Tag: landscape

35mm · Film photography · Photography

There and back again

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A couple of photos for today’s post, so chosen because they present a pair of images depicting the same location.

They both show the same country lane featured in my image posted yesterday, but about half-a-mile or so further along it’s length. At this point, the track decends into a gentle limestone valley and the route takes on a meander. The viewpoint from both sides of the small valley were very nice, although the light had broken through a little by the time I took the second image on the way up the other side, so that one has a lighter feel.

I’m not sure if the electricity pole detracts from the scene. It probably does if it was a traditional, nostalgic rural scene I was going for, but these poles and other pieces of infrastructure are a part of the landscape these days and, while maybe not as picturesque, no less man-made than the drystone walls that criss-cross the land.

What do you think? Do these sort of objects spoil or enhance a scene?

FILM - Westbound

FILM - Eastbound

Minolta Hi-Matic G2 & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 8 August 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

A lane under a tree

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A shot from a walk in the countryside near Eyam on Thursday morning. The trip was ostensibly for a recce of a location (as seen in this shot) and I took a bunch of photos on digital with the plan being, if they look ok, to come back in the autumn for an early morning picture with some colour on the tree.

I also had the Minolta Hi-Matic G2 with me as I’ve been running a roll of HP5+ through it to check it’s all ok prior to selling it on. It’s a nice little camera, but this is only the second time I’ve used it since I got it nearly three years ago, and it doesn’t really do anything that my Olympus Trip 35 doesn’t. The action on the advance lever is sweeeet though!.

I’m not sure if the battery in the camera is running low or if it’s the wrong voltage, but most of the shots came back a little underexposed. This, however, has resulted in some wonderfully gritty and atmospheric results that I’m really taken with. You will probably be seeing more of them over the coming days. 🙂

FILM - Lane beneath a tree

Minolta Hi-Matic G2 & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 8 August 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

High Bradfield church

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A bit of a dip into the archives for today’s picture, which was taken two and a half years ago. This is a re-scan of the negative and it’s been cropped a little ro remove an overly large amount of featureless sky. I’ve posted a few other shots from this same roll in the past, including this one, which was taken a little further down the hill.

The light on the day it was taken was very flat. There was a hint of mist, but it was more of a haze, and didn’t manage to convey much in the way of atmosphere unfortunately.

This was the first time I ever shot HP5+ in 135 format and, to be honest, I was really disappointed. The shot here isn’t too bad, but many of them were just a bit dull and lacking in contrast. Keeping on the honest theme, I now realise that it was more a combination of the conditions and my photography that led to the unhappiness with the results. HP5+ has since cemented itself as my go-to black and white film, and I love the stuff.

FILM - High Bradfield church

Olympus 35 RC & JCH Street Pan.

Taken on 13 January 2017

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

A path through the barley

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When thinking of a title for the picture shown today, I was forced to find the answer to that age-old question that has puzzled our species for so long: Is it wheat, or is it barley?

Turns out it’s barley. The main visual differentiator, so I’ve learned today, is that barley has a long beard (the bristles that protect the kernels). So there you have it.

Anyway, here’s a photo of some wheat barley.

FILM - A path through the barley

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 20 July 2019

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Returning to old paths

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Back in January 2018 I took this photo. I liked the location, and the area it was taken (the Moss Valley to the southeast of Sheffield) is a very pleasant agricultural area criss-crossed with footpaths and narrow lanes, and dotted with pockets of woodland. Although I’ve re-visited the Moss Valley a few times since then – albeit not as often as I’d have liked – I’ve not returned to the place where the linked photograph was taken until this weekend just gone.

Today’s photograph was taken on the same footpath as that shot, although just a little further down the hill. The main difference between the pictures is the height of the crops in the field through which the footpath cuts. In the previous shot the field shows nothing but early signs of growth, while in the recent shot, the crop (I believe that it’s Oilseed Rape) is almost ready for harvest. Had I ventured here a couple of months ago it would have been in full bloom and presented itself as a sea of vibrant yellow. Maybe I’ll return for that next year.

FILM - We've been here before

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 20 July 2019

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Testing out the Bronica

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As a treat for my birthday this year, I decided to get myself a Bronica ETRSi. I’d been thinking about a different aspect-ratio medium format camera for some time (and almost bought one a few months back), so my birthday seemed a good time to take the plunge. The camera I got is in nice condition and came with the 75mm Zenzanon f/2.8 lens, the speed-grip, and the AEII prism finder. The camera is very heavy in comparison with any others I own and, especially when the lens hood is fitted, looks like I’m carrying a movie camera around with me!

The camera came fitted with the standard, plain ground-glass focussing screen. While this is in pristine condition, I found that it was very difficult to finesse my focusing – especially when using wider apertures at closer distances. However, I managed to find a split-prism finder that someone had advertised as faulty and scratched, so I took the plunge and took a chance on it. The new focusing screen works fine and, while it’s certainly seen some action and gained a number of battle scars in its time, it’s still nice and bright and the focussing is much, much easier with the split prism.

I took a few family shots last week and decided to finsh off my test roll this lunchtime so headed out to the nearby village of Ridgeway for a short walk and to shoot the remaining six frames.  While the camera is very weighty, the speed-grip makes it pretty comfortable to handle in both landscape and portrait orientations, and I had no problems controlling it.

I dropped the film off on my way back to work and was very fortunate when the lab were able to process it before they closed this afternoon, so a big thanks and shout-out to the great people at Peak Imaging.

Here are three of the shots that I’ve scanned and uploaded.

FILM - Little landscapes

FILM - Church gate

FILM - Resting places

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE & Kodak Tri-X (expired).

Taken on 4 July 2019

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Hollins

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This somewhat dillapidated farm building is marked on the map as “Hollins”. Although the sun was already rising quite high in the sky by the time I took this, there was still plenty of side-light and contrast and it’s probably my favourite shot from this roll. It’s been cropped to remove a section of largely featureless sky.

FILM - Hollins

Yashica Mat 124 G & Fomapan 100.

Taken on 26 April 2019