When I first saw the scan of this picture, my first thought was that it looked like a photo from a holiday brochure. I remember, before it was possible to find and book trips online, that we used to have stacks of these brochures in the house when we were planning a trip, all filled with similar shots of beaches, hotels, swimming pools, and local attractions.
Olympus Trip 35 & Fuji Superia 100 (expired 2008). Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
I took quite a lot of photos looking down narrow streets while in Lloret de Mar. These are undoubtedly just average streets, the type to be found in many a Spanish town, but they are different enough to the streets I’m used to in the UK to draw my eye. A combination of the narrow widths, along with the signage in a different language make these interesting to me. I also had some lovely Mediterranean light to draw upon too.
The dog in the third picture looked friendly enough but, having been nipped on more than one occasion by friendly-looking dogs, I decided keeping some distance was prudent.
Olympus Trip 35 & Fuji Superia 100 (expired 2008). Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
I was planning of writing a post about a trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park today, but I haven’t managed to get around to it. So, instead, here’s a digital shot that I took while on holiday last month. I’ve just treated myself to a Nintendo Switch 2, so it seems kinda apt.
The temperatures have cooled noticeably today and I can feel a pleasant breeze from the window as I type this (yesterday my office was unbearably stuffy). However, I went out today and despite the fresher air outside, the house was considerably warmer inside than out when I got back, although it does seem to have cooled somewhat now we’ve aired it some more.
I decided to go out and make some photographs today. I’ve had the last couple of days free to do this but the hot weather really put me off. I also think I’ve been having a bit of a dip in my photography mojo recently too, finding it difficult to work up enthusiasm to get out with a camera. I expect that the drive to take pictures will return, but it’s a bit frustrating to have time for photography but not the inclination – it feels like I’m wasting opportunity.
My lack desire for picture taking was still evident this morning, but knowing it was the last day of my long weekend, that the weather was more inviting, and that I’d probably feel guilty for not going out, I gave myself a kick up the backside and headed out. I had half-a-roll of HP5+ in my OM-10, plus I took my Yashica Mat 124G and three rolls of film for that too (better to have too much film and not shoot it, than to run out).
In the end, I managed to finish the roll in the OM-10, and also most of a roll of 120 HP5+ in the Yashica Mat. Not only that, but I’m quite looking forward to seeing the results, which is a positive sign.
Next weekend is the annual Sheffield Steam Rally, so I’ll be heading there to get yet more shots of steam engines, classic cars, and suchlike.
Another digital picture today. I like the simplicity of this scene – the window seems almost to float.
Another hot and sticky day here again. It’s nothing compared to the temperatures and humidity in other parts of the world, of course, but it’s the UK and we’re not really geared up for much beyond drizzle and overcast skies. One thing we are very adept at, however, is moaning about the weather, whatever shape it comes in. 🙂
Here’s a shot I took during our recent trip to Spain, where it was very warm, but we were on holiday so it didn’t feel the same somehow.
The early morning light, and the deep burgundy and pastel pink shades of the ladies’ coats caught my eye as we passed this scene so I grabbed a quick picture to capture the moment.
This is probably the last of the Barcelona pictures that I’ll share on the blog (unless I decide to publish some more of the digital shots I took, many of which are sat on my computer largely untouched).
Something different coming tomorrow… (that makes it sound a lot more exciting than it will actually be, lol).
Olympus OM-10, E-Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 & Kodak Ultramax. Lab developed, home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
A bit on a picture dump today. These are a bunch of photos I too while wandering around Barcelona with my wife. As I mentioned yesterday, I rarely get my best pictures when out with my another person, so I tend to grab photos when I get the chance but without necessarily spending the time and effort needed to get anything particularly accomplished. This makes it sound like I’m some sort of perfectionist figure the rest of the time, and I’m really not – I shoot a lot of pictures, often quite quickly – but I am able to focus on what I’m doing exclusively, which tends to produce better results.
Something good that happened today…
Speaking of shooting a lot of pictures, I rattled through a full 36 exposure roll of Agfa APX 100 during a walk this morning. I drove out to the village of Whitwell, which is about a 20 minute drive away with the singular reason to get through the full roll so I could test semi-stand development. The last roll of this film, which I shot in Lincoln last weekend, was accidentally underexposed by two stops and there are few available recipes for standard development in this situation with this particular film (at least with the developers I have to hand), so a number of people suggested stand or semi-stand development as the beast option.
As I’ve never attempted this process before, and as I think I might have some nice photographs from the Lincoln trip, I decided to underexpose another roll in the same way and make my first attempt on a slightly less valuable set of pictures (although I think there will probably be some nice shots on this Whitwell roll too – I didn’t just shoot random rubbish).
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I attempted semi-stand development in Rodinal today and the negatives look good. The proof will be when I get to scan them, but they look decent to my eye at this stage at least. I’ll write a proper post about this when I have some of the pictures ready to share.
Olympus OM-10, E-Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 & Kodak Ultramax. Lab developed, home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
This location had a lot of potential for interesting pictures, the mirrored tiles on the curved overhang casting all sorts of interesting reflections. It’s a location which, had I been there alone, I would have spent some time working to try and find the best shots.
This sort of activity isn’t really possible when I’m with someone else though, as I quickly become conscious that I’m keeping that person (my wife in this case, with little interest in photography) hanging around and I begin to feel selfish. It’s why I almost always prefer solo photography.
While my wife is not a photographer, she did spot this scene at the same time as me and commented that it would make a good picture. Perhaps I’m rubbing off on her. 🙂
Olympus OM-10, E-Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 & Kodak Ultramax. Lab developed, home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Sagrada FamÃlia, or to give its full name: BasÃlica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada FamÃlia is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Designed by fames Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi, work began on consrtuction one-hundred-and-forty-three years ago, on 19 March 1882. Gaudi himself died in 1926 and was buried in the church’s crypt when just twenty-five percent of the building was complete. Work is currently expected to complete in 2026, marking the anniversary of Gaudi’s death.
I’ve visited the church on two occasions now, and on both was unable to go inside. On the first occasion I didn’t want to wait for an entrance slot – visitors must book tickets to enter – and on the second visit there were no tickets available whatsoever on the day. Had I planned in advance, I’m sure I’d have been ok but, if I’m honest, I don’t think I was really that concerned. While I’m sure the church interiors are breathtaking, the thought of being in there with hundreds of other tourists isn’t something that appeals, and ideally it’s the sort of place the deserves time to experience all it has to offer – something I wouldn’t have had as my wife had little interest in going inside, and I would have felt guilty leaving her sat outside while I took my time to explore.
Maybe one day I’ll visit properly, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
Olympus OM-10, E-Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 & Kodak Ultramax. Lab developed, home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro.
Steel City Snapper photography 