The railway viaduct that crosses Woodhouse Washlands is always a little disappointing, photographically speaking. The best vantage point is probably from atop the road viaduct, but there is no pedestrian access to that. From ground level, the railway viaduct becomes obscured by hawthorn trees and I think the shots included here below are from perhaps the best location, but still not ideal.
At this time of the year, bare trees allow a little more visibility that becomes lost when they’re full of foliage.
Sunday has become the day where I write up my thoughts on the album I’ve been listening to this week on my other blog. As those tend to be much more wordy affairs than what I post each day about photography, Sunday’s posts here are likely to be somewhat short.
I can say, even though I’ve not written how I feel about this week’s album yet (Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden), that it’s a great piece of music.
I was going to post this yesterday, but it seemed somehow inappropriate to name a post “Bunny girl” given it was International Women’s Day, even though there’s no ill intent intended. It just seems a fitting title for the picture.
It’s a piece of artwork on one of the supports of the Mosborough Bypass. It’s right next to the River Rother and I’ve not walked this far along the viaduct before, having normally angled away across the washlands at this point on a walk, so I’ve not seen this piece before and don’t know how long it’s been in place. The way the light was hitting the concrete lit it up nicely though, and the Yashica Mat has rendered a crisp image.
I’m not sure that “Bunny girl” is the right title though – those look more like mouse ears or something.
This viaduct is a familiar subject for my photographs (and this blog) it being only a mile or two from where I live, but it’s interesting enough for me to have taken a number of pictures at the location. I fully expect that I will take more, and that those will feature here on the blog also at some point.
I like the subtle curve of the roadway on this picture, plus I’m very happy that I didn’t behead that street light when composing the shot.
Incidentally, the location ///bypass.viaduct.curve is in the wilds of Siberia if you use the What Three Words app to look up the location that shares the three words of today’s post.
Down on Woodhouse Washlands lives this fallen willow tree. It’s trunk is broken and splintered so that much of it lies almost parallel to the ground. But the tree is a survivor and its limbs rise finger like from its fallen trunk.
These were the first three shots from my replacement replacement Yashica Mat 124G – the one that replaced the one with the shutter problem. So far, everything seems to be working as expected with this one and the test roll I shot has delivered a bunch of pictures I like, including these.
About halfway along Derwent reservoir there is a tributary on it’s western bank where a side valley joins the main. It was across this part of the reservoir from the south that I noticed these trees and the reflections of their trunks in the dark water.
Because of the time of the year the sun was low in the sky and cast a shadow across the water and the foreground trees, while those a little further back caught its light. I liked the layers and contrast that this created.
I almost forgot to write and post my blog this evening!
I faffed around doing stuff on the computer for a bit after work, then took a shower and headed downstairs to veg out for the evening (“veg out” actually means “be remorselessly harassed by my two self-centred cats for a couple of hours“…). I was about to take my cup of tea into the living room when I remembered.
I’m approaching my two-thousand-consecutive-daily-post milestone this year, so I’d like to try and make it there if I can. Not that it really means anything. But, yet, somehow it does…
Did it make a sound if no-one was there to witness it?
I managed to get out for an hour or so today to test my replacement Yashicamat 124G. I stayed local this time, going for a walk around the nearby Woodhouse Washlands. I was blessed by some decent light too, so if all is well I’m hoping I might get some nice pictures. I just need to find some time to develop the roll now!
A couple of shots of the northern branch of Ladybower reservoir in the Peak District. The structure crossing the water is an aqueduct which carries water from Derwent and Howden reservoirs, which are upstream to the north of Ladybower, taking it to a treatment works near Bamford and from there to the cities of Derby and Nottingham.
Using a new film camera for the first time often brings me a sense of apprehension. Will it work as expected? Where should I test it? How much effort should I put into the pictures?
Even when buying a camera from a trusted source, there’s still a risk of some sort of fault. Most film cameras are getting long in the tooth – some very much so – so I tend to avoid travelling too far afield when using one for the first time. That way, even if there is a fault, I’ve not wasted too much time and, should I want to, I can probably re-visit the location to recreate the shots if necessary. The same goes for the time and effort spent composing a picture. Do I really want to wait for the perfect light, the perfect moment, when the picture might be blighted by a mechanical fault of some variety?
With regards the location aspect, the camera I used to take the pictures shared here today (and in the coming days) did let me down. It had a shutter issue which caused missed frames that I described in a previous post. As a result, I missed a number of photo opportunities at a location that I don’t travel to often (and the hike I did was one I’ve never undertaken before, so that was all new sights to me). This was obviously disappointing.
In terms of spending time on composing and timing shots with a new camera, I still try to do my best. I know that some people will test gear by shooting test cards or a fixed scene, but the thought of using a whole role of film on that sort of efficient and controlled testing doesn’t inspire me. I’d rather try to get pictures I’ll find artistically pleasing, even if there’s some risk that they might be lost.
I now have a replacement for the faulty camera, but I’ve yet to test it. I’m planning to do so this weekend. While I will still try to get the best shots I can, I’m certainly not risking a trip to a more distant location this time, so the new camera will see first light on a visit into town, or maybe in my local area. If all goes well, then it can become a trusted travel companion.
The two shots shared today were the first two on the roll and before I had realised there was a fault. I shot them on a walk in the local area during my lunch break, so only had time for a couple. Maybe if I’d had more time I’d have discovered the fault earlier and saved myself the later disappointment.
Steel City Snapper photography 