Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 9mins @ 20°
Taken on 5 July 2025
Invasion
Tag: Pylons
Ploughed and littered
The field in today’s picture had been freshly ploughed (although this corner at the edge is more churned, I think). The rich brown of the turned soil contrasted nicely with the scattered orange fallen leaves that littered the surface. I don’t think the shot would have worked without the pylons.
If you want to see what the field might look like as springtime arrives, I have a shot from the same location here.
Something good that happened today…
I went to the cinema to see Captain America: Brave New World after work today. I’ve been steering clear of any reviews and opinions as much as possible (although I had seen a few people mention that these weren’t favourable) because I wanted to form my own opinions without being swayed by others. I sometime wish for the simpler times where the entire world didn’t feel the need to be seemingly harshly critical of almost everything.
I enjoyed the film. It’s not the best MCU movie, but it’s far from the worst, and I had a solid couple of hours of solid entertainment, which is all I really want from this sort of film.
Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed, home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken on 26 october 2024
Marching pylons
A double row of power lines stretch northwards towards distant West Burton power station.
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°
Taken on 18 February 2024
Fence posts and pylons
This landscape shot, taken on a walk along the Cuckoo Way a couple of months back, turned out pretty nicely, I think. The pylons and the concrete fence posts (no actual fence though) belie the area’s industrial heritage, but that’s fine. I think the concrete posts work as well as weathered wooden ones would, and I’ve always got room in a photo for a pylon or two. 🙂
Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°
Taken on 27 January 2024
Dark vs light
I was quite please with this picture of West Burton power station. I like the framing, and I’m a fan of industrial subjects in photographs, but most of all – thanks to the position of the clouds when I took the shot – I like the way that some of the cooling towers and some are light, like some massive game of chess or something.
Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE and Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.
Taken 2 September 2023.
Dead tree and pylons
Another large format shot. And another with faults, this time some out of focus elements in the middle right of the frame. I’m not sure whether this might not just be a gust of wind blowing the power lines and trees about though. I’ve had similar issues with other shots however, including some I’ve just developed, so it could well be something else causing it. More (time consuming and tedious) trial and error work will no doubt be required. So far I have to say that it’s the promise of large format that is keeping me going rather than the actual process – 35mm and medium format are sooo much less faff!
Still, the problem in this picture is barely noticeable unless you start pixel peeping, and otherwise I like the picture. Maybe I should give myself a break. I used a yellow filter here which has really given the skies some nice contrast.
Chamonix 045N-1. Fujinon NW 135mm f/5.6 & Fomapan 100. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8mins @ 20°
Taken 1 August 2023.
Across the fields
Two sets of power lines en-route to the large substation at Canklow meadows a few miles away.
I liked the contrast between the organised and regular structures of the pylons and the organic shapes of the two trees flanking them on the horizon.
Yashicamat 124G & Ilford HP5+ . Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°
Taken on 24 December 2022.
Experiments in multiple exposure
A week or two back I posted the image that I entered into October’s film photo competition. Before shooting that image (and before I even realised I could make multiple-exposure photos with my Nikon F80) I shot a roll of expired Tmax 100 with my Holga (which I definitely knew could handle multiple exposures!). None of the images from that roll were as appealing as my final entry, but there were a few interesting pictures nonetheless. Here are some from the roll.
Holga 120N & Kodak Tmax 100 (expired 2007). Fomadon R09 1+25 5:30 mins @ 20°
Taken on 9 October 2022
Southerly transmission
A photo from the archive today, made a couple of years ago back when we were under the first covid lockdown here in the UK. I’m pretty sure I’ve not posted this image before – I searched for the camera, film, and the words “pylon” and “power lines” and nothing showed up, so finger’s crossed.
I was going to post another shot from the curly expired Tri-X, but it was another frame with the odd marks and, given the nature of the scene, I couldn’t photoshop them out to my satisfaction so decided against uploading it.
Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 & Fomapan 100. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8 mins @ 20°.
Taken on 27 April 2020
Electric mist
There are two lines of pylons not too far from where I live. Both originate at a sub-station at Canklow and follow the same path for a few miles before branching apart at Swallownest. The eastern lines head past Rother Valley Country Park and then pace the Trans Pennine Trail south towards Chesterfield. The western lines head up towards Drakehouse and Owlthorpe, then across the golf course at Birley before heading out over the Moss Valley to terminate at Norton near the water tower.
Today’s photos show this second set of lines as they cross the Rother valley through the mist.
From out of the mist
Cables of steel cross the land
Headed for Norton
Olympus OM-2N, E.Zuiko Auto-T 135mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 3 March 2021
Steel City Snapper photography 