Passing the signal box again

April 23, 2020April 24, 2020 fishyfisharcade11 Comments

When your movements are limited, as they are during the coronavirus lock-down, you find yourself passing the same places more often than you usually would.

While there are undoubtedly plenty of alternative routes I can take while out exercising, even giving the restricted radius I can stay within on foot, I’ve found myself passing the signal box and level crossing at Beighton Station a number of times in the past week or two. It was only a little over a month ago that I last posted a photograph of the same location in fact.

Perhaps this weekend, when I’ll hopefully have a little more time to spare, I might allow myself a longer walk and venture someplace different for a change.

Today marked the first time that I’ve loaded a roll of 120 film into my developing tank. Mt previous experience consists only of the tow 35mm rolls I’ve loaded and developed (and a few tests with a sacrificial 35mm roll). While both of those produced successful outcomes (today’s photos amongst them), loading the film onto the spirals was not straightforward, with both rolls requiring several attempts in the changing bag.

With that in mind, I was expecting the roll of 120 HP5+ to be a bit of a headache given its broader width and potential to flex more, but I needn’t have worried. It loaded easily and the whole task took me about 5 minutes from putting my hands in the bag. Of course I’ve yet to develop the film, so I maybe shouldn’t count my chickens just yet, but all being well, I’m pretty happy with how it went.

I’ve also changed the blog theme today. I think the new one has slightly larger images as standard, which is good. I’ll see how it goes though, and I might change it back if I decide I’m not keen.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 12 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #4

April 22, 2020April 24, 2020 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

One of the things I’ve heard mentioned on more than one occasion since this whole thing started – and particularly since the lock-down began – is that this feels like something from an apocalyptic movie.

In many regards though, things are much the same as normal – especially for someone like myself, who worked from home before this started anyway – the spring weather is nice, the air is clear and, if you venture outside, every day feels like you’ve gotten up early before anyone else is out and about, such is the reduction in traffic and pedestrains. It’s quite pleasant really.

And then you see the signs.

Affixed to cemetery gates, and on the noticeboard at the local park.

“STAY AT HOME” they proclaim. Adherence is a requirement to “protect the NHS and save lives”.

And the seriousness of the situation is re-cemented in the forefront of your mind.

Stay safe and keep well everyone.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 11 & 12 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Standard

April 21, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I’ve taken a LOT more images around the house since the lock-down began. Some work, some don’t – and I’ve got a whole bunch of colour shots that haven’t even been sent for developing yet, so who knows how those will turn out? Hopefully not too far from how I envisaged them through the viewfinder but, again, who knows? I’ll just have to wait and see.

Today’s photo of the standard lamp is one of three I made one evening a couple of weeks back when the urge came upon me. The effects of the lamps in the living room on various ornaments and parts of the room appealed. Sadly, the Sure Shot that was loaded with film at the time perhaps wasn’t the right tool for the job – even mounted on a tripod and using the self-timer, it struggled to make focus on two of the images. I’ve included both of those here too – they’re out-of-focus but hopefully you can see my intent (plus, despite the focus being out, I do kinda like the shot of the aerial socket and the cable shadows).

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 4 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Abandoned bridge

April 20, 2020April 20, 2020 fishyfisharcade10 Comments

The area close to where I live was once occupied by coal mining. The local colliery – Brookhouse Colliery – closed for good in 1985. While the colliery land has been re-purposed in the intervening years – much of it as a country park with large lakes where opencast workings once were – there is still plentiful evidence for it’s industrial past.

In the area around the Trans-Pennine trail there is a network of railway lines, one still active for passenger and goods use, but the others now disused with the tracks and the other equipment removed. Their presence can be felt in the various cuttings and bridges that still remain though.

Today’s images are of one of the surviving bridges – this one crossing the River Rother. Once, while exploring the surrounding area, I found myself atop this bridge and walked its length – a process that became significantly hastier when I noticed holes in the metal beneath my feet! I’ve not been atop the bridge since then, but there is a footpath that runs beneath it beside the river, which is where these were taken.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 4 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #3

April 19, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

The majority of the hospitality industry in the UK has now closed. After a period where the government advised people to avoid socialising in groups and that they shouldn’t go to pubs -something that caused dismay to the owners and operators of the establishments as, apparently, without a formal government order for them to cease business, they were inelligible to make claims against their insurance policies that would pay out necause they were unable to trade because of the situation – the government formally ordered their closure.

A number of pubs in my local area (although I suspect it to be a widespread thing across the nation) placed messages of support to NHS and other key-workers on their notice-boards when the closed. Today’s photo depicts one of these messages.

During the lock-down, with significantly less opportunity to go out, I’ve started to make progress on enjoying the large (and continually growing) stack of photo books that I’ve bought. Today I chose one of the books further down the pile that must have been there for a significant amount of time now: Portraits of America, by William Albert Allard. The book contains images from his National Geographic work in the US. I’ve only looked at the first set of images so far: a series on the Amish shot back in the 1960s, but the photographs are beautiful and I’m looking forward to enjoying the rest of the book.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 28 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #2

April 18, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

The local park is quite small and is essentially an open space in the middle of the housing estate where we live. Nonetheless it still contains a 5-a-side football / basketball court and sets of swings, climbing frames and a slide for children to play on. In normal times, the park would be populated by children of various ages, from older kids hanging out and playing football, right down to toddlers having fun on the infant swings or climbing on the frames while their parents watch them from one of the benches – something I used to do regularly when my boys were younger.

It’s a different story at present, and the park is largely deserted apart from the occasional person walking their dog, taking some exercise, or just passing through on their way to somewhere else.

The swings have been tied up and, on the day I took these photos, the equipment had been cordoned off with hazard tape (although someone has since removed it). No-one plays there at present.

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 29 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Pandemic scenes #1

April 17, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

I took this photograph not long after the start of the UK’s lock-down. People can be seen observing social distancing while queueing to enter the superstore to buy groceries and other essentials. The store was operating a “twenty at a time” rule when this photograph was taken, but this changed the following day so that is was limited to twenty individuals instead of groups (couples etc.). The system worked efficiently and the waiting times were quite short.

Apart from items like pasta, hand-sanitiser, paracetamol and other previously panic-bought items, the store was well stocked with most goods.

As the lockdown has continued, and panic-buying has (thankfully) subsided, most stores are largely back to normal in terms of the stock they are carrying. The social distancing rules are well implemented and most customers now understand how they work. In some ways, and despite the fact you have to queue to enter the store (admittedly something I’ve not had to do in bad weather yet), the lower numbers of people in the shops makes for a nicer experience

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400 – Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins

Taken on 28 March 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Maybe I should lose some weight?

March 13, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

It’s selfie time! I seem to have lost that hourglass figure somewhere along the line. 😀

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 27 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Three views of Chesterfield town hall

March 12, 2020 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

Chesterfield town hall is quite an impressive looking building. It sits atop a hill overlooking a small piece of parkland that has been landscaped to provide a good view of the structure’s front facade.

It’s built in a classical style, and was erected in the1930s. It’s very different in style to the town hall building of nearby Sheffield, and a number of other towns and cities through the neigbouring county of South Yorkshire.

The central section of the stucture is formed from a series of columns suporting a triangular roof. I’m not especially knowlegeable about classical architecture, so can’t say exactly what style it’s in, but it’s impressive nonetheless. Caught in good light, the structure casts wonderful, contrasty shadows around the arched entranceways.

Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 27 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Through sunlit trees

March 11, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

Today’s picture is another photograph making use of glorious low sunlight. I like the way that the building – Chesterfield Town Hall – is obscured behind the trees. It gives it a bit of an air of mystery, I think.

In other news, it seems that both #FP4Party and Expired Film Day have crept around again, so I best get myself sorted for those – although, in the case of the former, I already have, and scanned some Holga-shot FP4+ negatives today.

For the latter, I have three rolls of expired film defrosting – one relatively fresh roll of Ektachrome 100 that’s dated 2008, a roll of Kodacolor Gold 200 from 1989, and oldest of all, some TriFCA from 1975 (which I’m not even sure the local lab will process – I shall ask them before I shoot it!). Shooting days are this weekend (13-15 March).