Fujica GW690 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 9mins @ 20°
Taken on 5 July 2025
Invasion
Tag: Train
What I saw on departure
The pictures coming over the next week or so are a continuation of the pictures I made on a day trip to Leeds back in October. I’ve already posted a bunch of images from this trip, starting with this post from 27 November, but those were black and white photographs shot with my Olympus OM-1N on Ilford FP4+. The set that I’m going to post are all taken with my Canon Sure Shot Z135 compact and, in a first for me, shot on Kodak Ultramax. I’ll let you know my thoughts on the film and my results as I post more images.
The view from my seat as I waited for my train to depart for Leeds.
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Kodak Ultramax. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted using Negative Lab Pro.
Taken 14 October 2023.
Scanning woes
I’ve been tearing my hair out (not that I have much) for the last couple of days trying to scan some Kodak Ektar which, for some reason, doesn’t look right despite me scanning it the same way as ever. I’ve now resorted to re-scanning some older Ektar negs that I know worked fine before to see it it’s just this new roll with a problem – and it appears it is.
In a way this is a relief as at least I know there’s not some issue with my scanner or my scanning configuration, but it does mean that something has gone awry somewhere else. My first thought is that I might have underexposed the film somehow – I did shoot a roll of 400asa film before this one, so it’s possible that I failed to change the ISO setting on the light meter before shifting to the 100asa Ektar, but I’m not sure if there’s two stops of difference to be seen. I’ll have to investigate further I guess…
Anyway, here’s a picture that has nothing to do with any of that stuff whatsoever.
Olympus OM-1N, G-Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+9 15mins 45secs @ 20°
Taken 17 June 2023.
Keep off the track
Having seen trains move through busy stations, and felt their thunderous mass rumbling pass through the platforms, I have to say that the “Keep off the track” warning sign seems somewhat superfluous. But that’s me. I’ve also witnessed people doing all manner of foolhardy things, so maybe the sign serves as a warning to those who might have forgotten themselves momentarily. I doubt, however, it will have much effect on those who believe themselves to be above such warnings
Canon Sure Shot Supreme & Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9 mins 30 secs @ 20°
Taken 25 March 2023.
At Cleethorpes station
Another trio of photos from Cleethorpes, this time taken at the railway station. I didn’t travel there by train, but the station was a stone’s throw from where I’d parked the car, so it seemed rude not to take a peek. I think I’ve mentioned before that I have no particular interest in railways or trains per se (at least beyond the usual level of interest that someone might have), but I do find that they make for interesting pictures.
Olympus XA3 and Kodak Colorplus (expired 2012 and shot at 100asa)
Taken on 31 January 2021
Arrival
On my trip to Cleethorpes I made a number of pictures around the railway station. While I’m not a railway enthusiast in the sense of being interested in trains especially, I do find that the locomotives, carriages, rolling stock and the infrastructure that surrounds them makes for evocative photographs.
I like how this picture came out. It reminds me of something that might turn up in a set of old mounted slides or something, despite being a contemporary scene and being shot on colour negative film. It wouldn’t have worked anywhere near as nicely without the great light though
Olympus XA3 and Kodak Colorplus (expired 2012 and shot at 100asa)
Taken on 31 January 2021
A willow, a viaduct, and a train
Two photos of the same scene today. The first was made while I ummed-and-ahhed about whether to use a wider lens, only for the train to appear, so that clearly needed to be photographed while the opportunity was there. The second picture was made a minute later with the 50mm switched for the 28mm. I like both shots a lot, but the one with the train pips it, I think.
Distant viaduct
Brick-built arches framed by a
Willow in the field
Olympus OM-2N, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8 | G-Zuiko Auto-W 28mm f/3.5 + orange filter & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°.
Taken on 25 March 2021
Vintage sidings
This is the railway station at Elsecar Heritage Centre. It forms the departure point for trains running on the Elsecar Heritage Railway, the only heritage line in South Yorkshire. At this time of the year the line runs “Santa Specials” where you are able to enjoy a trip on a train (consisting of vintage carriages usually pulled by steam locomotive) and the children are visited by Santa who gives them all presents during the journey (adults get a hot-chocolate or a mulled wine). While my own children are too old for such things now, I have fond memories of taking them on these trips when they were younger.
There was no sign of the steam loco on the day I took this and the station itself was closed, so this photo was taken through the gates at the level crossing just beyond the station. Fog and mist always adds a wonderful quality to photos, I think.
I took an almost identically composed picture with the Zeiss Mess-Ikonta just before this one. That’s a nice photograph too and much sharper due to the Zeiss glass, but I think the Holga shot just pips it to the post. Maybe because it’s more contrasty – the Holga’s single shutter speed and limited aperture control largely dictates the final exposure of the image, and I think this slightly darker one wins out in that respect. The Holga’s vignetting and soft edge focus also works very well to draw your eye into the frame, which is often an attractive compositional feature.
Zeiss Mess-Ikonta 524/16 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 30 November 2019
The commute
My last shot of the day when visiting Manchester the other week. I like how the sun was catching on the rails and the figure and train set each other off nicely in the frame.
Olympus 35 RC & Fomapan 400.
Taken on 15 February 2019
Frosty scenes
On a walk around the country park on a misty, frosty morning, the playground was deserted and quiet (apart from a couple of geese).
Olympus OM-1, Cimko 28mm f/2.8 & Kodak Portra 160.
Taken on 23 February 2018
Steel City Snapper photography 