Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Animal damage

The trunk of this tree looks a little worse for wear. I assume the damage is the result of animal activity – there are lots of sheep and also deer in the area. Plenty of squirrels too, although this amount of impact looks a little severe for those bushy-tailed creatures.

I’m not sure if it’s the result of teeth or horns / antlers, but it caught my eye and I took a picture.

The original is a colour image but it’s one of those frames that, for some reason, Negative Lab Pro had trouble with and the results had a nasty green and purple tint. The conversion to monochrome resulted in a more satisfying image. It’s not the first image that I’ve had these sort of issues with – sometimes I can spot frames that might be problematical – but this was not one of them. Maybe a visit to the NLP forum might help resolve the issue.

Gnawed

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE, & Fujifilm Pro 160NS – converted to B&W in Lightroom. Lab developed, home scanned.

Taken 11 November 2023.

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Sherwood Forest Scenes

I’ve never visited Sherwood Forest before, despite it being only half-an-hour’s drive from where I live. I’ve visited Clumber Park and it’s surrounding woodland on many occasions though, and I guess that’s all part of the original much larger area of forest.

The trip I took last month was mostly intended to photograph the Major Oak but, if I’m honest, it’s not all that photogenic and, due to the fences that surround it, the compositions are a bit limited. I’m sure that, under good conditions, there are many good photographs to be had, but I feel that the other trees (including many other ancient oaks) withing the forest are perhaps better subjects.

Today I’ve posted a few other pictures from the trip. I think I might try to return in a few weeks when tthe autumn colour is in full effect.

A forest
Somewhere in Sherwood
A stand of birches
Still standing
Slant
Ferns

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE, & Kodak Ektar. Lab developed, home scanned, and converted with Negative Lab Pro.

Taken 23 September 2023.

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

The Major Oak

The Major Oak is a large and ancient oak tree which resides in Sherwood Forest. It is thought to be in the region of eight-hundred to eleven-hundred years old. It’s trunk is eleven metres in circumference, and it is estimated to weigh twenty-three tonnes. It is named after Major Hayman Rooke (1723-1806), who carried out a survey of trees in the area in 1790.

The tree is perhaps most famous due to its association with Robin Hood who, along with his band of Merry Men, was said to shelter beneath the tree and occasionally hide inside its trunk.

In its old age, not that differently to people, the tree requires some additional support to keep it from taking a fall, and the boughs are supported in multiple places by supports that were first installed in the 1970s, and with chains at the crown of the tree that were placed in the early 20th century.

The tree is quite a tourist attraction and is around fifteen minute’s walk from the Sherwood Forest visitor centre. While the tree itself is fenced off to prevent damage, there are tables and benches in an adjacent clearing where people can sit and admire it. I was there quite early in the day and didn’t see many people apart for the odd dog walker and jogger, but I was quietly amused whe and ice cream van pulled up from one of the service tracks. I guess the tree is a good place to do business even if you’re not an outlaw!

The Major Oak

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE and Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken 23 September 2023.

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

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.

Dark vs light

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE and Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken 2 September 2023.

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Around the edge of the city centre

Often I will eke out multiple blog posts from each roll of film I shoot. At present, however, I have approaching two-hundred pictures that I’ve mostly either not scanned, or uploaded to Flickr yet, so I guess I have enoungh leeway to chuck our a batch of them all at once every now and then.

These shots are all from the same walk around the edge of town (shot on the day I used the roll of Portra 400 from which I’ve recently shared images of the Cholera Monument and other stuff). There’s no particular theme, although I guess it forms a snapshot of the sort of stuff that tends to catch my eye in an environment like this when I walk around with a camera.

Abandoned trolley
Old and new structures
In passing
Plastic plant on a widowsill
Set the juice loose
Give Way
Park Hill

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE or Zenzanon 150mm f/3.5 MC, and Ilford HP5+. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 9mins @ 20°.

Taken 6 August 2023.

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Sheffield scene(s)

I took this picture not fat from the Cholera Monument, which I posted about recently. It’s a view towards Sheffield city centre. I found it interesting to see in the picture a whole host of other locations that I’ve photographed on other occasions.

I’ve photographed the new structure in the centre of the image (with the two red cranes) at least twice (here & here). Just to the left of that you can see The Hubs, which I’ve also taken many pictures of, such as this one, and this one. The “Cheesegrater” car park can be seen behind and to the right of the new construction. At the right edge of the fram can be seen Sheffield Hallam University with th red lettering at the top. On the side of the building you can just make out the “What if?” poem, which you can see here too. Behind the university building in the distance is the university arts tower, which I’ve poasted loads of pictures of, such as this.

There are several other buildings I can see where I have pictures too, some of which I’ve posted on the blog, others which I haven’t. The building in the foreground begind the grass is Sheffield Midland Station, another location where I have lots of pictures from.

Acoss Sheffield

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 150mm f/3.5 MC, and Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro

Taken 6 August 2023.

Film photography · Medium Format · Photography

Granelli’s

Granneli’s is a traditional ice cream and sweet shop that resides on Broad Street in Sheffield. The shop has been in business since 1874, opened by Italian brothers Luigi and Charles Granelli (although they had begun the business in different premises three years earlier). It began as an ice cream shop before expending to selling sweets. The ice cream business continues and there are Granneli’s ice cream vans serving a number of areas.

Granelli's

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 150mm f/3.5 MC, and Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro

Taken 6 August 2023.