Steel City Snapper photography
35mm, medium format and large format film photography (with the odd bit of digital every now and then…)
These fence shadows caught my eye when walking through town early one morning. They reminded me both of a running track, and also of sheet music (without any notes). There are probably the wrong number of lines for both, but the sense of them remains.
Fujica STX-1 & X-Fujinon 50mm f/1.9 FM on Agfa APX 100. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10.5mins @ 20°.
Taken on 12 September 2025
Today was less eventful than yesterday and I didn’t kill any birds (although I’ve probably crushed multiple tiny invertebrates beneath my feet purely in the act of walking around).
It was the annual Classics on the Moor car show in Sheffield today, so I went along and shot a couple of rolls with my Yashica Mat. The camera drew the attention of a number of people, including some other photographers – one who was making street portraits with a Rolleicord.
I’m in a position again of having a lot of undeveloped pictures. The tally is currently: 3 rolls of film scanned and waiting to be uploaded online, four rolls of B&W film to be developed, scanned, and uploaded (2 x 120 6×6 & 2 x 36exp 135), two rolls of 120 6×6 C41 to be developed, scanned, and uploaded, and then three rolls of film partially shot in different cameras (1 x 120 6×6, and 2 x 36exp 135). That’s around 180 photos not including the rolls I’ve yet to finish.
I don’t think there will be a drought of pictures for the blog for a while…
Olympus Trip 35 & Kodak Pro Image 100. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Taken on 5 June 2025
I’ve not had chance to write up my new “Expiriment” post today as I went out for a hike and didn’t get back home in time. Maybe tomorrow, time allowing…
Instead here’s another digital shot from December’s Barcelona trip.
Something good that happened today…
I went out into the Peak District with the intention of wandering around Baslow, one of the closest villages in the park to Sheffield. I think there are plenty of subjects there and, while I’ve driven through the village on many occasions, I’ve never actually stopped to explore.
However, when I arrived, I instead decided to walk to Chatsworth House, which stands a mile or so down the Derwent Valley from the village. I ended up hiking for miles, but the weather was bright and clear, I shot a roll and a bit of Tr-X through my Yashica Mat 124G, and had a good time doing it. It’s nice to get out and get some fresh air and exercise.
Ricoh GR III
Taken on 22 December 2024
The weather was bright and sunny, if somewhat cold, this morning, so I took advantage and headed out for a walk. As I often do, I picked a public footpath on a map and then planned a circular route. Today’s hike started and ended at Aston, a village on the eastern outskirts of Sheffield – a few miles from where I live. It took me through mostly agricultural land with views of Penny Hill wind-farm before heading over to the nearby M1 motorway, crossing the road via a bridge, before heading south and then west back to where I began.
The skies were blue and cloudless, and the light was bright. A few clouds would have been welcomed, but I’m not going to complain – it’s better than a blank slab of grey stratus. I managed to finish off two partially shot rolls of film – some Delta 100 in my OM-2n, and some Colorplus in the Sure Shot Supreme. As per usual, these will land on the blog at some point when I get them developed and scanned, but I have photos from three other rolls currently scanned and unpublished to come before then.
Today’s photo is another from the flyover not far from where I live. I’ve published a few photos of this structure before, including some from underneath like this one. On this occasion I really liked the diagonal shadows cast on the concrete supports.
I’ve mentioned being cornered by a herd of cows close to this location before and yesterday it seems someone was careless and left the gates to the fields open. A video appeared on Facebook showing cows on the road on top of the flyover narrowly avoiding being run over by a police-car last night! Thankfully I don’t think anyone or anycow was injured. I drove over the flyover on my way to Aston this morning and the cows were all down below in the field where they belong.
Adventurous cows
Once up on the flyover
Caused a commotion
Olympus OM-2N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 + orange filter & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 25 March 2021
It’s going to be one of those “Single Image” days today which, in my case, means I’m tired after being at work all week and don’t want to write much. 🙂
So here are some shafts of evening sunlight falling on the closet door.
Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford Delta 400. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 8 mins @ 20°.
Taken on 19 April 2020
Another scene that I’ll probably not see again for a while, both because the year has progressed and the light won’t fall on these cars through this fence for another several months (at least not in the same way, and possibly at a time of day when the cars are not there), but mainly at present because there aren’t any cars parked on this street anymore due to the pandemic.
It’s a road I walk up when dropping my films to be scanned at my local lab, but that’s closed too for the time being and, as I’ve bought my own home-developing equipment, I might not be using them as frequently when they do re-open (something I’m torn about – while me home developing my film is cost effective, I don’t want to deprive the lab of any business. It’s a valuable place to have on my doorstep and their service is great).
While it isn’t the foremost concern by far, I do worry a little as to the impact this pandemic will have on film photography. While is was going from strenth-to-strength before all this happened, I do wonder how a potential pandemic-triggered recession might affect it. If money is short, will people still want to spend so much on film and processing costs? I hope so, but it’s a concern nonetheless.
Pentax Espio 140M & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 19 February 2020
A few weeks ago I bought another new (to me) camera – I really need to try and stop doing this! Anyway’ the camera in question is a Minolta SRT 101b SLR and came with a Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 lens attached. The light seals looked a little shabby, so I replaced them, but the camera is otherwise in excellent condition. The camera uses the old mercury cells, so I’ve fitted it with a Wein cell to allow the meter to function correctly.
It’s very much in the traditional 1970s SLR mold – silver body with black leatherette. It’s considerably heavier and bulkier than my Olympius OM-1, which is a similar camera in terms of features.
I popped in a roll of Delta 400 to test the camera and went for a walk around the flea market in Chesterfield when I had a day off recently. The camera handled the lighting with aplomb, giving good metering whether under the shadows of the stalls, or when in bright sunlight and, now that I’ve confirmed it’s working ok (everything seems fine, although the mirror occasionally sticks up after the shutter fires – although it drops back on the film advance action), I’ll take it out again when I get chance.
Both of today’s photos were taking in the same covered arcade on teh edge of the town centre.
Minolta SRT 101b, Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 27 February 2020
Eek! I almost forgot to post something today – for some reason I thought I’d uploaded something earlier. I’m clearly losing it! Still, I caught it in the nick of time.
Here’s a photo I took because I liked the way the sun cast shadows of the writing on the windows all across the furniture in the store.
Canon Sure Shot Ace & Ilford Delta 400.
Taken on 8 February 2020
Steel City Snapper photography 