Tag: promenade

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Donkey arrivals

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Donkey rides have been a staple of British seaside resorts going back a few hundred years and it would be commonplace to see a small herd of them, bedecked with saddles, bridles, and often their name on a nose strap, giving rides up and down the beach to children.

I think they are a little less commonplace now as greater emphasis on animal welfare has been introduced, and the owners of donkeys used for rides need to be licensed and inspected to ensure that the wellbeing of the animals is properly maintained. There has also probably been a change in public attitudes, with more people seeing the practice as cruel and it being challenged by animal welfare organisations.

I remember as a child seeing the donkey being led through the town centre to the beach where the rides could be had, their hooves making that familiar clip-clopping sound as they walked, but they are now brought in an animal transporter, though possibly because they are no longer stabled within walking distance.

Here are a couple disembarking before beginning their day’s work.

Donkey disembarkation

Yashica Mat 124G and Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken on 11 October 2025

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

A bike on the prom

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There’s something about a bicycle, especially one propped against a fence, that seems to attract my eye. I don’t think I’m alone in this, and there are countless photographs of bicycles, both ridden and riderless to be found. I wonder if anyone has put down in words why they are a popular subject?

My own theory is that they make for a pleasing combination of geometric forms, a combination of circles, triangles and other polygonal shapes. They also make for interesting subject matter whether seen in full, or as detail – a wheel, a saddle, a chain for instance – and different points of view give even more variety – from the side, from the front, from above.

And once other factors are added to the mix there’s an almost limitless variety of pictures to be found. Every change of light, of type, of surroundings brings more into play.

The shot below is pretty simple. A bike leaning on a fence with the North Sea behind. I like the contrast of the dark bike against the bright railings. I also like the little incidental details caught by the shutter – the couple in the sea, the distant boat, and the kite that has fluttered into the edge of the frame.

Seaside bike

Olympus OM-10 & G.Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 on Ilford FP4+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 @ 20° 10mins.

Taken on 2 August 2024

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Blackpool prom

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A couple of weeks back I posted a picture of Blackpool’s “Comedy Carpet”. The Comedy Carpet formed part of an £87 million redevelopment project around Blackpool promenade and seafront.

Among the other new features added are the Giant Spoons, although these seem to be much more commonly referred to as the “Tulips”. These things are huge and must be well in excess of 100 feet tall and are quite the sight to behold, especially when you are stood right beneath them and they are swaying in the wind on their flexible stalks. There’s something slightly unnerving about them, like they’re a part of a Martian tripod from The War of the Worlds, or something.

I cropped the image to a 6×7 format to remove some uninteresting sky.

On the prom

Yashicamat 124G & JCH Street Pan 400. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°

Taken 1 July 2023.

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Comedy

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If you walk along Blackpool promenade in front of Blackpool Tower, you will come across the Comedy Carpet. This is a section of the floor covering 1880 square meters that is packed with jokes, routines, and catchphrases from 850 comedians and writers. You cand easily spend a good hour reading through it all, hopefully letting out a few good laughs while you do.

Comedy

Yashicamat 124G & Kodak Ektar. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with negative lab pro.

Taken 1 July 2023.

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Scanning woes

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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.

Beach train

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.