Faking it

May 21, 2020 fishyfisharcade4 Comments

I made photos of a bunch of things in the house during lockdown. Some that looked appealing in the viewfinder resulted in disappointing photographs. Some, however, turned out pretty well.

The three photos today are of a small vase containing some artificial flowers (I don’t know if they’re supposed to represent an actual species of plant or if they’re just some kind of made up blooms – I know little about plants). Framing them against the out-of-focus yellow wallpaper has created a nice colour contrast.

Considering the fact that flowers are not something I readily turn to as a subject for photographs, I’m very happy with these – artificial or not.

Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Lloyds Pharmacy 200 (expired 2008).

Taken on 11 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Kinda drifting into the abstract

May 19, 2020 fishyfisharcade3 Comments

Another photograph shot over the Easter weekend, something a little abstract. We have an insect screen that we fit over the back door when we leave it open. The last one, which had plastic beads on threads, became tangled and had to be thrown away, but the new one is made of plastic ribbons. The slightest of breezes sends it fluttering about (usually resulting in a large gap that allows insects past!), and I liked the look of it as it blew about just beyond the frosted glass of the back door.

I’m quite happy with the colours I’ve gotten from this roll of expired film. A few outdoors shots are showing marked grain in shadow areas, but most have come out fine, including this one. I believe the film is re-branded Ferrania Solaris.

Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Lloyds Pharmacy 200 (expired 2008).

Taken on 11 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Farewell 6×9

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

My brief foray into ownership of a 6×9 camera came to an end today with the camera being posted back to the seller for a refund. Will I dip my toes back into the world of large medium format negatives again? At this point I don’t know – while the seller has been very good about my returning the camera, the experience has made me a little more cautious about buying another folding camera online for the time being. I’ll perhaps stick to what I have (for a while, at least).

Some more photos from my Easter back garden session today.

Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Kodak Gold 200.

Taken on 11 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Further afield

May 17, 2020 fishyfisharcade6 Comments

Today was the first time in almost two months that I’ve driven out to do some photography. The lockdown rules here in the UK now allow travel for exercise or other lesisure activities (but with social distancing enforced – you can only go alone or with members of your household, and you still need to remain 2 metres apart from other people you encounter wherever possible).

Despite so many places now being potential destinations, the location I chose is only a few miles from home. If I didn’t mind a long hike, it’s actually within walking distance in fact. Nonetheless, being able to drive there and then enjoy a walk was a definite pleasure.

I set off quite early, and parked the car at eight am, and the entire walk took me around two hours. During this time I encountered one other walker, two dog walkers, one jogger, and a couple of farmers shooting pigeons. Social distancing was easily maintained, and there were far fewer people around than if I’d visited the footpaths closer to home.

I also saw a deer, which was nice.

I took a couple of cameras with me. Firstly, the recently acquired Zeiss 6×9 folder that I shot the other day but which I believed to be faulty. I wanted to shoot another roll to confirm that this was the case before requesting a refund. Secondly, my Yashica Mat, which has just come back from being serviced, and so I wanted to give it an outing.

I’ve not developed the Yashica pictures yet, but I’m hopeful that there will be some nice photographs amongst them. The roll from the Zeiss was developed when I got home and scanned a short while ago. I didn’t have any great expectations from the photos as I didn’t spend too much time composing them, expecting them to show the same issues as before. The scans confirmed my fears, with the pictures afflicted by the same out-of-focus problems on the left of the frames. I’ll perhaps post one or two of them if I upload them though.

It’s disappointing, as I’ve been thinking of picking up a 6×9 folding camera for some time and, given the superb quality of images from my 6×6 Zeiss folding camera, I had similar expectations. Sadly, it’s not to be this time.

I’m looking forward to seeing my Yashica Mat photos though!

Todays’s photos are another trio from my Easter weekend in the back garden. A couple of shots of a snail shell I found perched in some heather, and one of a bag of leaves I’d swept up earlier in the day. This latter photo is one that I fully expect most people to dislike – it is, after all, just a bag of rubbish – but there’s something about it that caused me to make the photo in the first place – I think it’s probably the warm colours of the dead leaves framed by the black plastic of the bag. I dunno though, I like it whatever it is. 🙂

Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Kodak Gold 200.

Taken on 11 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Freedom?

May 16, 2020 fishyfisharcade5 Comments

This is the first weekend in England under the slightly relaxed lockdown rules, which allow people to travel for exercise or leisure. The weather is forecast to be good in many parts of the country.

This has resulted in calls from the national parks, seaside resorts, and other areas likely to attract visitors, that people should stay away. Many locations have not opened their carparks and other facilities to try to prevent visitors from coming. Despite this, there have been reports of full carparks and large numbers of people turning up at these locations. I expect we’ll be able to look forward to another full lockdown in due course…

Today’s photographs were made in the back garden during the Easter weekend a month ago. I was reading William Eggleston’s Guide in the sunshine and it inspired me to make pictures myself. I ended up shooting nearly a full roll of film during the afternoon, so you’ll see some more ot those in the comimg days. Some of them worked out pretty nicely, some not so much, but I’m pretty happy with the Kodak Gold. It’s the first time I’ve shot a roll of this, believe it or not, and I like how it looks.

Nikon F80, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS HSM & Kodak Gold 200.

Taken on 11 April 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Empty skies

March 25, 2020 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

As air travel has been reduced by a huge amount in the current pandemic situation, it means the skies are almost devoid of aircraft where I live. I’ve seen a couple, but today’s clear blue skies have been exactly that – clear and blue – with nary a cloud nor a contrail to be seen. With that in mind, today’s picture is a reminder of what they look like. 🙂

Today marks the second full day of lock-down (although it’s not being officially called that by the government) here in the UK. As we’re still allowed to leave the house for exercise (only once a day, by yourself or with people from your immediate household), I managed to get out for a walk again at lunchtime. I’m treating these very much as walks first and foremost as the exercise is beneficial, but as I always carry a camera when I go out, I will still take photos while out if the opportunity arises and it doesn’t mean putting myself or anyone else at risk of unnecessary contact.

My walk today took me through an industrial estate where a number of businesses are still operating and, as it was lunchtime and the weather was nice, there were people eating their food outside at one place, albeit sat a good three or four metres apart. I’ve taken to crossing the street if I see someone approaching, and it’s noticeable just how much people are fearful of getting too close to one another. We had a delivery to the house yesterday and the driver, after seeing me coming to the door, retreated to the bottom of the drive before I opened it.

Sadly, although understandably, my local film-processing lab announced today that it will be closing it’s doors and stopping production for the time-being, so any film I do shoot wil need to be sent elsewhere – although I am still looking into home developing (though only if I can get any kit and chems delivered, I suppose).

Work remains, for me at least, much the same as it did before this started as I work from home full-time anyway. The main difference is having the boys at home now that school has closed. My wife still has to travel to work as she is in a key-worker role, although she has the next few days off.

The lock-down in the UK is scheduled to be reviewed in three weeks time, but I would be very surprised if it’s lifted at that point. I think we’re in it for quite some time.

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 2 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Rainy morning lights

March 6, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

A disused chimney looms in the distance over a factory unit now converted to apartments.

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 15 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Down by the Riverside

February 21, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

The Riverside pub sits right next to the River Don at Neepsend in Sheffield, and on the river wall is a wonderful piece of work by local artist Phlegm.

Nikon F80, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 15 February 2020

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Ghost riders

February 20, 2020 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

On my wander around town on a very wet Saturday morning last weekend I took a number of photos of people sat on buses. The damp weather meant the windows were fogged with condensation making the passengers within dimly rendered – dependant to a greater or lesser effect on whether they’d wiped the glass clear with their hands or not.

These photos are hardly original – I own a copy of Nick Turpin’s lovely book “On the Night Bus” for instance, which does this sort of thing with far greater aplomb and dedication than my half-hour or so spent. And well before Turpin’s work was made, there were other photographers doing much the same – Saul Leiter being a great example.

Nevertheless, most photographic endeavours these days is likely to involve walking in the footsteps of others to some degree, so I don’t feel any shame in my lack of originality – rather that I took their work as inspiration and made some photographs that I like on an otherwise inclement day for taking pictures.

I was using autofocus for all these shots, and it was clearly something of a challenge for the camera. The first shot is a complete miss on all levels (although I was moving at the time I took that one) and the others seem to focus on the window, or perhaps just beyond. Whatever the case, the effect is very nice, rendering the subjects as indistinct apparitions with features hidden by a fog of moisture.

I’ve said it before on here, but once again – bad weather is very often a good time to make photographs. Next time I get similar conditions and a change to get out with a camera, I think I’ll try to make more of these.