It looked bigger than this when it was blown up by aliens in Independence Day…
Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D & Kodak Gold 200.
Taken on 31 May 2020
Tag: Nikkor 28-80 f/3.5 – 5.6 AF-D
Thorpe Salvin church early one morning
A photograph of the church at Thorpe Salvin which I made early one morning when out for a walk. This is a version scanned on my Plustek with Silverfast which I prefer to the lab scan done on a Noritsu on this occasion. My scan is a little noisier, but the colours and contrast are much punchier and not as warm as the lab scan.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Gold 200.
Taken on 31 May 2020
Walking in the Moss Valley again
I’ll post a few more shots from the roll of expired Lloyds Pharmacy 200 today. Probably the last ones I’ll post from this roll unless I stick up a few odds-and-ends at some point. Tomorrow will likely mark the return to black-and-white.
I’ve been writing more diary-type posts recently and I’m wondering if I should illustrate them differently, or delay their contents – they’ll probably work better if they contain photographs from the events depicted, rather than stuff I already have to hand. The downside being that the events documented in words will likely be dated by the time I post them as it’s rare that I’ll shoot, develop, and scan a roll on the same day I shoot it.
I got up early today (for a Saturday, at least) and drove out to the Moss Valley again for a walk. I’d mapped out my route the night before and the app on my phone optimistically suggested it would take an hour. I can only assume that the app doesn’t take hills into consideration when calculating walking speed. Or stopping to make photographs, for that matter.
It was the first time that I’ve taken this particular route, or part of it anyway – the latter half involved a section of footpaths that I’d walked last year, albeit from a different starting point. It started off simply enough with a pleasant stroll alongside The Moss, the small river after which the valley is named, and I stopped to make a few photos of the river.
Soon, however, it was time to leave the valley bottom and ascend to the highest part of the route – a climb of over three-hundred feet. While I wasn’t worried that my heart would explode or anything, I was properly sucking in air by the time I completed the initial, steepest part of the climb. Shortly afterwards I discovered that I’d gone off-route into some private woodland (although a sign informed me that walking was allowed – good job I’d left the bikes and horses at home!). A quick check of my map showed me that this path would still bring me close to where I’d intended, so I carried on rather than turn back.
After exiting the woods and then skirting some fields of growing crops, the path took me towards a route through a farm that would exit onto the road where I needed to be. Or so I thought. Upon reaching the farm a sign on a gate informed me that I shouldn’t proceed further as the farm was self-isolating. I wondered for a moment if I shouldjust chance it and hurry the short distance through the farm, but I decided that I’m not that sort of person and so, with a sigh, turned around and went back the way I’d come.
Checking the map again showed another path I could take – this one would add about a half-mile to my journey, but at least it would be unseen territory and, hey, I was intending to get some exercise anyway, so what the hell.
Twenty minutes later and I was back on track on the planned route with the additional bonus of (apart from one short, but steep stretch) it all being downhill back to the car now.
I shot my twelth frame as I got back to the bottom of the valley (I had an extra roll of film in the bag, but decided the one roll would do for today) and finished the short distance back to my car. It had been a pleasant, if tiring, walk and I felt good for taking it. I’ll hopefully develop the roll tomorrow (today’s developing was set aside for the roll of HP5+ I shot the previous time I walked in the Moss Valley last weekend).
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Lloyds Pharmacy 200 (expired 2008).
Taken on 21 April 2020
Freedom part deux
The insect screen that hangs over the back door catches the wind pretty easily, and so it did while I sat on the back garden one day back in April. I liked the way the fluttering tassles looked against the blue sky so decided to take a photo. Obviously, as soon as I got my camera in hand this meant the wind dropped and I had to stand in place for five minutes before they blew into the air again.
This shot isn’t perfect – it has a significant vignette for some reason, and very few sections of the tassles are in focus, but I like the summery feel it has.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Lloyds Pharmacy 200 (expired 2008).
Taken on 11 April 2020
Lone figure
I like the sense of scale in this photo. I’ve never really considered how tall these trees are before, but the figure in the distance gives some sense of their size. There is, to be fair, a little bit of perspective to take into play – the person in the shot is beyond the leftmost bit of the trees, but not by too far.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 22 January 2020
Dogwalker
Continuing my series of photos from the misty morning walk I took a couple of weeks ago, here’s someone walking their dog. Without the mist this would have been rubbish, I think, but as it stands the conditions plus the grainyness in this photo (and the ice filled potholes) work pretty well.
One thing I’m unsure about is the stuff in the upper-left of the image. At first I thought it was a mark on the film, but then I realised that it’s actually part of the cable-waterski equipment at the lake. I find it a little distracting and did consider cloning it out, but then I would have felt deceitful – I have a particular attitude to cloning stuff out of my photos. I’ll happily remove small distractions or fix flaws, but there comes a point where, even where could make a success of it, it feels like I’ve gone too far and have altered the reality of the scene too much. And so I decided that the cables would stay in the shot, even if they perhaps spoil it a little.
But hey, it game me something to talk about in today’s post. 🙂
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 22 January 2020
Floating leaf
I obviously thought that this leaf floating on the still water at the edge of the lake was worth photographing, but I’m very pleased with the resulting picture. At the time I though about using a polariser to remove reflections and increase the visibility of the lake-bed, but I’m so glad I didn’t. The reflected clouds are what make the photograph for me.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 22 January 2020
Still and misty waters
This is a photograph the lake at Rother Valley Country Park, not too far from where I live. It’s not generally a place I find condusive for taking photos because, while it’s good for walking, running, cycling etc., and there are a variety of watersports (as well as waterfowl) to enjoy, it’s location means that any sort of wide shot features the surrounding hills, most of which have either houses or industrial units upon them. While I’m sure there are plenty of great photos to be had, I’ve probably been spoilt by familiarity and don’t tend to find it very inspiring.
On misty days however, all that (literally!) fades away and the place takes on a wonderful serenity. The background distractions melt away into the haze leaving much more subtle sights.
Today’s photo is one of a pair I took at this spot. The first one shows just a ripple as the coot decided to dive beneath the surface just as I pressed the shutter. This one was taken shortry after it re-emerged.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 22 January 2020
Suburban sunrise
A couple of weeks back I awoke to a beautiful misty morning. Alas I was at work that day – plus I had to get the kids sorted for school – so I thought it would be another one of those occasions where I feel robbed of the opportunity to take advantage of the conditions. Thankfully however, the mist persisted past the time the kids left the house and left me a short window of opportunity to get out and make some photographs.
I managed to get to the local country park, which is just a short distance from home (you’ll see some of those pictures in the coming days, hopefully), and today’s picture is of some houses sat beneath the rising sun which I passed on my way.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 22 January 2020
Day 365 – Twelve favourite photos from 2019
My initial plan for today’s post was to publish 12 photos that were taken this year but which haven’t featured in the blog, but on second thoughts I’ve decided to take the more traditional route. There might still be some that never appeared here before though – I tend to upload more stuff to Flickr than gets featured here – so aren’t you the lucky ones. 🙂
Today also marks the 365th consecutive blog post of the year – a target I attempted once before but which fell through when other events in my life took precedence. Not every blog was written on the day it was posted – in situations where I’ve been away from home I’ve pre-written blogs and then scheduled them to automatically publish (or made them live from my phone). Because of the way I link my photos from Flickr, I’ve found it’s a complete PITA to try and write and publish from mobile devices.
Anyway… Before I get on to the pictures, I just want to take the time to thank all who’ve viewed, interacted or commented on my blog over the year and to wish everyone a happy new year.
So, the photos…
January – This tree sits on the moors just south of Sheffield and is just a few metres from the roadside. It’s distictive shape made for an easy composition. Sadly the tree has now suffered damage – the last time I passed all that remained was the trunk as the upper branches have been broken off. 😦
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 AF & Fomapan 400. Taken on 20 January 2019
February – Eyes in the back of his head? One of the tenets of street photography is to be prepared and ready to catch that decisive moment when it occurs. Sadly, this is rarely the case for me and I’ve missed loads of potentially nice shots due to fumbling with the camera. This was one of the times I didn’t.
Olympus 35 RC & JCH Streetpan 400. Taken on 15 February 2019
March – Portraiture is not something I have much of an interest in, particularly studio portraits (although I do enjoy looking at environmental portraits), so when an opportunity arose to photograph some models at the local camera club I wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy it or not. While I can’t say it ignited any desire to take more portraits, I was very pleased with my results, one of which is below. It isn’t prefect (the creased backdrop lets it down a little), but the way the Sigma 105mm lens and the Kodak P3200 rendered the images is lovely.
Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Kodak Tmax P3200. Taken on 19 March 2019
April – A gate on a public footpath through Edale in the northern Peak District National Park. I think this photo has a certain charm to it, there’s a sense of mystery as to where the path leads and what might be beyond the gate. This is from the penultimate roll of film through my Yashica Mat 124G last year. I shall have to rectify this situation and shoot with the camera again post haste!
Yashica Mat 124 G & Fomapan 100. Taken on 20 April 2019
May – During May I visited New York with my family. It’s the second time I’ve visited (and I’d love to return – although I think my wife would prefer somewhere else in the US if we get across the Atlantic again) – I could have spent all day, every day just walking the streets taking photos. It was a family trip though, so I grabbed whatever I could. This is just a view down 7th Avenue after a rain shower, but it screams New York to me.
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Ilford HP5+. Taken on 28 May 2019
June – A box of pre-owned pool balls on a stall at the Sheffield Steam Rally. I think I might have said at the time that colour would have been a more obvious choice here, but I love the contrast given by the HP5+.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 D & Ilford HP5+. Taken on 30 June 2019
July – The beach at Scarborough. My wife and I took a trip to the seaside and I shot a roll-and-a-half of film during the day. This is just a snap of the beach, the people enjoying themselves there, and some yachts in the sea beyond, but it has a nice “Martin Parr” feel to it that I like. It was also an opportunity to test the little Pentax Espio compact that I’d bought for £1 a fortnight before.
Pentax Espio 140M & Fuji Superia 100 (expired 2008). Taken on 13 July 2019
August – Taken at the Lincoln Steam Rally – the first time I’d attended this event, but it was huge and I hope to go again in 2020. I shot four rolls of film on the day, but this Ektar shot of a vintage truck is a favourite. The almost 70-year-old Zeiss Mess-Ikonta continues to impress with it’s superbly sharp lens.
Zeiss Mess-Ikonta 524/16 & Kodak Ektar. Taken on 17 August 2019
September – A day trip to my childhood seaside haunt: Mablethorpe. It’s a place I’m always drawn back to, even though I’m always slightly disappointed that it hasn’t remained frozen in time as I remember it from when I was a child. Another day where several rolls of film were shot (including three botched rolls through my Holga because I had it set to bulb mode!). I’ve many photos from the day that I like, but this is the one that always springs to mind when I think back.
Olympus 35 RC & Kodak Portra 400. Taken on 13 September 2019
October – I took a trip to Doncaster racecourse with my dad, and this is one of the photos from the day. The weather was awful, with heavy rain all day, but oftentimes bad weather makes for good photos.
Olympus OM-1, Zuiko 75-150mm f/4 & Ilford HP5+. Taken on 25 October 2019
November – This shot is potentially my favourite of the whole year. The simple but beautiful charms of the Holga coupled with a wonderfully foggy day made for some amazing photographic opportunities.
Holga 120N & Kodak Tmax 400. Taken on 30 November 2019
December – December is a little difficult as, as I type this, I have three rolls of film waiting to be processed still and there might be a showstopper on there (or possibly not), but this image that I took just before Christmas on a lunchtime walk is definitely worthy of the spot. It’s another Holga 120N image, but cropped to a 4×3 ratio (the bottom of the frame has a river in it, but it didn’t add a lot to the overall image and the landscape crop works much better. The way the Holga renders out-of-focus details is wonderful, and almost impressionistic in style.
Holga 120N & Kodak Tmax 400. Taken on 18 December 2019
So there you have it. Twelve favourite shots from 2019. As with any list like this it’s subjective, and if I were to do it again tomorrow several of the selections might change, but for now it will do.
One final word – I’ll proof read it later, so apologies in advance for any typos or grammatical goofs. 🙂
Steel City Snapper photography 