Tag: Power lines

35mm · Film photography · Photography

On an overcast day

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I guess that this is a direct follow on to yesterdays photos, although this one was taken earlier – within a few minutes of the flooded field photograph that I posted a week or so back.

Once again, you will see the appearance of powerlines in the picture. While they add to the composition , they (and the tree and the road) were not the primary reason for taking the photo. That honour goes to the second bush from the right. You can’t tell from this black and white conversion, but it was a vivid autumnal orange, and attracted me to the scene. Alas, the uniform overcast grey sky meant that the colour image was a little drab, even with the splash of orange, so I went for the conversion instead, where the powerlines, tree and road make the shot.

FILM - Overcast

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Kodak Colorplus (converted to B&W).

Taken on 9 November 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

A compulsive attraction to power?

fishyfisharcade1 Comment

Nine days. a whole nine days… That’s how long I managed to go without posting more photos of powerlines. I wonder if there’s a name for this weird attraction to them as photographic subjects? There are definately a number of groups devoted to the subject matter on Flickr – I know this because I post my pictures to them sometimes!

I’m probably over-egging this a bit to be fair – it’s not as though I go out of my way to take pictures of them deliberately. I never plan a day out to travel around photographing pylons or anything like that. It’s just that I find that they have a look to them that appeals.

FILM - Empty fields

Sometimes, as in the case of the photos today, it’s their surroundings – this time following a route across empty autumnal fields in a way the evokes big empty spaces and calls Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman to mind. It’s a false evocation – here in the UK you’re rarely more than a few miles from civilisation, or at least evidence of such, but that’s one of the beauties of a photograph – they can tell other stories than their reality.

FILM - Empty fields-2

I did wonder about leaving these as colour images. They were shot on a dull, ovecast day with flat light and of a largely muted colour scheme – the only real colour being a soft yellowy beige of the autumnal cropped grasses in the fields – which did have it’s own faded charm. On the whole though, I prefer the black and white versions.

FILM - Empty fields-3

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Kodak Colorplus (converted to B&W).

Taken on 9 November 2019

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Waterlogged field

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

After yesterday’s flooded field photo, today I present a field that is merely waterlogged.

The photograph has some similarities to the previous one beyond the water, namely the powerlines marching across the fields into the distance.

See! I told you I had a thing abouth photographing powerlines – this is three days on the trot that they, or similar transmission equipment, has featured.

As it no doubt will again.

FILM - Over yonder way

Holga 120N and Kodak Tmax 400 (expired).

Taken on 9 November 2019

Medium Format · Photography

Behind the fence

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I posted a little about my odd fascination with electrical transmission lines back in January, and there have been a number of images featuring pylons, power lines, electicity poles and suchlike throughout the time I’ve been posting this blog. Today features another addition to the set.

I went out for a drive last weekend with the aim of photographing some muddy (and flooded – we’ve had a lot of rain recently!) fields and had equipped myself with the Holga and a roll of slightly expired Kodak Tmax 400. While the sub-station in today’s photograph was on my planned route, I didn’t know it was there until I saw it. I spotted it from a nearby road and then realised that the road I had to turn on to went right past it, so I couldn’t resist the opportunity. The small pylons look like they’re approaching the fence to see what I’m up to (I’m not crazy, honest, I just have an odd imagination. :)).

I think the Holga makes a nice job of this sort of image, and it especially seems to like gloomy, atmospheric conditions – it’s simple, vingnetted lens adding a lot to the feel of the resulting pictures.

FILM - They're approaching the fence

Holga 120N and Kodak Tmax 400 (expired).

Taken on 9 November 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

There and back again

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

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

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Returning to old paths

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

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

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Leading lines and power lines

fishyfisharcade2 Comments

Or is it “lead-in” lines? Or does it matter, both seem to be correct anyway?

This was taken while out on a walk about a year ago and has just been re-scanned on my Plustek 8100. The colours look far better and much more natural now, as does the sharpness of the image (albeit the focus is more on the barley than the distant pylons).

Anyway, it’s quite a nice image, I think.

FILM - Pylon fields

Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Agfa Vista Plus 200.

Taken in April 2018 (I think!)