climbing on the frames while their parents watch them from one of the benches – something I used to do regularly when my boys were younger.

It’s a different story at present, and the park is largely deserted apart from the occasional person walking their dog, taking some exercise, or just passing through on their way to somewhere else.

The swings have been tied up and, on the day I took these photos, the equipment had been cordoned off with hazard tape (although someone has since removed it). No-one plays there at present.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 29 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #1

April 17, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

I took this photograph not long after the start of the UK’s lock-down. People can be seen observing social distancing while queueing to enter the superstore to buy groceries and other essentials. The store was operating a “twenty at a time” rule when this photograph was taken, but this changed the following day so that is was limited to twenty individuals instead of groups (couples etc.). The system worked efficiently and the waiting times were quite short.

Apart from items like pasta, hand-sanitiser, paracetamol and other previously panic-bought items, the store was well stocked with most goods.

As the lockdown has continued, and panic-buying has (thankfully) subsided, most stores are largely back to normal in terms of the stock they are carrying. The social distancing rules are well implemented and most customers now understand how they work. In some ways, and despite the fact you have to queue to enter the store (admittedly something I’ve not had to do in bad weather yet), the lower numbers of people in the shops makes for a nicer experience

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 28 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Carmouflage

April 8, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

Another scene that I’ll probably not see again for a while, both because the year has progressed and the light won’t fall on these cars through this fence for another several months (at least not in the same way, and possibly at a time of day when the cars are not there), but mainly at present because there aren’t any cars parked on this street anymore due to the pandemic.

It’s a road I walk up when dropping my films to be scanned at my local lab, but that’s closed too for the time being and, as I’ve bought my own home-developing equipment, I might not be using them as frequently when they do re-open (something I’m torn about – while me home developing my film is cost effective, I don’t want to deprive the lab of any business. It’s a valuable place to have on my doorstep and their service is great).

While it isn’t the foremost concern by far, I do worry a little as to the impact this pandemic will have on film photography. While is was going from strenth-to-strength before all this happened, I do wonder how a potential pandemic-triggered recession might affect it. If money is short, will people still want to spend so much on film and processing costs? I hope so, but it’s a concern nonetheless.

Pentax Espio 140M & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 19 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Not thinking things through

March 31, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I was paid today, so decided to combine my exercise with a trip to the cash machine at the local shopping mall. Knowing that cash machines are a pretty high-risk vector for transmitable viruses like COVID-19, I decided to protect myself by wearing a plastic glove. I bought the gloves recently as a means of avoiding physical contact on surfaces that others are likely to have touched – they’re just the thin plastic type that you sometimes find at petrol-stations to avoid getting fuel on your hands, or in sandwich-shops to allow the person preparing the food to avoid touching the ingredients. I would have felt uncomfortable buying surgical-style gloves (even had I been able to find any) given the recent shortages in PPE that have been encountered by frontline healthcare staff.

Sadly, I didn’t think through the process of withdrawing the money in a contactless fashion, and it quickly became apparent that next time some greater consideration of the process will be required.

I decided to wear a single glove, thinking that I’d only be touching the buttons with a single hand, and removed my card from my wallet, entered it in the machine, and then replaced my wallet in my right pocket (as I had nowhere else to put it). I could then enter my pin, select the amount I wanted to withdraw, and remove the cash with the gloved hand. All good so far.

However, I now realised that I would have to reach over into my right pocket with my left hand to get my wallet back out. I also realised that I couldn’t open my wallet with just my left hand and insert the cash without risking scattering it all over the floor. Also, and possibly key – I was holding the cash in the gloved hand that had touched the potentially compromised buttons on the machine, thus transferring any contamination onto the money I had to put in my wallet anyway! In the end I touched the outside of my wallet with the “gloved hand of contamination” in order to complete the task too.

Short of (literally!) laundering the money to clean it of anything harmful, I’m kinda stuck with the situation. Thankfully I can avoid touching the money again (at least until any pesky viruses might have been rendered harmless) and will certainly refrain from rubbing it all over my face or anything, so I think I’ll be ok (plus it’s probably absolutely fine and uncontaminated anyway).

Given that many places are dictating card-only transactions at present, it might have been better left in the account…

Unrelated to all this, here’s todays picture, a bingo hall in Sheffield city centre – somewhere else (along with the cinemas, theatres, gigs, bars, retaurants etc.) that’s likely to remain dormant for the next few months.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Lomography Color Negative 400.

Taken on 1 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Eleven flights

March 28, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

As I briefly mentioned the other day, the skies are currently almost empty of aircraft, something noticeable on clear days. Today not so much as it’s mostly cloudy (and considerably chillier!) so the sight has been lessened somewhat. To mark the lack of flights, today I post a picture of eleven flights.

Of stairs.

As I type this I’ve not checked the news for today’s pandemic updates. I’m not planning on burying my head in the sand over the situation, but dwelling on a constant 24-hour news-cycle of reports on the pandemic are probably not great for mental health, so I’m going to try and get on with things as normally as possible, dipping into the news only when appropriate.

Today’s previously mundane, but now suddenly “interesting” activity was to go to the local supermarket for some things we needed. I only posted the other day about only going to get provisions once a week, and that seems to have fallen through straight away as my wife was unable to get all the things we needed yesterday. So, this morning, I drove to the local Sainsbury’s to get the things we were missing.

The branch of Sainsburys is attached to a shopping-mall close to where we live and there were plenty of car-parking spaces as most of the other shops in the mall are closed at present. The supermarket has implemented a queueing system that allows twenty people in the store at a time, which requires people to stand in the car-park outside in a zig-zag queue. The parking spaces make handy markers for keeping apart, and the was a gap of three or four metres between each person (or family). Everyone was behaving and, despite it being colder today, seemed in good spirits – chatting with their fellow shoppers and sharing news of what was open, where the treasured items (pasta and toilet rolls) might be acquired, and being generally good-natured. Despite the queue seeming quite long, I got into the store in the third block of people.

Stock on the shelves was pretty plentiful apart than a few items I noticed (pasta and dried rice), and I was able to get the things we needed, plus a few other items that we were running short on.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Lomography Color Negative 400.

Taken on 1 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Bright colours for dark times

March 27, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

It’ll not be too long before my (more) usual posting of black and white photos resumes, but for a while at least I’ll post more of these colourful and saturated Lomography Color Negative shots. It suits the lovely weather we currently have here in the UK and maybe some sunny photos will lift people’s spirits in some small way. Today’s photo is of the gable-end of a row of shops just down the road from Harrison Cameras in Sheffield. I took if from the base of a block of flats just behind – and raised a little above – the building and the light was being reflected back on the scene in an attractive way. I like how the hedge on the left is illuminated such that it mirroes the green bins at the opposite side of the frame.

In today’s COVID-19 update, it would seem that both our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock have tested positive for coronavirus infection. While i don’t wish serious illness upon either of them, it might be a situation that helps to convince some in the country of the seriousness of the situation. At present, while the lock-down is noticeable in the quietness of the streets – particularly at night – there still seems to be a decent amount of activity on the streets.

We’ve been told by the government that we should stay indoors for all but essential reasons: to buy essential shopping; for medical reasons (including provision of care for someone we’re responsible for); to travel to work (but only where this is essential and working from home isn’t an option); and for one period of exercise (such as a walk, run or cycle).

I think some people are using this as an excuse to carry out other pastimes under the guise of exercise – I saw a post from someone on Facebook who had gone into the countryside with not only a camera, but also a drone. While the person may have been safely able to avoid other people, there is always the small chance that something could go wrong – even a simple flat-tyre – which would then require the assistance of others. Taking a local walk with a camera in your pocket would seem a reasonable thing to do (as long as the exercise is the primary goal and you can avoid close contact with others), but driving out to beauty-spots feels a little like taking liberties.

As for us, we will only shop for food on a single occasion each week (although I guess it could be necessary to visit more than a single retailer) – we can manage without certain items if needed, so a single trip to the shops reduces our contact with others. We, thankfully, don’t have any medical requirements that we need to leave home for. My dad is elderly, but fit and active, and my sister still lives at home with him anyway. I work from home, so no need to travel for that, although my wife works in a key role that requires her to travel to her place of work each day still. She drives, so isn’t at risk from others on public transport at least. As for exercise, I have been going out for a walk, but haven’t the past couple of days. We’ve got an exercise bike in the garage (that can now be used again following yesterdays garage tidying activities!), so I’ll use that if required. Whle I can go out for a walk while easily avoiding others, I feel like maybe I shouldn’t unless absolutely necessary, so I’ll see how that goes.

I’ve tidied and cleaned my home-office today. I work in there, but it also houses my PC and scanner that U use for my photos. Hopefully my next scans will not feature constellations of stars across them from all the dust spots! 🙂

Somewhat to my surprise, most of the home-developing stuff I ordered yesterday has already arrived (although I still don’t have a developing tank yet, which is kinda important) so, once I get the final bits and pieces I’ll be in a position to ~~ruin~~ develop my own film. Or at least I will when I’ve finished a roll – my shooting rate seems to have declined a bit this week…

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Lomography Color Negative 400.

Taken on 1 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

No chips

March 26, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

Or fries, for my American pals. 🙂

I really will have to get some more Lomography Color Negative 400 when I get the chance. This was my only remaining roll, but I’ve found if produces wonderfully saturated colours, as with the red-painted frontage of the fish & chip shop in today’s photo.

As I type this, it’s day four of the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown. I have today and tomorrow off work and would under normal circumstances have taken the opportunity to go out and take some photos – probably shooting colour as we’ve had (in a cruel joke by mother nature) beautifully sunny weather all week – but alas we’re not able to do so at present. I didn’t even go out for a walk today as I have the rest of the week, intead deciding I’d spend some time tidying the garage which is full of loads of boxes that I’d placed in a storage unit when we moved house but which I then removed and brought home to save the monthly fees. It was difficult to get access to other things in the garage, so I’ve spent the day completely re-arranging it all to make better use of the space.

I also spent some time this morning looking at (and then ordering) the equipment I’ll need to start developing my own B&W film at home. I still have a few bits and pieces to acquire, but the changing bag and all the chems are on their way, and I’ve had someone kindly donate a developing tank which they will post to me when an opportunity arises to do so. I really don’t know that much about home developing, especially which of the wide range of chemicals would be best, but in the end opted for some Ilfotec DDX, Ilfostop, Ilford Rapid Fixer and some Ilfotol wetting agent. To be honest, I’m somewhat nervous at the thought of doing this, mostly because I’m concerned I’ll knacker a roll of otherwise nice photographs, but given how many other people manage to do this successfully, I think I’ll be ok if I pay attention to what I’m doing. I will, of course, let you know how I fared when the time comes.

Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Lomography Color Negative 400.

Taken on 1 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Down Duke Street

March 24, 2020March 26, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Maybe the last of the Samsung Fino 60S photos (for now, at least, unless we get housebound for a reeeaaaallly long time!), but I also shot a Canon Sure Shot Supreme on the same outing, so there may be a few more Park Hill photos to come yet.

My local lab tweeted today that they have closed their walk-in reception for the time being due to coronavirus guidance, so I’m going to have to post any rolls to them (and wait for the negs to be posted back) for any stuff I manage to shoot in the meantime. It’s a shame because it will cost more in postage (effectively adding over £5 to the cost of developing for postage both ways) and will take longer than usual, but we all have to get on board with the measures to reduce the spread of the infection, so I don’t mind too much – I’ll probably wait until I have a few rolls before sending them in though to save on the cost.

I’ve also made some semi-serious investigations into home-developing kit. That’ll involve some upfront cost (and the very real risk of me destroying my own photos through incompetence!) if I go ahead with it, but will help with my impatience and wallet-health longer termif I manage to make a sucess of it. I think I’ll sleep on it awhile first…

Samsung Fino 60S & Kodak Colorplus.

Taken on 1 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Graffiti on the flats

March 23, 2020March 27, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

This is the top / southern end of the Park Hill flats – the entire complex was built according to the topography of the city (which, like Rome, is built on seven hills according to local folklore) so that every floor of the multi-storey building was accessible from ground level without the need for stairs or lifts (although there are plenty of those too).

This end of the complex has not yet been reached by the Urban Splash re-generation project that is renovating and re-purposing the flats and other spaces for modern accomodation and businesses and some of the metal panels protecting the ground-floor flats has been used to host colourful graffiti art.

In other news, I’m expecting that the UK is likely to be placed under a much more stringent lock-down soon because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so it could be that my photography is limited somewhat (although some house-bound projects can be found I’m sure). I’ve enough photos to keep this blog going each day for months and months, so I have no plans to stop posting, but the supply of recently taken photos might be limited.

Maybe this will be a good time to learn how to develop my own film…