Enough is Enough – Marching

November 27, 2022November 25, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

The people protesting the cost of living crisis for the Enough is Enough demonstration marched through the town centre. The march attracted a lot of attention and made quite a lot of noise but was a peaceful event.

Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford Delta 3200 (shot at 800asa and pulled in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 1 October 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Enough is Enough – Signs

November 26, 2022November 25, 2022 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

Signs, banners, and even messages on clothes were prominently displayed by many protestors during the Enough is Enough march. Here are a few examples…

Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford Delta 3200 (shot at 800asa and pulled in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 1 October 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Enough is Enough – Meeting

November 25, 2022November 25, 2022 fishyfisharcade3 Comments

On Saturday 1 October 2022 a number of demonstrations and marches were held in towns and cities across the UK in protest of the cost of living crisis engulfing the country. This was further driven by the disastrous “mini budget” that had been delivered by the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and her Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng which effectively benefited the wealthiest in society.

Such was the impact of this budget – causing grave consternation in financial markets, impacting the value of the Pound and pushing inflation into double-digits, as well as losing support amongst their own government, party, opposition parties, and the general public – that the Chancellor and Prime Minister were both forced to resign, making Liz Truss the shortest serving PM in UK history, lasting just seven weeks in the post.

I thought it would be good to document the local march, so headed into town with my Olympus OM-1N and XA3 cameras in tow. I’ll split the pictures over the next few days. This first set shows people meeting at the starting point for the march.

I loaded a roll of Delta 3200 into the OM-1N, but overexposed it a couple of stops by shooting it at 800asa and then pulled it in development (mostly because I didn’t have any HP5+ to hand, or I would have shot that at 800asa and pushed it a stop instead). I think the Delta looks quite good shot this way, and I’d probably do the same again if I don’t need the extra couple of stops of light.

Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 & Ilford Delta 3200 (shot at 800asa and pulled in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 1 October 2022

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Logs in the water

January 6, 2022 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

I took a bit of a risk getting these two shots. Although the footpath alongside Burbage Brook was only a few feet above the water at this location, in order to get in position to make the pictures I had to clamber over some wet rocks. My walking boots generally grip rocks just fine, especially the coarse gritstone that is prevalent in this area, but one boulder was deceptively slippery. It hid it’s treachery well, looking no different to it’s companions, but it was as though it had been greased.

Thankfully I was taking my time and using my extended tripod as a surrogate walking pole so I was able to keep my balance, but it could have been a different outcome had I been less cautious. A fall might have meant a soaked or broken camera, a possible twisted (or even broken) ankle or, right at the top of the scale, a full-on Laurel and Hardy-style pratfall into the water leading to who knows what injuries.

But I was fine. A bit of mud on my hands was about the extent of my discomfort. I am thankful.

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 50mm f/2.8 MC & Ilford Delta 3200. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9.5mins @ 20°

Taken on 23 December 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Can’t see the wood for the fog

January 1, 2022 fishyfisharcade5 Comments

A couple of days before Christmas I took myself out into the Peak District national park. The weather forecast showed fog, with rain expected later in the day, so I headed to Padley Gorge in the hope of getting some nice woodland scenes.

Padley Gorge looks great at pretty much any time of the year, being a steep sided valley filled with tumbles gritstone boulders, twisted and gnarled trees, and the peat stained waters of Burbage Brook cascading through the bottom on its way to Grindleford and it’s appointment with the River Derwent beyond. In the fog though, well those twisty trees take on a whole new level of character and the place feels like something out of a Tolkien story.

I shot a full roll of Ilford Delta 3200 film during the outing, as well as making a number of digital photos with my little Ricoh GRIII compact (the image stabilisation on this little camera is excellent, and I am able to drop the shutter speed down to 1/8 second handheld and still get sharp images, making it an excellent companion to other cameras). I decided to shoot the Delta a stop over at 1600asa and to then develop it at box speed. It’s a grainy film, but I thought that it might suit the murky conditions that presented themselves on the day.

I’ll be sharing a number of these shots over the coming days, and here to start us off are a couple of eerie looking large trees that stand at the head of the gorge.