A rainy Saturday morning

February 18, 2020April 2, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Although I have a lot of photos in my archive that have never been featured in the blog, and which I can easily delve into if I need to, I always feel slightly unsettled if I don’t have a supply of fresh images to use. There have been time where I’ve had several rolls all lined up to be scanned and chosen from, but at present I feel I’m running a little hand-to-mouth where new images are concerned.

Partly as a result of these feelings, despite the fact it was wet, windy, stormy weather at the weekend, I took a trip up town on Saturday morning to finish off the roll of HP5+ I’d started the day before when I made my competition entries.

I don’t mind wet weather – it’s far preferable to dry but flat overcast days as a rainy day throws up all manner of interesting possibilities (albeit with the side-effect of you having to try and keep your camera dry) – but as it was also windy it meant that, even getting the camera out of the bag for short periods would invariably involve a constant battle to keep (and wipe) water droplets from both the camera and lens. As a result of this several of the shots from the roll are not my best – there are a number of misses where I rushed things, and a couple of almost completely blank frames which I think might be from putting the camera in the bag without turning it off and then accidentally firing the shutter.

Nevertheless, I still have enough shots that I like to keep the blog going until I get the next processed roll back.

Today’s pair of images are taken a stone’s throw from one another (the same building can be seen in each) in Sheffield’s Kelham Island area, a former run-down industrial quarter that is now under the process of upmarket gentrification, and which I’ve photographed on several occasions.

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 15 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Photos for a competition

February 17, 2020February 18, 2020 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

I’ve mentioned the monthly film photography competition I take part in before, if only briefly, and today’s post contains some shots I’ve taken for this months theme: “Mostly black“.

I think I’m going for the first one as my entry. Although it could maybe have used a touch of exposure compenstion, and it’s more white than black, I like it best and it still fits the theme perfectly.

I could also maybe have done with ducking down when taking the shots as each marble in the second and third shot features a vague selfie.

Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM Macro & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 14 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Face to face

February 15, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

I think, when I took this picture, I’d intended for there to be some seperation between the two figures. However, as I was using the waist-level finder on the camera when I took this (hey, it’s still a novelty, ok? 🙂 ) I didn’t quite manage it. Nonetheless I quite like the way that it looks like their faces are touching in the shot. The light was gorgeous too – gotta make the most of a sunny day in the wintertime!

Canon Sure Shot Ace & Ilford Delta 400.

Taken on 8 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Sunlight in the underpass

February 14, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I’m pretty happy with the way this photo turned out. I noticed the shaft of sunlight in the underpass and decided to wait for a figure to pass through it. I used the Sure Shot Ace’s waist-level finder so I’m very pleased that I managed to time it so the figures are illuminated by the sunshine, but their heads are in shade and framed against the sunlit wall at the far end.

Canon Sure Shot Ace & Ilford Delta 400.

Taken on 8 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Shadow ads

February 13, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Eek! I almost forgot to post something today – for some reason I thought I’d uploaded something earlier. I’m clearly losing it! Still, I caught it in the nick of time.

Here’s a photo I took because I liked the way the sun cast shadows of the writing on the windows all across the furniture in the store.

Canon Sure Shot Ace & Ilford Delta 400.

Taken on 8 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Stained window ledge

February 12, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

This is a photo I’d forgotten I’d taken until I scanned the negatives. I think it was the sunlit buildings reflected in the glass that attracted me and I completely missed the stain on the ledge at the time. I’m not sure why, but I don’t think the photo would work half as well without the stain.

Canon Sure Shot Ace & Ilford Delta 400.

Taken on 8 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Top and bottom

February 11, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

Another couple of photographs from the Sure Shot Ace – the top and bottom of a block of flats close to the city centre.

I started scanning this roll yesterday and, after a couple of strips, I was a little disappointed – a lot of the images looked distinctly soft. While the camera is otherwise basic, the remote trigger and – especially – the waist-level finder are useful and unusual features for a camera of this type, so for it to have a poor lens would be a disappointment.

However, to my pleasure, after scanning another couple of strips the results from those frames are much sharper. I’m thinking that the earlier results were down to user error or my overloading the AF system by shooting into the light (the camera flares badly if this is done, at least from the few shots I took in this way).

I don’t think it’s quite as sharp as the other Sure Shot models I’ve used, but it’s not bad and I will certainly be using it again.

Canon Sure Shot Ace & Ilford Delta 400.

Taken on 8 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Coming around the corner

February 10, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

A street shot from the first roll I’ve put through the Canon Sure Shot Ace that I picked up recently. It’s a curious camera – a very basic point and shoot, but with the addition of a waist-level finder AND a detachable shutter remote. I may do a review at some point when I’ve figured it out a bit.

Canon Sure Shot Ace & Ilford Delta 400.

Taken on 8 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Empties

February 9, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

While I rarely witness it, a regular sight on Sunday mornings in the town centre is the detritus of the previous evening. Sometimes, if you’re in town early, this will sometimes include the people who didn’t manage to find their way home again, usually as a result of too much of a good time. While sometimes these people would make for great photos – such as the person I once saw slumped in a doorway fast asleep and wearing a suit, with a half-eaten (and long-cold kebab) still in his grasp – I don’t tend to take pictures of those scenes. I have a rule to try to not take “unkind” photos and I think images like this – as with photographing homeless people – would fall into that bracket. I’m not a photojournalist, and I don’t think I could really dress my pastime up as “social commentary”.

However, that doesn’t mean the things that late night revellers left behind can’t make for a shot or two, such as today’s collection of bottles.

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 2 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

February 8, 2020February 8, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Painted on the wall of Fagan’s pub on Broad Lane in Sheffield, this lovely piece of art – named “The Snog” – hopefully cheers up commuters heading out of town at the end of the day.

Quite often there are cars parked in the space in front of the wall which block the view, but as there were none there on this day, I made a photo.

It was painted by local artist Pete McKee and if you click this link, you can find out more about it and even see a video of its creation.

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 2 February 2020