Padlocked gate

January 30, 2022 fishyfisharcade4 Comments

I usually tend to write these blog posts later in the day, after I finish work and have eaten, but I’m writing this one earlier. It’s Sunday, so I’m not at work, but I am going out to eat lunch with my wife shortly, so don’t have unlimited time. And I can’t think of what to write.

It’s something that I often fret about when composing these blog posts, probably as a factor of putting them out every day. What to put into words without it feeling like it’s for the sake of it. I doubt my success rate is high.

I could go down the route of describing how the picture was made, giving background on the events that led to its capture along with the equipment and techniques I used. Or I could describe the picture itself, breaking it down as I see it. Or I could talk about something completely unrelated and drop the picture in either to illustrate a point or, more likely, just to publish a picture. Sometimes it’s just a sentence to get it over and done with.

It’s not so much writer’s block on days such as today, more a lack of direction and no particular topic inspiring me to words. It feels frustrating and that the blog post serves no purpose on these occasions – either to anyone reading, or to me as the author.

Don’t forget to come back for more random blathering tomorrow! 😀

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°

Taken on 15 January 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Beneath the viaduct

January 29, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I’ve spent this afternoon developing a roll of Ilford FP4+ that I shot last weekend, and also scanning a roll of Fujichrome Provia 100 that I also shot suring the same session (but which I had developed by my local lab as I don’t have the gear for developing E6). I’m pretty happy with the Provia scans, and they’ll start to appear on here after the weekend. The FP4+ negatives look nice too, although I can never truly tell until the scan appears before my eyes.

Today’s photo is another from the foggy morning’s walk a few weeks ago and was shot beneath the viaduct that featured on the blog a couple of days ago.

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°

Taken on 15 January 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Washlands tree on pushed HP5+

January 28, 2022 fishyfisharcade2 Comments

This pollarded tree has featured on the blog at least once before (and probably more times, but this is the only one that my quick search pulled up). It’s usually difficult tophotograph in isolation due to all the surrounding elements. There are other trees close by that can creep into the shot and cause background distraction, there are power lines and pylons in the area, a concrete viaduct spanning the valley, and older brick railway viaduct, plus a whole bunch of industrial units on the valley side. It’s still possible to get interesting pictures, but you generally have to work the other elements into the shot.

On foggy days though most of these things fade away. There’s sight of some of the other trees in this shot, plus the vague lines and shapes of the power lines and some factory buildings, but the fog serves to mostly obscure them.

I shot this roll of HP5+ at 1600asa and pushed it in development as the light was very dim. There is added grain in the resulting images and perhaps a little more contrast, but I think they serve to add some grit to the pictures.

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°

Taken on 15 January 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Dimly seen viaduct

January 27, 2022 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

Two quite similar photos today, both of the A57 viaduct where it crosses the River Rother and railway lines. There was thick fog on the morning they were shot and it just disappeared into the blankness. I’m not sure which of the two I prefer though. I like the composition of the first, which is quite clean and layered, but I like the interest of the foreground grasses in the second (although they’re maybe a little messy). Anyway, both here to see, whichever you prefer.

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°

Taken on 15 January 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Inconvenience store

January 26, 2022January 26, 2022 fishyfisharcade1 Comment

It’s not really inconvenient, it’s just that it was closed at the time I took this picture.

I think the place opens a little later in the morning and then stays open until late in the evening, so actually pretty convenient. It’s not a place I use often and isn’t that close to where I live, but it accepts parcel returns so it’s very useful in that regard. I didn’t set out with the intent of photographing the store – I was heading out to the washlands to get some foggy-morning pictures – but it caught my eye as I drove past and so here it is.

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°

Taken on 15 January 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Looking up

January 25, 2022January 25, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

The last of my three Yashicamat photos from Doncaster in today’s post. Of the three, I think this one is the best. It only came about when I took an idle glance upwards while walking back to the shopping centre where the car was parked. I liked the curved layers of the building.

It always pays to look up every now and then. There’s a lot to miss otherwise.

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°

Taken on 8 January 2021

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

No swimming

January 24, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

While wandering around doncaster in the rain, waiting for my wife and her sister to finish their shopping, I walked past the building in today’s photo. Not being a Doncaster resident I had no idea as to what it was, only that it was boarded up.

A little online research today reveals it to be the Grade II listed St James’ Street Baths. Historic England describe it as: Public Baths, Turkish and Russian baths suite, and winter concert hall, 1932. Built to designs by the Borough Estates Surveyor, Mr R E Ford. Red brick with sandstone dressings and slate roofs.

There is a lot more information about the building and it’s history on the Historic England website.

Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ (pushed to 1600asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 13mins @ 20°

Taken on 8 January 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

St. Peter’s & St. Paul’s

January 21, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

A couple of photos of the church at Eckington, St. Peter’s & St. Pauls. The church dates back to the 12th century, although with later additions to the structure.

I’ve pretty much exhausted this roll of film now and need to get the next one developed, which I hope to do tomorrow. Otherwise it’ll be back to dipping into the archive again.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Ironmongers

January 20, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

When so much has moved to “big box” retailers in the home improvement field these days, it’s nice to see a more traditional independent store such as this ironmongers in the town of Eckington. Shops like this are far more interesting to visit, often with a mazelike set of corridors packed will all manner of stock from a wide range of suppliers. They’re so much nicer than the clinical feel of the large stores.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Negative damage

January 19, 2022 fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I’ve spoken a few times recently about the odd marks on this roll of expired Tri-X Pan. I believe it expired in 2003, although that’s really a best guess based upon the fact that it came with some rolls of other film which were all dated that year. Given its age I perhaps shouldn’t be too surprised that defects have appeared, although I’ve shot older film than this (and a number of rolls of this same film from the same batch) without issues, so it’s not necessarily a given fact.

Anyway, I’ve been editing the marks out of the pictures in Photoshop for the most part, but this one resisted my efforts – or at least to an extent that I was satisfied with any restoration that I’d attemped – so I decided to leave it as it is. I’ve not removed any dust spots and there’s even another defect at the left side of the frame where the negative took some physical damage, possibly as a result of my struggling with the curliness of it!

Despite the marks on the image, it quite works with the scene I think. It maybe adds a little character.