Today’s photo shows Edmund Road Drill Hall (sometimes known as Norfolk Barracks), a Grade II listed building that was once used by the 4th West York Artillery Volunteers and which was constructed in 1878. It’s currently in use as a training facility for industrial rope access. I guess that castle-like tower might prove useful in that regard. 🙂
Near the town centre A former barracks still stands Castle on a street
Last year I picked up several rolls of expired Kodak slide film – some Ektachrome EPP, Elite Chrome 100, and Elite Chrome 200. I shot a roll of the Ektachrome back in the autumn and was very happy with the results, some of which can be seen here. A couple of weeks back I shot one of the rolls of Elite Chrome 200 with similarly pleasant results. Whereas with the Ektachrome I had used my OM-2n, for this roll I decided to chance it in a point-and-shoot compact – my Canon Sure Shot Supreme. The camera generally does a good job of metering scenes and I wanted to see what slide film would look like shot through a consumer camera. On the whole, I think it did a great job. The images are a little softer than those from my OM-2n, but notby a large margin, and the film itsel gave pleasing result. I doubt the colours are strictly accurate, and I had the subdue a purple cast, but they are attractive nontheless – I don’t shoot expired film expecting it to give perfect colours anyway, my main wish being that it gives me something I like. I’ve added a couple of frames from the roll today and will upload more over the next week or so.
I acquired a couple of new (to me) cameras today. A lady had advertised an Olympus XA3 and Olympus Superzoom 160 on the local Trash Nothing group – where people can advertise items they are giving away free of charge. I spotted the ad first thing and expressed interest straight away. I received a reply later stating the someone else had got in first but that if that fell through then I could have them. I pretty much expected to have lost out on the deal but thn, this afternoon, received another message saying the other person had pulled out and I could have them. I’m looking forward to trying out the simple, and tiny, XA3 (which also has the flash unit), and if the Superzoom works ok, I might run another Travelling Superzoom project like I did in 2019 – this involved loading the camera with a roll of film and them taking a few shots. The camera would then be posted to another participant who would do the same. This would continue until the film was fully shot and we’d then share everyone’s photos amongst the group. The results from that first project can be seen here.
Two new cameras Are waiting to be tested Snap snap snap snap snap
The film photography competition I partake in each month has “Accurate” as its theme this month and my entry is the following shot of my Silva compass sat atop an Ordnance Survey map. It was a pretty rushed shot if I’m honest. I shot two frames and the whole exercise took less than five minutes including digging the map out of a cupboard. Of the two photos, I like this one the best.
Although I favour Ilford HP5+ over Tri-X – especially now that the latter costs almost twice as much! – I had a roll of Tri-X Pan in my OM-2n so that had to serve the purpose. The film is almost 20-years expired and I shoot it at 200asa (I have a few rolls of it still) and it produces decent results. In this case I think the greater contrast from the Kodak film has resulted in a better photo than I might have had from HP5+.
The biggest downside with the film is how much it curls when developed and dried. It coils up like a spring AND has a longitudinal curl as well. This makes it pretty difficult to get into the negative holder for my scanner – it’s easier to get my cat into his box for visits to the vets!
A map of contours Like my roll of Tri-X Pan Twisting and curving
A came across this place while wandering in the Peak District last week. I’ve passed close by before and never realised it was there but, now that I do, I think I’ll pay it further visits. While I’m pretty happy with how this photo turned out, I think that – with the right conditions – there might be much better images to be had. The autumn should be very nice here, I think.
Tumbledown structure Hidden in the old oak woods A nice place to find
With the easing of the lockdown in England it has meant the ability to travel a little further afield for photography has returned, so I’ve taken a couple of trips out into the Peak District – the closest bit, nothing too crazy! On both occasions I set out quite early and the car-park I’ve used has been almost empty, but has been busy when I’ve returned a few hours later. There are lots of places to venture from the car-park though, so it’s easy to keep plenty of distance from other people.
It’s nice to go somewhere different to make photos again and I’ve a big list of destinations for when the rules ease further from next week. It’s quite easy to get caught up in the act of taking pictures now the opportunity is back, so on today’s hike I made sure to take time to take things in through my senses without a viewfinder acting as a window to everything.
Countryside hiking Feeling fresh air on my skin It is wonderful
This is the signal box at Beighton Station, not far from where I live. Although it’s named Beighton Station, no station has been present since the 1950s when passenger services ceased. There have been recent rumblings about building a new terminal suitable for tram-train services however.
The signal-box is currently scheduled for demolition in 2021, much to the displeasure of locals who see it as a landmark, and there are campaigns looking to try and save it.
More photos of the signal box can be found in my blog posts here, here, here, and here.
In direct continuation from yesterday’s post, the four images today were made while crossing Renishaw golf course. The golf course borders the farmland where yesterday’s photographs were made, the two areas split by the River Rother, and a metal-framed footbridge spans it’s flow.
The golf course was, as you might expect, shrouded in the same fog as the farmland. As golf courses have been closed due to the lockdown, no-one was playing – although fog might not be the best conditions for golf anyway I suppose, pandemic or not – and the course was empty of all but the occasionl individuals and small groups out walking in the murk. If you look carefully, you might be able to see some of them in the trees at the other side of the fairway.
As I followed the footpath through the course I noticed these neat rows of fallen leaves, presumably raked by the groundskeeper.
My final shot beore leaving the golf course was this signpost.
More misty morning photographs. All made on the same day (and walk) as the black and white images I’ve posted over the past few days, but this time on a roll of expired Fuji Superia 100. I probably wouldn’t shoot colour film in these conditions as they can tend to feel bereft of colour, but it was all I had to hand after finishing the HP5+. Anyway, although there’s a muted quality to them, there’s still plenty of colour there – especially green.
While the blank grey of the foggy skies is somewhat bland, it’s also very atmospheric. It captures the stillness of these conditions. Quiet that is only broken by the occasional caw of a crow and your footsteps across the ground.
It’s quite easy to imagine that I was in the middle of the countryside, such is the adeptness of fog when it comes to removing distance and detail. In reality I was just a stone’s throw from Renishaw golf course and, beyond that, the town of Eckington. There are plenty of fields and signs of the countryside here, but in reality it’s just a few minutes from busy roads, supermarkets, and local industries. You could easily imagine being out on some lonely heath though.
On my walk up the Limb Valley last week, the first place I came across was Whirlowbrook Hall. A grand-looking manor house that was built back in 1906. Originally a family home, its grounds were opened to public access in 1951.
The building is now used as a venue for weddings, conferences, and other events.
Steel City Snapper photography 