Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
I’m off to the cinema after work today to see The Marvels, so this shot of a theatre kiosk seemed an apt choice for today’s post. Do you think they sell hot dogs there perchance?
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 9mins.
Taken 9 September 2023.
This wheel kinda looks like how I feel at present. I seem to be having a lot of trouble finding enthusiasm for anything, even things I enjoy, on a regular basis. I don’t think I’m depressed or anything, just that I can’t seem to find the energy to do stuff. My attention wanders but never really settles on anything, just drifts from one thing to another, not gaining any real benefit. I’m finding it difficult to focus on things, both at work and at home.
It’s not a permanent, 24/7 thing – sometimes I feel better, but it’s noticeable enough for me to be giving it thought. It’s especially frustrating because, sometimes when I have free time to do something I’d like I end up doing nothing, which is a big disappointment. Free time is something I have in limited supply and to waste it is not good.
I’ve started to wonder if I might have Long Covid or something, as these symptoms are often associated with that condition, but I don’t really have any of the other signs. Or maybe I’m just getting older.
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 9mins.
Taken 9 September 2023.
When walking to the West End of London, after disembarking my train, I decided to take a route I’ve never used before. Instead of heading south down Woburn Place / Southampton Row, which is the way I would normally go if walking, I headed further west along Euston Road and then cutting south down Gower Street.
I didn’t have any particular reason for choosing Gower Street other than it’s a road I’ve never walked before (and might therefore have some things worth photographing), and that it would take me towards my destination.
I already posted a couple of pictures yesterday that I shot outside University College London, but the ones featured today are what I photographed as I continued down the street past rows of elegant terraced houses. One of the things that struck me about these was the number on chimney pots visible above each property, with ten individual pots being visible on most of the buildings. Each has five floors including basement and attic, so I guess two or more fireplaces on each floor – which doesn’t actually sound that many – but to see them all emerging from the rooftop together is quite striking. None of the houses in the estate where I live has any chimneys, they instead have a simple vented tile on the apex of the roof where fumes from gas fires can escape (assuming a gas fire is still in use – our h0ome, and I suspect many others, now relies totally on gas-powered central heating, with any fumes vented from a flue from the boiler.. Different times, I guess.
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 9mins.
Taken 9 September 2023.
As promised, this post marks a change in imagery from all the Malaga pictures I’ve been posting. I’ve now moved onto a roll of Ilford HP5+ that I shot on a visit to London back in September. The trip was to see exhibitions at The Photographers Gallery (Evelyn Hofer), and The National Portrait Gallery (Sir Paul McCartney). Bot exhibitions were excellent, although I enjoyed the Evelyn Hofer photographs more.
After getting off the train, I decided to walk into the West End rather than catch the Tube, so was able to get a bunch of pictures during the amble southwards. These first two were taken outside University College London.
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 9mins.
Taken 9 September 2023.
I was going to move onto a different set of photos from today but I’ve had a strange day where I’ve been feeling tired, listless, and unable to focus on stuff, which is not a particularly nice sensation. So I’ll hopefully find time to post something more meaningful tomorrow.
But here are the last couple of pictures I’ll post from the Bridlington trip.
Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-Zoom 75-150mm f/4 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+9 15mins 45secs @ 20°
Taken 17 June 2023.
It’s turned very warm and humid here over the past 24 hours and I’m not in a mind to write much for the blog today (and I have a videogame that has my attention calling out for me to play! 🙂 ).
This single track railway line heads north from Bridlington, passing through Bempton, Hunmanby and Filey, before joining the line to Scarborough at Seamer. I have a fond memory of Seamer despite never having stepperd foot in the place. When I was young we would visit my godmother (who was one of my mum’s childhood friends) who owned a Bed & Breakfast at Filey, and stay there for a summer holiday. I can’t remember how many times we did this, but at least a couple of times, and maybe more.
I haven’t heard anything of my godmother for a very long time, or her three daughters, but seeing Seamer on a map or signpost reminds me of these holidays as it’s where the train would split off the Scarborough line to Filey.
There’s a hint of Stephen King’s story, The Body (made into the movie Stand By Me) about this picture, I think.
Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-Zoom 75-150mm f/4 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+9 15mins 45secs @ 20°
Taken 17 June 2023.
A selection of boats seen in Bridlington harbour. Most of the images were shot with with my Zuiko 75-150mm zoom and I notice a definite difference in quality when compared with the Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 lens I also used the same day. They’re not awful by any means, and it’s perhaps not fair to compare a telephoto zoom with a prime lens for visual fidelity, but there is a difference nonetheless.
Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko Auto-Zoom 75-150mm f/4 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+9 15mins 45secs @ 20°
Taken 17 June 2023.
I’ve been tearing my hair out (not that I have much) for the last couple of days trying to scan some Kodak Ektar which, for some reason, doesn’t look right despite me scanning it the same way as ever. I’ve now resorted to re-scanning some older Ektar negs that I know worked fine before to see it it’s just this new roll with a problem – and it appears it is.
In a way this is a relief as at least I know there’s not some issue with my scanner or my scanning configuration, but it does mean that something has gone awry somewhere else. My first thought is that I might have underexposed the film somehow – I did shoot a roll of 400asa film before this one, so it’s possible that I failed to change the ISO setting on the light meter before shifting to the 100asa Ektar, but I’m not sure if there’s two stops of difference to be seen. I’ll have to investigate further I guess…
Anyway, here’s a picture that has nothing to do with any of that stuff whatsoever.
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+9 15mins 45secs @ 20°
Taken 17 June 2023.
A quick post for Friday evening.
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+9 15mins 45secs @ 20°
Taken 17 June 2023.
I’ve got three beach scenes to publish today. All taken at Bridlington.
The weather at the time was calm and there was a layer of high thin cloud as well as a fine sea-mist that threw the horizon into a dim line. There’s a sense of calmness to some of the shots, I think.
Curiously, some of the figures on the beach have an oddly faded look to them, like they are not fully there. I’m not sure of the cause, but wonder if the orange filter I was using might be the culprit?
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+9 15mins 45secs @ 20°
Taken 17 June 2023.
Steel City Snapper photography 