Plastic Fantastic

This £30 camera, plastic "toy camera" called the Holga takes 120 film 6cmx6cm negatives. It has a single plastic lens that gives lovely crisp images in the middle and out of focus images at the edges. I used this camera whilst in NYC in August for all my film work.
Here are some of the images printed in the darkroom over the last week.

The Hard Roack Cafe in Time Square

Crossing one of the intersections along broadway heading North from Flatiron to Timesquare

Waiting for the Tour bus to take us on the "Northern loop" tour of Manhatten

Waiting for the bus, this guy walked past and waved

Hardwick Road Cemetery #1

You can't beat a good old day out in a Victorian Cemetery with a pinhole camera...well each to his own is what I say.
Thing is with the pinhole camera, nothing is ever really sharp but everything is in focus.
With an aperture of f138 you can get pretty close to your subject, in fact you need to really to get a dramatic shot.
Composition is by guess work - exposure is a combination of experience and guidance from a pinhole exposure calculator.

Keep it Analogue

Skegness #2

We knew that rain was on the way so it was a case of literally snapping away. It's always a little unpredictable using a toy camera with zone focusing but so , so liberating at the same time.
I was really trying to capture moments, little vignettes of this seaside town and the Holga is just perfect for this.

Keep it Analogue

A Day in Skegness with the Holga

Since I started shooting with the Holga my photography has been liberated......plastic camera, no shutter speeds.....a sunny or shady setting....guess the focus..........I am getting wonderfully exposed negatives, they print well in the darkroom.....and all for £25....makes you think doesnt it.
Ditch that expensive, boring, same as everyone else has, digital camera and

KEEP IT ANALOGUE

Broughton Church

Julie and I went on the 2012 "Rogation Walk" between Wistow Church and Bury Church. We stopped on the way to pray and sing hymns to give thanks for the land and the harvest.
At Broughton Church, before the service I wandered around with my Olympus Trip and made some exposures.
Marjory plays the organ and she didnt seem to mind me taking photos of her hands.
Old photos on the wall in the bell tower caught my eye as light streamed in from a window...it fell on a wooden bench also.
Back in the darkroom and the images came to life.

Keep it Analogue

Street Photography

I have gone back to using Ilford ID11 film developer at a dilution of 1+1 for the recommended time of 12-13 minutes. The negs are probably a bit on the dense side but print WONDERFULLY well. The scans come out great too.
I have been in London quite a bit recently and always make sure I have a camera with me. The Voigtlander Bessa R3a is a rangefinder camera ideally suited to street photography.

Keep it Analogue

Reflections on Venice - Bessa R3a

One of the best Cities in the world to get lost in with your film camera
Voigtlander Bessa R3a
Keep it Analogue

Two Belles

Thought I'd scan some more of my older images, mainly for flikr http://www.flickr.com/photos/warboyssnapper/

I have always been a sucker for boats on shingle, especially with texture that leaps out at you in a black and white shot.
Olympus OM1n with the 28mm Zuiko Lens
Silver Gelatin Darkroom Print

Keep it Analogue

Pinhole Pier - Mumbles

Starting to use my Zero 2000 Pinhole camera again and rater liking the results.
You can make a pinhole camera out of almost anything - loads of articles on line.
I bought a rather nice looking wooden model some years ago (when I had spare cash)

Mine looks much like this.

Keep it Analogue

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.

Keep it Analogue

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.

Keep it Analogue