Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
I’m still slowly posting these pictures I made during the misty days we got just after Christmas last year.
The two shots today are of the Trans Pennine Trail not far from Renishaw. I’ve posted pictures from this part of the TPT in the past, including this post which shows the bridge in today’s photos from a different perspective.
More picture from this misty outing to come in the next few days.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 28 December 2024
I went for a long drive (for me, at least) today. I had the opportunity to buy an Epson V850 Pro scanner for a very good price and, rather than have it shipped, I agreed with the seller to meet up and collect in person. As he lives right down on the south coast, and I’m in Yorkshire, halfway up the country, we met at a service station in Oxfordshire, which was a little over 2 hours each way for me. I took the opportunity to listen to podcasts during the journey, and the time passed quickly as a result.
The scanner is now set up and will replace the Epson V700 I’ve used for the last few years. The V700 is still in full working order but, given the recent news that Epson may be cutting manufacture of it’s film scanners, I decided to future-proof myself with a more recent model.
I’ve already scanned a roll of 120 film this afternoon to put it through it’s paces and the results are good. One thing I’m not sure about are the film holders that come with the V850. These have anti-newton inserts to hold the film flat, which is a good thing, I thought. However, what it also means is that it’s quite easy for dust to get between the film and the inserts where it can’t be removed with an air blower, resulting in marks on the scan. I guess I could be extra cautious to remove any dust each time, but this is some extra faff I’d rather avoid (I don’t really have issues with dust when scanning with other methods). Luckily, the V700 film holders can also be used with the V850, so I think I will keep hold of those and use them instead (unless I get a particularly curly strip of negatives!).
Today’s picture was scanned on the V700 a couple of months back. A fencepost gradually being colonised by ivy. You can already see the hopeful feelers reaching out for the next piece of real estate.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 28 December 2024
The Moss flows (appropriately enough) through the Moss Valley, an area of farmland dotted with woodland. Despite it’s close proximity to suburbs of Sheffield, it feels very much like you are in the heart of the countryside when you explore the area, which is threaded with a host of footpaths and lanes.
The two pictures today were taken beside The Moss, the first shot required a little patience while I waited for a couple of dogs to finish their excited leaps into the river (the ripples in the water are evidence of their fun).
I’m not sure what lies across the narrow bridge in the second picture. It might be access to farmland on the opposite bank, but from looking at a map, there is also another pond on that side of the river a little further downstream, so it’s possible it’s access for anglers. Whichever, it looks a little overgrown.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 27 December 2024
The 27th December 2024 was another misty day, and so I loaded another roll of Tri-X and headed out to the Moss Valley, a location that I’ve shot in similar conditions on previous occasions. However, despite being a valley replete with a river and a series of ponds, the area was almost completely mist free when I arrived. Still, waste not, want not – I took a wander down the valley from where I parked my car in the pub car-park at Ford and shot all twelve frames. The selection in today’s post were taken around a couple of the aforementioned ponds.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 27 December 2024
The branches of the leafless tree, which stands on the bank of the main lake at Rother Valley Country Park, reminded me of something. At first I thought the curved, whip-like branches looked like tentacles, but then it struck me that it looks like some sort of vascular structure, like a brain with the tissue missing. Repetition in nature.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 26 December 2024
A further trio of pictures taken on a Boxing Day walk on the Trans Pennine Trail. I was fortunate to enjoy three misty days straight after Christmas, all on days when I wasn’t at work so could take advantage of them.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 26 December 2024
Jumping back to December for some more B&W Yashica Mat 124G images. I posted a couple of shots from this roll already (including a couple of pictures of woodland shelters), but the two shown today are of part of the bridge system that criss-crosses the Trans Penine Trail near Rother Valley Country Park.
It’s quite interesting to look at historic maps of the area and see the network of railway lines that served the coal mine that used to exist in the area. Wandering through the birch woodland that now covers a lot of the area, it’s quite easy to stumble over old track-beds and entire bridges surrounded by thick overgrowth.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 26 December 2024
One of the occasional pictures I post that I’ve used as an entry in the annual film photography competition I’ve taken part in for the past few years. The theme for this one was Games of Chance, and the shot was an emergency backup for another picture that didn’t work out as expected.
Something good that happened today…
I usually restrict the cats to downstairs when I’m working alone at home as they tend to make a nuisance of themselves. Today I decided to give them a chance.
They made nuisances of themselves.
Nonetheless it was nice to have them around. I might do it more often – maybe I’ll bring their beds upstairs so they can sleep in my office while I work.
Olympus OM-10 & Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8. Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°
Taken in November 2024
St. Peter’s church stands in Trusthorpe, a village that sits between Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea. The village just merges into the two other locations though with no countryside in between. Much of the land just behind the sea defences is now the home of a large caravan park, which can be seen in the bottom two pictures. If you look very closely at the second caravans photo, you can just see the tower of St. Peter’s poking up out of the treeline.
Something good that happened today…
I had a Jamaican salt fish patty for my lunch today. Never had one before and it was pretty nice.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 21 September 2024
There is a house behind that tree. You can just about make it out…
Something good that happened today…
I was told today that I’ve been successful in keeping my job, which is a huge relief.
The relief and gratitude is, however, considerably tempered by the fact that lots of my colleagues have not been so fortunate and will be leaving the team (and possibly the business) in the near future, which is horrible. I’ve been in that position myself, and it was awful. I expect that all of them will be able to find new jobs given the line of business we are in and their hands on experience, but it’s still not a happy situation for them to be put in through no fault of their own. They are all good people and I will really miss them.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken on 21 September 2024
Steel City Snapper photography 