A pleasant walk in North Wales

//It has been a while since last posting, but have been very busy; thankfully have managed to some time to get out and about with a camera or two. The end of August found me heading to North Wales for my stag weekend – I’m getting older so no wild drinking sessions; just me, my brother, and some Welsh hills, lakes and mountains.

//I took this opportunity to travel light so only carried my newly acquired Voigtlander Bessa-T (+15, 35 and 50mm lenses) and a handful of film. I was keen to try out some Rollei Ortho25 for landscapes – it has very high contrast and is designed for copy work and even X-rays! Wasn’t entirely sure how things would pan out with this film having never used it before, but I was a fan of ADOX CHS 25, so an appreciation of the slow speed helped, and I hoped the quality of the images would be similar to the ADOX, albeit with much stronger contrast.

//After initial disappointment when viewing the scanned film on a TV screen via a DVD player I put the scans to one side thinking they had not turned out particularly brilliantly, but over the Christmas break I took another look, this time on a computer screen and took the time to study the negatives too. I was rather happy with the results in the end. Fantastic detail, even in the very bright ares of sky, and such a rich range of tone. I was half expecting results that might have only just been usable, so have been pleasantly surprised with the images.

//Here are a selection of images captured using a Voitlander Bessa T with either 15mm or 35mm Voigtalander lenses en route to, and around Llyn Idwal.

 

Viewing Paris

//A long weekend in Paris provided ample time to go on photographic adventures. Once again I came across a number of public viewing telescopes dotted around tourist attractions. The idea of them still fascinates me.

Olympus OM10, 50mm @f5.6, Fuji Acros 100

A siesta in Mojacar Pueblo

//A recent trip for work found me in southeast Spain. I managed to find some time to go exploring around Mojacar pueblo during the siesta one day. The town takes on quite a different feel when all of the residents are tucked away in their homes away from the midday sun.

//All shot on Fuji Acros 100 using a Zeiss 518/16.

Mulate’s on the corner

// On a recent trip I came across this scene that reminded me of the work of Stephen Shore, albeit in B&W rather than his pioneering colour imagery of such scenes. What I enjoy about this scene is the detail; the woman waiting to cross the road, the driver who has decided they are probably in the wrong lane at the lights, the guy stood outside of his car perhaps wondering where he has put his keys. I feel that the mundane setting helps to emphasise the detail and intricacies present that would perhaps be over-looked if there was a central focus to the image.

// Captured using a Canon AE-1 with 50mm f1.8 lens on Kodak 400CN film.

Watched

// Pierre was watching an audio-visual art installation in a gallery in Edinburgh. I found it interesting to capture an image of somebody who was actively viewing images at that moment. The lack of clarity of what he is watching, or indeed his reaction to the images are occluded. I enjoy this element of the unknown in images because it engages the imagination in a way that an explicit statement of his reaction, or identifying the piece being viewed would dilute.

// Captured on Ilford HP5 using a Canon EOS 650 & 50mm f1.8 lens

KEEP OUT!

// I have started to build up a collection of images featuring derelict buildings from around the country, or areas of dereliction juxtaposed with newly developed areas (much like the image of the up-and-coming part of Edinburgh; 15/07/2012). This image was captured whilst out for a family walk in Lincolnshire. An area with a strong tradition in farming and milling. This building appears to have once been involved with the food industry of the area, quite probably flour. It is apparent this business had fallen on hard times. Immediately next to this run-down building is a RSPB reserve.

// Captured on Rollei retro 100 film using a Canon EOS 650 & 50mm f1.8 lens.

Shona coastline

// Another one from Shona. Idyllic little cove at the north west of the island. Crystal clear blue water, perfect white sand, and mind-numbingly cold temperatures. The coastal landscapes created by the inter-play of the geology and wave on this part of the island are simply incredible.

// Captured on Adox CHS25 using a canon EOS 650 & 50mm f1.8 lens.

Lake Louise

// A recent trip found me in the Canadian Rockies in the Banff national park. The scenery is rather striking as you would expect, so I won’t go on about it here. Instead, this was my favourite image from there.

// Captured on Rollei 100 using a Canon EOS 650 & 50mm f1.8 lens.

Ageing…

\\ Ageing Volvo parked in a side street in Graz, Austria. Older cars have a look that bestows an honest, straight-forward feel upon them. Aesthetically pleasing in a functional way that modern cars seem to lack. Perhaps beautiful is not the correct word to use, but they possess a beauty of their own unique kind.

\\ Captured on Adox CHS art 50 film using a Canon EOS 650. Post-scanning processing: tone & border in pxlr-o-matic.

Walking Away

\\ Captured on Kingsbarns beach with friends

\\ Pentax p30-T on Ilford XP2 film