3rd Avenue and 42nd Street

We'd been on the "Southern Loop" of the bus tour, still stifling hot in NYC and we just wanted to get off and walk in the shade. UN building was the next stop so off we hopped and walked down 42nd street towards Grand Central Station. At the junction with 3rd Avenue I snapped a picture of the receeding street and the yellow cab.
Impossible PX680 Test Film
Polaroid SX70 Folding SLR

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Brownstone and Water Towers

A morning walk from the Broadway Plaza, round the block via 6th Avenue (The Avenue of the Americas) and back up West 26th Street. The early morning sun was just creating dappled lighting on these classic New York warehouses with the wooded water containers on the rooftops. (low water pressure in Manhatten).
Polaroid SX70 Folder
PX680 Opacification Test Film V4b

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FlatIron

The FlatIron Building set against a bland sky really helps here I feel.
Looks almost like the bow of a ship.

Polaroid SX70 SLR
Impossible Test Film PX680V4 (Opacificaltion Layer Test)

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FlatIron, New York

Our Hotel was just a few blocks away from the iconic FlatIron building. A much, much photographed building, not, however by me!
An early morning stroll before the heat of the day built up with the Polaroid SX70 SLR

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Village Market, New York

It was toward the end of the same hot day, we retreated into this intereting little street market filled with quirky hand made gifts.
I found myself constantly looking up at the NYC skyline and there she was, in her shades, waiting to be photographed.

Polaroid SX70 Folder
Impossible Project PX680 Test Film

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Immigration Hall, Ellis Island

We had queued up for ages waiting in the midday sun for a ferry to take us to Ellis and Liberty Islands. Into Ellis Island Imigration Hall, away from the searing heat, I was immediately drawn to the USA flag and the light streaming in from the high windows.
Out came the SX70 SLR loaded with PX680 test film

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Don't Walk - East Village NYC

Been a hot day in New York, temperatures over 30 degrees and the humidity was high. Like all true English people we went out in the midday sun.
By the late afternoon the sun was a bit cooler and it was time to bring out the SX70 as we walked through the East Village.
Went in some trendy shops, sussed out where the Impossible Project shop and exhibition space was and finally ended up in Chinatown where we had the most wonderful Vietnamese meal.

Polaroid SX70 SLR
Impossible PX680 Test Film

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Empire State from Madison Square Park

Returned from first ever trip to the USA with loads of instant images from the SX70 Folding SLR, 250 and 103 Land Cameras.
Our hote, the Broadway Plaza was a few blocks up from the flat iron building and about 15 blocks from Times Square. The Hotel is to be recommended in all regards.
Here I had wandered off by myself early in the morning, there were some street cleaners and joggers to keep my company as I made my first exposure using the new Impossible Test Film. This latest incarnation of the "Polaroid-Type" emulsion requires no shielding from light once it spits out of the camera. Finally, the Impossible team are getting close to the original Polaroid performance.
The colour is not optimised but the muted, almost sepia like tones I think work well.

Shot from Madison Square Park looking North up 5th Avenue.

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Reg was 25 when he died in 1893

When I was a boy Reg still had a head, I wonder what happened to it?
I had forgotten how peaceful this old cemetery was, I even found some relatives from 1823.
I have stocked up on Polaroid Blue film for our New York trip.

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Polaroid Fenland Project

An on going project to document the Fenland area around Warboys using mainly instant film, in this case Fuji 3000B pack film in my Polaroid 103 Automatic Land camera.
This film has a box speed of 3000 ISO and is VERY sensitive to the smallest light leaks in these old cameras. This 103 is one of my better pack cameras and leaks are generally few and far betweem.
With this project I am trying to record the essence of the fens, straight roads (droves), drainage ditches and wonky electricity poles feature heavily.

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More Hardwick Cemetery

More cheerful images made with film and a pinhole camera.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Another Place

Antony Gormley's "Another Place" has fascinated me since my first visit 4 years ago.
The statues cover 2 miles of beach and the cast iron figures are cast from his own body - much like his famous "Angel of the North"
Thought they needed the Polaroid treatment
103 Automatic Land Camera loaded with Fuji 3000b

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FPP UK 2012 - Photo Meet and Walk

I thought I would share some images from the Second Annual Film Photography Podcast UK Meet.

The hosts of the Film Photography Project http://www.filmphotography/ project.com

came over to the UK from Butler New Jersey and, along with about 40 other listeners from the UK, Spain, Belgium, Canada all converged at the Lomography East Store in Spitalfields.

We had such a great day, shooting film, comparing cameras, hanging out with like minded people.

Polaroid 103 Automatic Land Camera, Fuji FP 100c Instant film

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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.

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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.

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More Underground

Some more candids with the Bessa

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London Underground

Been spending a bit of time working in London.
Took my Voigtlander Bessa R3a rangefinder camera with me.
Motion captured

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