Stretham Old Engine

Stretham Old Engine, it's hardly ever open to the public but the outside is worthy of some picture making.
Armed with the Holga on the return from Anglesey Abbey the dramatic sky and the bold graphic shapes just begged to be photographed.
A bit of darkroom magic to increase the local contrast in the bricks and lighten the window reflection......photoshop....Humph....some dilute ferri bleach and a cotton bud is the analogue alternative.

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Another Anglesey Holga Image

Ive been really pleased with the images the Holga Toy Camera produces.
I gave this some local bleaching using "ferri" bleach to lift the whites in the statue. Combined with a fairly heavy contrast dialled into the Magnifax Colour Head.

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Trippin' in Manchester

One of my favourite 35mm cameras remains the Olympus Trip 35 - go on to you tube and search for Olympus Trip David Bailey Advert - loaded with Kodak film from the Pound shot, the camera set to "manual" (f2.8 and hope) you can fire away at will....loads of fun, cheaper than digital and results are better too.

Oe of my Trips is just like this one, complete with "snakeskin" covering.

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Dungeness

I find myself wandering along this desolate but somehow beautiful part of the world once a year or so drawn here by work comittments.
It's always a bit of a lottery because the weather can be really bad. Not ideal conditions for this image, I prefer less direct light and some clouds in the sky. But, it's better to have an image than no image.

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Canary Wharf

In 2012 I'd probably get arrested for standing here, looking up and photographing this building , the most iconic tower in Canary Wharf.
I bet, even if I whipped out my 127 Brownie I would be told by some JOBSWORTH that I couldn't photograph the building even though I may be standing on public land......well, pay no attention and tell him he needs to know the law of the land the jumped up little Hitler!

Keep it Analogue......and chilled

Travelling Fair, Gt Yarmouth

It comes every year on the same weekend as the Grand National - it was one of the highlights of the year growing up in Great Yarmouth.
Happened to be in Great Yarmouth last weekend and took the opportunity to wander with the Polaroid 420 Automatic Land Camera and the Holga 120FN.
Lots of bright artwork to draw the eye, the seagull completed the scene.

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Anglesey Abbey #6 - Holga

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Anglesey Abbey #5 - Holga

We chatted at length about the work he did as a volunteer gardener at Anglesey Abbey.
I asked him if he would pose for me, set the holga to the portrait zone, flipped the exposure switch to overcast and made an exposure.
Back in the darkroom with the film loaded into a stainless steel spiral I developed the FP4 for 9 minutes in 10 year old Agfa Rodinal before printing onto Ilford Multigrade Fibre Paper

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Anglesey Abbey #3 and #4

Last of the Impossible images, have just printed some from the Holga including a rather nice portrait of one of the volunteer gardeners leaning on his hoe, I will add those tomorrow.

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Anglesey Abbey #2

Another from yesterday's trip to Anglesey Abbey

Polaroid SX70 Folding SLR with the Impossible Project PX 600 UV+ instant film

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Anglesey Abbey #1

An Easter Holiday outing to Anglesey Abbey with the SX70 folder (above) a 127 Brownie loaded with 35mm film and the Holga 120FN with FP4.
I made 4 exposures using Impossible PX600 UV + Instant film, this statue of Pan and his pipes always draws my eye and it's a first with the SX70 SLR

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Peel Apart Peacock

I know this started out as a photo blog for my black & white darkroom images but really it's become about all things analogue.
I have always loved this slide film shot of a peacock and it now has a new lease of life thanks to the Vivitar slide printer and the wonderful Fuji instant peel apart film

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Holga Girls

For those of you who were wondering (from my vast army of followers - please click on the FOLLOW ME Link even if I subject you to e-mails as it makes me feel better) this is a Holga Toy Camera. It's very basic with two apertures, f8 and f11 or in other words sunny and not so sunny! a fixed shutter speed of 1/100th of a second, a plastic uncoated lens that is soft around the edges and a built in flash.

Photo of Julie, Georgia and Blossom taken whilst on a family walk to Broughton a week or so ago.

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For Peter

I think he likes the old shots so here are some more for Peter

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Holga #2

We were sitting in the grounds of the Crown in Broughton (Cambs) and I was drawn to this solitary child's tricycle.

Holga 120FN Toy Camera, Ilford FP4 developed in Agfa Rodinal 1+25 9mins and printed on Ilford Paper

Holga 120FN "Toy Camera"

I am somewhat late jumping on the "Toy Camera" craze but I suppose it was only a matter of time before I gave in an d bought one to see what all the fuss was about.
The Holga 120FN as its name suggests takes 120 roll film or you can "shoot sprockets" by fudging a 35mm film into it.
The plastic lens adds a dreamy vignetted quality to the images. Focus is guess work, no meter just two apertures of f8 a d f11 (cloudy or sunny)
For this image I used Ilford FP4 a 125ASA film, probably better off using a slightly faster film like HP5 but nonethe less I like the result.
Darkroom print, Meopta Magnifax enlarger, Schneider Companon 105mm lens, Ilford MG paper

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Island Hopping early 1990s

More from the archives - shows an early predeliction towards photographing signs!
I have to admit to being a little addicted to this slide printer.....don't worry...more to follow!

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Instant Santorini Church

I've been using the Vivitar Instant Slide Printer again.
Some slides work better than others, this rich coloured Kodachrome slide from nearly 20 years ago has transferrred well to Fuji FP100c Instant Film.
I can't believe it's nearly 20 years since we back packed around the Greek Islands

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