Reptilian

We found this little guy on a recently trip to Lock Trool in Galloway. I believe it’s a Lacerta vivipar, also know as a common lizard which is a bit of a misnomer as they seemed to be far from common (or at least they were managing to keep themselves well hidden from us!).

Nikon D700 with Sigma 105mm Macro

The Ties Have It

Apologies for the corny title.  It was a bank holiday weekend in England this week so the ties & I got an additional day of rest.

Ilford HP4 developed for 8 minutes in Ilfotec LC29

Bronica SQ Ai 150mm Ilford FP4

Rope at Ballantrae

Simply a rope hanging from a fishing hut in the quiet Scottish harbour town of Ballantrae. There’s a digital shot of this on my last page but I think I like the colours & texture in this one better. Taken with the Bronica on Fuji Pro 400H. 

Bronica SQ Ai with Fuji Pro 400H

Ayreshire & The Absent Landscape

So we spent last week in the gorgeous county of Ayrshire. It really is a beautiful place with a wide diversity of places to explore. The shoreline ranges from dramatic cliffs nestling ruined castles to open beaches, perfect for a quiet walk. Within less than a mile of leaving the beach you can find yourself in stunning countryside, not rugged but more rolling with small villages and beautiful lochs to explore.   

I’d gone with the full intention of coming back with some stunning seascapes and landscapes which I could have printed and hang somewhere in the house but I’m coming to the conclusion that I just don’t click with landscape photography. Not that I don’t love the work of great landscape photographers, I do and I’m constantly enchanted by the work people like Joe Cornish, Mitch Dobrowner produce, it’s just that I don’t have the motivation to do it properly. I’m happy to move mountains of furniture, set up lights, umbrellas, syncs etc to take a portrait or to squelch across half a mile of harbour mud with tripod in hand to take a picture of a slowly decaying fishing boat but the thought of hauling my tripod even 10 metres from my car to shoot a landscape seems to instantly hit a button marked ‘really can’t be bothered’ within me.   

Having said all that, I’m quite pleased with the photograph I took of Lock Trool below but I’m also aware that it was a simple point and click shot with little thought behind it.  To me it transcends the technical and brings back memories of a wonderful day shared with my family.   

I’m never saying never, but for the time being I’m happy pointing my camera at things that are close to me.   

Bronica SQ Ai Ilford FP4+

 

Bronica SQ Ai Ilford FP4+

 

Nikon D700 70-200mm

 

Nikon D700 28-70mm

 

Bronica SQ Ai Ilford FP4+

 

Nikon D700 24-70mm

 

Nikon D700 70-200mm

 

A quick recommendation for the place we stayed while in Ayr, I get nothing for this but it was such a lovely place that it’s well worth a mention. The Pinclanty Mill Cottage is a beautifully refurbished holiday cottage in a wonderfully peaceful location and the people who own the cottage are very helpful and friendly. If self catering is your thing then this should definitely be a consideration.   

Pinclanty Mill Cottage - Nikon D700 24-70mm

 

Pinclanty Mill Cottage - Nikon D700 24-70mm

Rainy Wednesday

Typically for the North East of England, the weather today has been far from conducive to venturing out on a photo expedition so I thought I would post a couple of shots black & white shots I took earlier this week and a portrait of Issy I’d been meaning to work on for ages.

I somehow seem to have nurtured a son who can’t resist taking his kit off in the presence of a lens….bless his heart.

Nikon D700 85mm

Fuji Neopan 400 on Bronica SQ Ai 150mm

Fuji Neopan 400 on Bronica SQ Ai 150mm

Portraits

I like photographs of people more than those of cows, I just never seem to take enough of them (photos of people that is, I have a huge collection of cow shots).  I’m simply blown away by the work of photographers like Yousuf Karsh and more recently by the work of people like John Keatley and Stephan Vanfleteren.

The photos below were lit very simply with two flashes.  There’s a lighting diagram down at the bottom for the portraits if anyone’s interested and a wealth of information on Strobist for anyone who wants to dig a bit further.

Nikon D700, Nikon 70-200mm

Nikon D700, 70-200mm

Nikon D700, Nikon 70-200mm

Nikon D700, Nikon 70-200mm

Portrait Lighting Diagram

A New Bronica

Since starting to take photographs as a hobby, I’ve always used digital cameras, staring with a Olympus before buying a Nikon D700 a couple of years ago, a camera which I love.  I’m not sure where it came from but I’ve recently found myself with a growing desire to start using film, so after copious amounts of reading around but still probably way too little knowledge, I ended up buying a Bronica SQ Ai from eBay. Bring on the manual metering & home developing.   

I’ll be posting some sample images here as time goes on and also no doubt ramble on about how I’m finding the camera if I ever get around to it.  All colour shots are developed in a lab and the black & whites in my kitchen sink before being scanned on an Epson V500.   

Ilford HP5+ 400 on a Bronica SQ Ai

 

Fuji Sensia 100 on a Bronica SQ Ai

 

Kodak Tri-x 400 on Bronica SQ Ai

 

Ilford HP5+ on Bronica SQ Ai

 

Ilford HP5+ on Bronica SQ Ai