Off-season seaside

February 15, 2022 fishyfisharcade6 Comments

At the end of January I took myself off for a day at the seaside town of Cleethorpes. It was a nice day with vivid blue skies and plenty of bright winter sunshine. There wasn’t much in the way of warmth however, not helped by the fact that we still had the tail-end of Storm Malik creating blustery conditions. However, this being the UK in wintertime, I was glad enough for the bright day and wore enough clothes to keep the chill at bay.

I didn’t have any particular plans for the day other than to take a bunch of photographs at an off-season seaside town. I knew that most of the attractions would be shuttered up for the winter, but that was kinda the point – to see it in the times when it isn’t full of holidaymakers and day-trippers.

I’d parked up right on the promenade. Unsurprisingly there were plenty of spaces to choose from – almost all of them in fact, and after buying a ticket I decided to head north to the end of the promenade where the beach heads on up to Grimsby. The wind was bitingly cold, but my jacket kept me warm, and I kept on my gloves unless I wanted to make a picture. Despite the fact that most things were shuttered, the big amusement arcade was open and I went in for a bit of warmth and a quick game on an old Galaga machine that I found lurking in a corner.

I had three cameras with me, which might sound like overkill, but two of them (the Olympus XA3 with which today’s photos were shot, and my digital Ricoh) are both tiny and easily pocketable. Only the OM-2n required a bag to carry it and a couple of extra lenses.

The photos in todays blog are of the small funfair on the beach. It’s not much of a funfair – just three rides – but I think it’s pretty much all that is left in terms of these sorts of things at the resort. There used to be a small theme park to the south of the town with some actual thrill rides, but that closed years ago. There were also larger rides including dodgems and a waltzer inside one of the buildings on the promenade, but I believe that it’s now an indoor market. This small cluster of beach attractions consists of a big-wheel (sans carriages at this time of year), a helter-skelter (all locked up), and a kiddies rollercoaster (missing its train, again because no children are around to ride on it in January). Despite their inactivity, they still made for colourful pictures in the bright sunshine though.

The old expired roll of Colorplus (which came with the XA3 when I bought it early last summer) has come out a treat.

Olympus XA3 and Kodak Colorplus (expired 2012 and shot at 100asa)

Taken on 31 January 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

St. Peter’s & St. Paul’s

January 21, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

A couple of photos of the church at Eckington, St. Peter’s & St. Pauls. The church dates back to the 12th century, although with later additions to the structure.

I’ve pretty much exhausted this roll of film now and need to get the next one developed, which I hope to do tomorrow. Otherwise it’ll be back to dipping into the archive again.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Ironmongers

January 20, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

When so much has moved to “big box” retailers in the home improvement field these days, it’s nice to see a more traditional independent store such as this ironmongers in the town of Eckington. Shops like this are far more interesting to visit, often with a mazelike set of corridors packed will all manner of stock from a wide range of suppliers. They’re so much nicer than the clinical feel of the large stores.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Negative damage

January 19, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I’ve spoken a few times recently about the odd marks on this roll of expired Tri-X Pan. I believe it expired in 2003, although that’s really a best guess based upon the fact that it came with some rolls of other film which were all dated that year. Given its age I perhaps shouldn’t be too surprised that defects have appeared, although I’ve shot older film than this (and a number of rolls of this same film from the same batch) without issues, so it’s not necessarily a given fact.

Anyway, I’ve been editing the marks out of the pictures in Photoshop for the most part, but this one resisted my efforts – or at least to an extent that I was satisfied with any restoration that I’d attemped – so I decided to leave it as it is. I’ve not removed any dust spots and there’s even another defect at the left side of the frame where the negative took some physical damage, possibly as a result of my struggling with the curliness of it!

Despite the marks on the image, it quite works with the scene I think. It maybe adds a little character.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Misty junction

January 17, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

A photo I took on a walk around Eckington just before Christmas.

Shortly before I took this photo, a day or so prior (it might even have been the evening before) one of my sons went to a birthday party held at a cricket club that is located about half a mile up the road on the left in this picture. It was extremely foggy on the evening – pretty much a wall of blankness in front of the car as soon as the streetlights were left behind. While I love fog as a weather condition where photography is concerned, I’m definitely less inclined towards it when it comes to night driving…

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Curly negs

January 16, 2022 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

I’m posting another photo from the roll of expired Tri-X Pan today. Again, it’s a scene form the Derbyshire County Council complex on the hillside at Matlock.

I’ve got a good few day’s worth of blog posts left in this roll yet, but I finished scanning the last of the frames today. And boy am I glad.

I had about a half-dozen rolls of the batch of film which I picked up from someone online. I don’t mind expired black and white film as it usually gives good results still, even decades past expiry, and this Tri-X Pan (produced before the “Pan” bit was dropped from the name) is no exception. Yes, it’s not perfect, and I have to make some compensation at the exposure or development stage, but on the whole the photos look nice.

One problem I’ve had with this roll has been a lot of marks on the negatives. At first I thought these were drying marks, but on closer inspection I don’t think they are. They have a different look to any drying marks I’ve seen on other rolls and I suspect the film has become compromised in some form, either because of its age, or possibly in my use of it. However, these marks have only appeared on this most recent roll, with no signs of similar defects on others that I’ve shot from the same batch. On the whole, they can be cloned out in Photoshop to an acceptable level too.

The main issue with this film though is it’s tendency to curl when removed from the cannister. It’s curly when loading it onto the spools for development, but upon drying it becomes so very much worse. It’s almost aggressive in it’s curliness. Letting it slip for a fraction of a second results in it springing into itself either as a neat, tightly rolled cylinder of film or, sometimes – particularly when I was cutting the roll into strips for storage – a messy viper’s-nest tangle of coils.

Getting the cut strips into the negative hoder for my Plustek scanner took a great deal of effort and an even bigger helping of frustration. In the end I had to don some cotton gloves as there was no way to set it in the holders without physically gripping both sides of the negatives and, even then, it was still extremely difficult to get them correctly aligned. I had a number of choice words to say as I attempted this, none of which are suitable for repeating here.

But now they’re all scanned, for better or worse, and I am glad of that. I’m not sure if I have any more of this particular batch of film left. There might be a roll in the freezer somewhere (I really need to carry out a stock-check on what I have in there!), but I’m kinda hoping there isnt. I think I’d rather pay the price of a brand new roll of Tri-X!

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Not so distant dome

January 15, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

So, it’s another quick post today. I did have some stuff I was going to write about, but my eldest came round to visit and I now don’t have time. I shall endeavour to do it tomorrow instead.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Architecture through winter branches

January 14, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Another photo of the Derbyshire County Council complex at Matlock. There’s a very dark and moody look to the whole set, a combination, I think, of the metering on the XA3 trying to find the right exposure between scenes that consist of dark buildings and trees and much brighter foggy skies, and also my use of this roll of almost 20-years expired Tri-X Pan. Pushing the film a stop (while shooting at the 400asa box speed) to compensate for its age has also increased the contrast and grain. It’s a look I’m not unhappy with though.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Rising dome

January 13, 2022 fishyfisharcade4 Comments

The dome in the background of this picture is part of the Derbyshire County Council buildings in Matlock. They stand on the hillside above the town centre and there is some interesting architecture present. The photos on the blog in the coming days will show more views of the place.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

In Matlock in December

January 12, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

The photo today shows a scene in the centre of Matlock that I snapped when we visited the Christmas market last month. I liked the way the far street rose up the hill into the distance, the wet road catching the dull light nicely. The building and the tree frame the shot, and the couple and the lamppost add some interest. At the upper left can be seen a clock tower. That was close to where we had parked our car and there will be more photos of that building to come over the next few days.