Another Shambles

February 21, 2024 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Another look at The Shambles, that is.

Three more shots of York’s most famous street, this time taken with the convenience of the compact little Olympus XA3. The Yashica Mat 124G can produce great pictures, but there’s something freeing about using a small point-and-shoot camera, and the XA3 has been my constant companion for the past few months, just sat in my coat pocket waiting for a picture to present itself while I’m out..

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken on 20 December 2023

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Clifford’s Tower

February 20, 2024 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

Clifford’s Tower dates to 1245, although a wooden fortification stood atop the raised earthwork mound before then, but was replaced after it burnt down. Archaeological evidence shows activity on the site dating back to the Romans.

I didn’t visit the tower during this trip to York, nor have I visited it on the several other visits to the city over the past few decades. I did get to climb it on a trip when I was a child when visiting with my parents. I can’t remember how old I was and remember little about the trip apart from walking along the city walls, and going to the National Railway Museum. I guess my dad will have a few photos somewhere, and maybe I’ll try and find those one day.

Both the pictures posted here are a little fuzzy for some reason. No other shots from the roll exhibit the same issue, so I don’t know what’s happened there.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken on 20 December 2023

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Gert and Henry’s

February 19, 2024February 19, 2024 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

This building, standing in the middle of the Shambles market in York, dates back to the 14th century in the oldest part of its structure. It was originally two separate buildings which, over the centuries, have become interconnected and now form a single property.

The building has been in commercial use since 1830 and has been host to a chemist’s shop, a hatters, a cafe, and is now home to Gert and Henry’s restaurant.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken on 20 December 2023

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Nailing night-time

February 18, 2024 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I took this photograph, of the Christmas-themed play area behind Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping mall, without much confidence that it would turn out. The light was dark, I only had 400asa film in the camera, and the XA3 only really gives me control of the zone-focus . Everything else is handled by the camera’s small electronic brain.

So colour me impressed by how well this turned out. I have no idea what aperture was selected, but it was good enough to get the important elements in acceptable focus. Likewise the shutter speed – there’s a little motion blur on the figure at left of frame, but it was fast enough to prevent camera shake. The exposure has given me plenty of detail in the shadows, but avoided blowing the highlights. and the sky (which was a muddy, light polluted scud of clouds) also has great definition.

It’s always great when a little camera like this delivers the goods.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken on 20 December 2023

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Sun on the tracks

February 17, 2024February 17, 2024 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

I was a little curious as to how the XA3 would handle this scene when I saw it. I’ve shot into the sun before, but this scene had both the sun and the bright reflection on the railway tracks to contend with.

The result was much more flare! However, despite the flare, it’s not too obtrusive I don’t think, and perhaps gives a sense of brightness that you would probably expect when witnessing something like this first hand.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken on 9 January 2024

35mm · Film photography · Photography

St Michael and All Angel’s church

December 4, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Another set of photos from Hathersage today but these are all of (and in the grounds of) St Michael and All Angel’s Church.

The church dates to the 14th century and sits on a hill just outside the centre of the village. Perhaps its main claim to fame is that the graveyard contains the alleged grave of Little John, companion of Robin Hood. His grave is Surrounded by a small iron fence and is notably long. Close by an old-fashioned coin parking meter is embedded in the earth to collect donations for the upkeep of the churchyard.

Sadly, my roll of film ran out before I had chance to photograph the grave, but you can see a picture on the Wikipedia page for the church and also for Little John himself.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford Delta 400 . Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 4 November 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Peak District houses

December 3, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

After developing some film this morning and then an afternoon spent putting the Christmas decorations up (a little earlier than usual this year) I’m ready to veg out (in the festive living room:)) and so am just going to bung up a load of photos from a visit to the Peak District a few weeks ago for today’s post.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford Delta 400 . Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 4 November 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Bakewell bridge and willow

December 1, 2022 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

The bridge that carries the A619 Baslow Road across the River Wye at Bakewell can be quite frustrating to photograph. It’s an attractive structure but, due to it carrying traffic on one of the main routes into and through the town, along with the popularity of the place as a tourist trap, it can be difficult to catch a moment where some vehicle isn’t raising it’s distracting head above the top of the walls. I’ve nearly managed to avoid it in the picture published here today. But not quite. If you look carefully there’s a van peeping into view. Not a bad picture though and I have almost the exact same composition to come in a future post, but this time on 6×45 and in colour.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford Delta 400 . Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 1 November 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Keep absolutely still. It’s vision is based on movement.

November 30, 2022November 30, 2022 fishyfisharcade3 Comments

A few weeks ago my wife an I visited some local garden centres to see if they had their Christmas sections in place (they did, of course, it was late October – practically the big day already!). While wandering around the displays in one I spotted this festive T-Rex and the terrified snowman quaking in the background. The snowman was literally shivering – some mechanism causing it’s movement – and it amusingly reminded of the words spoken by Alan Grant in Jurassic Park when the T-Rex escapes its paddock.

I’m quite surprised the picture turned out ok – it wasn’t well lit in there and I have no control over the XA3’s shutter speed or aperture.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford Delta 400 . Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°

Taken on 31 October 2022

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Save the Children

November 29, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I’ve been away for a few days and scheduled a bunch of posts to auto-publish. Unfortunately I didn’t draft one for today, when I’ve just arrived home exhausted! So a very quick post today with a bit of street photography (the people that can be seen to the left of the frame are part of the march that I’ve posted images from over the past few days).