Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
A couple of photos made on Woodhouse Washlands, both showing a fenced off conservation area. I once became trapped as night fell at this location when a herd of cows blocked my escape!
Out on the washlands
And what is that shape I see
A distant pylon
Olympus OM-2N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 + orange filter & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 25 March 2021
Two photos of the same scene today. The first was made while I ummed-and-ahhed about whether to use a wider lens, only for the train to appear, so that clearly needed to be photographed while the opportunity was there. The second picture was made a minute later with the 50mm switched for the 28mm. I like both shots a lot, but the one with the train pips it, I think.
Distant viaduct
Brick-built arches framed by a
Willow in the field
Olympus OM-2N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 | G-Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f/3.5 + orange filter & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 25 March 2021
Today’s post contains another of those photos that I am drawn to, but which other people probably think is rubbish.
So, if have to try and say what I like about it, it’ll probably be down to several factors: The contrast that the orange filter has given to the scene, particulalrly the clouds. The lead-in line of the fence, plus the tree framing the edge of the shot. The gate. The distant viaduct and pylon. And finally the car, which adds a hint of mystery.
If I have a complaint, it’s that I wish the top of the pylon hadn’t intersected with the bridge. I’m sure I framed it otherwise, but maybe I wobbled upon pressing the shutter.
Anyway, I like it.
Everyday scene
But something is attractive
And catches my eye
Olympus OM-2N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f/3.5 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 25 March 2021
I detailed the events on the day the signal box at Beighton Station was demolished in this post here: The end of an era. At that point I’d not developed the roll of film that I shot when recording the event. So, today, here are the pictures from the weekend of the demolition, plus a photo made a week or so later showing how it now looks.
Olympus OM-2N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f/3.5 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 20 / 21 & 25 March 2021
A somewhat random photo today – a pack of Pepsi Max (the ginger-flavour variety, if you’re interested). The way the sunlight was lighting it in a chiaroscuro glow through the glass of the back door caught my eye and I decided it was worth a photo. The way the bottles are shrouded in the plastic wrapping appeals – it reminds me of cobwebs a little, but there were no spiders present. 🙂
Bottles of Pepsi
Enveloped in plastic skin
I don’t like ginger
Olympus OM-2N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 3 March 2021
There are two lines of pylons not too far from where I live. Both originate at a sub-station at Canklow and follow the same path for a few miles before branching apart at Swallownest. The eastern lines head past Rother Valley Country Park and then pace the Trans Pennine Trail south towards Chesterfield. The western lines head up towards Drakehouse and Owlthorpe, then across the golf course at Birley before heading out over the Moss Valley to terminate at Norton near the water tower.
Today’s photos show this second set of lines as they cross the Rother valley through the mist.
From out of the mist
Cables of steel cross the land
Headed for Norton
Olympus OM-2N, E.Zuiko Auto-T 135mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 3 March 2021
I walked past the trig point again a few weeks ago. It’s still surrounded by small stone tributes as it was last time I walked by almost a year ago. The weather was murky and misty on this occasion, contrasting with the bright sunshine seen in the earlier photos.
Today marked further relaxation of England’s lockdown rules. The main changes are that up to six people can now meet outdoors (including in private gardens), and also that organised outdoor sport is now permitted, including such things as tennis courts, golf courses, and outdoor swimming pools. I have little interest in any of those sporty things, but have taken the fact that people are allowed to drive to visit golf courses and the like as a good enough reason to venture a little further afield for my photography. I walk for miles usually, so that’ll count as sport to me. 🙂
So, this morning, after seeing one of the boys off to school I got my stuff together and headed out to the nearest bit of the Peak District. There were just a handful of other vehicles in the car park when I arrived, and I set off for a looping walk up to Over Owler Tor, then back down through Bolehills, before finally skirting the top edge of the woodland in Padley Gorge before returning to the car via Owler Tor (which, confusingly, is not the same place as Over Owler Tor).
When I got back to the car park it was absolutely rammed with cars. It would seem that the new found freedoms bestowed upon us were being taken advantage of. I was somewhat surprised considering that it was a work day, but maybe other people had the same idea as myself and took a day off.
It was a nice feeling to go somewhere different, and I’m looking forward to further outings (especially from 12 April, when we’re allowed further right to travel – as long as the infection rate doesn’t start to rise anyway).
I’ll post the photos from today when I get them developed. As usual there will be my usual time-lag in this regard, so maybe next week sometime. 🙂
Freedom at long last
Well, partial freedom at least
Better than nothing
Olympus OM-2N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f/3.5 | Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 3 March 2021
Today’s photo is of a stretch of the bypass about a couple of miles from where I live. Although I tend to refer to it as the bypass, it also has a colloquial name of “The Mad Mile”, probably because the stretch featured here is around a mile in length between to two roundabouts at either end and also, I expect, because some drivers feel the need to use it like it’s a racetrack. It used to have two lanes running in each direction without a central reservation, but was altered a few years ago to remove the extra lanes (except where it widens near the roundabouts) and add the chevron area in the middle. I believe, if my knowledge is correct, that the area should only be entered if necessary and it is safe to do so, but I often see drivers using it to overtake a whole section of cars.
The photo was made from the same bridge as the picturein yesterday’s post.
Traffic frustration
Leads drivers to foolish acts
A law to themselves
Olympus OM-2N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 3 March 2021
These metallic cones are embedded in a footbridge across the bypass. I presume their intent is to prevent the foolhardy from climbing atop the bridge sides where from they might fall onto the road. I thought they made for a potentially interesting photo, whatever the case.
I’ve spent several hours today fitting a pull-up bar on the wall of the house for one of my sons. What I had expected would take an hour or so ended up taking the lion’s share of the day. I was stood on a ladder for so long I might as well have been standing on the spikes in the photo, such is the ache in my feet!
Fit a pull up bar
Not as simple as first thought
When inept like me
Olympus OM-2N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 3 March 2021
The first day of my long weekend and I feel I’ve achieved little. Well little of what I wanted to do anyway. Instead I’ve been caught up in things I had to do, which are usually not the same.
I had to take our cat to the vets for his annual booster vaccination but there was a delay and I ended up waiting 25 minutes past the appointment time. Due to Covid you have to phone the surgery upon arrival and then wait in your car until it’s time for the vet to see you, whereupon they come out, take your animal from you, and whisk it into the surgery for treatment. I had plenty of time for a good conversation with our cat, who was quite vocal in the car. I suspect he was just moaning about the delay though.
Once I got home, I had to then drive out to pick up some groceries with my wife. Once a month or so we go to a discount supermarket open to employees of certain organaisations such as the police, NHS, some supermarkets and others. Normally this is a relatively quick run up the motorway but today I had to make a detour into town to pick up some anchor bolts from the nearest branch of Screwfix that had them in stock. This added some time onto the journey, and then further time was needed to get some lunch – a drive-thru Burger King saw to this. Arriving at the supermarket we were greeted by a very long queue. There’s normally a bit of a queue to get in, but this time it was much bigger than usual. Again more time was sliced from my day.
When we got home I had to start looking at the pull-up bar that my son has bought as part of his exercise regime. Well, we’ve bought it for him is more accurate. There’s nowhere suitable to fit it indoors, so it’ll need to go on an outside wall instead, which is why I needsed the anchor bolts. I’d hoped to get it fitted today but by the time I’d put the piece of equipment together it was time to eat and I didn’t fancy having to start drilling the wall after that, so the chore has now rolled over to tomorrow.
Sigh…
I really hate chores
They get in the way of things
That make me happy
Olympus OM-2N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 3 March 2021
