Month: September 2017

A few (more) frames from… Paris

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On the Nikon F90X Pro…

As I was scanning the negatives for my last ‘A few frames from…’ post it dawned on me that most of my honeymoon images have never been more than contact printed! One thing is for certain, it’s far easier to showcase photos in the internet age than it was 17 years ago…

So here are a few more…

Metro sign, Paris, September 2000Metro sign, Paris, September 2000
Nikon F90X Pro, Sigma 28~200mm f/3.8-5.6 DL Macro – Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO 320

I love these art nouveau signs, designed by French architect Hector Guimard. The curved lamp posts are designed to resemble plant stems but to me always look alien, almost as if they’re going to suddenly bow down and bite an unsuspecting tourist!

Papa? c'est Nicole! Paris, September 2000‘Papa? c’est Nicole!’ Paris, September 2000
Nikon F90X Pro, Sigma 28~200mm f/3.8-5.6 DL Macro – Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO 320

This scene reminded me of the characters created to advertise the Renault Clio car in the UK during the 1990s (search YouTube for the videos) and was taken during one of our many ‘beer in a pavement café’ interludes.

Sacré-Cœur Basilica, September 2000Sacré-Cœur Basilica, September 2000
Nikon F90X Pro, Sigma 28~200mm f/3.8-5.6 DL Macro – Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO 320

The bust of Gustave Eiffel 1832-1923Gustave Eiffel 1832-1923
Nikon F90X Pro, Sigma 28~200mm f/3.8-5.6 DL Macro – Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO 320

Scanning these images is bringing back some very happy memories so expect some more in the next few days…

A few frames from… Paris

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On the Nikon F90X Pro…

As a couple of my recent posts have mentioned our wedding anniversary I thought I’d dig out some of the shots I took 17 years ago while on honeymoon in Paris.

I took two cameras with me, a Nikon F90X Pro fitted with a borrowed Sigma 28~200mm f/3.8-5.6 DL Macro zoom lens, and a Yashica T4, most of the black & white films were shot on the Nikon.

Flower Power Peugeot, Paris, September 2000Flower Power Peugeot, Paris, September 2000
Nikon F90X Pro, Sigma 28~200mm f/3.8-5.6 DL Macro – Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO 320

I have to admit that it took me a couple of days to ‘get’ Paris… I’m not normally a city person and at first I really didn’t like the noise, or the number of people but the more we wandered around, the more photos I took, the more I fell in love with ‘La Ville Lumière’ (The City of Light).

Cimetière de Montmartre, September 2000Cimetière de Montmartre, September 2000
Nikon F90X Pro, Sigma 28~200mm f/3.8-5.6 DL Macro – Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO 320

Lunch in Montmartre Cemetery consisted of nothing more than bread, cheese and red wine… red wine that we ended up drinking straight from the bottle as we’d forgotten to bring anything to drink out of!

La tour Eiffel, September 2000La tour Eiffel, September 2000
Nikon F90X Pro, Sigma 28~200mm f/3.8-5.6 DL Macro – Ilford Delta 400 rated at ISO 320

The films were developed at home (something I really need to start doing again) but have no recollection of the chemistry used, I probably picked whatever was the cheapest available at the time… The Sigma 28~200mm lens was chosen for convenience rather than quality and as a result I steered clear of ‘super zooms’ until last year when I bought the Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR lens to go with my Fujifilm X-T1.

I wish I’d never parted with the Nikon F90X though…

A few frames from… Locomotion – The National Railway Museum at Shildon

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On the Fujifilm X-T1…

Some more shots from our wedding anniversary trip to North Yorkshire and County Durham, this time from a couple of hours spent exploring Locomotion – The National Railway Museum at Shildon

I take a lot of images of railways, most are just straightforward record shots, nothing more, but a few little details caught my eye on this particular day…

N.E.R. Snow Plough No.12N.E.R. Snow Plough No.12
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 21mm – 0.8s, f8, ISO 400

The lettering on this restored North Eastern Railway (NER) Snow Plough (built in 1891) is impressive, especially given that such vehicles were/are rarely in the public eye and mainly only seen by railwaymen clearing snow from the tracks. Percy Main is a small village (now part of North Shields, Tyne and Wear) that grew up around the Duke of Northumberland’s railway station on the Newcastle & North Shields Railway that opened in 1839.

L&NWR Precedent class 2-4-0 No.790 'HARDWICKE'L&NWR Improved Precedent class 2-4-0 No.790 ‘HARDWICKE’
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 29mm – 1/13s, f8, ISO 400

This nameplate and fine crest adorn the London & North Western Railway (L&NWR) ‘Improved Precedent’ class 2-4-0 steam locomotive No.790 (built in 1892 at Crewe). Originally designed to haul express passenger services HARDWICKE took 2 hours and 6 minutes to cover the 141 miles between Crewe and Carlisle on 22 August 1895 setting a new speed record during the Race to the North. A close inspection of the nameplate reveals a build date of 1873, this is because No.790 was officially a ‘renewal’ (i.e. replacement of an earlier locomotive) that kept the name and number of its predecessor.

'DELTIC'‘DELTIC’
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 27mm – 1/3s, f11, ISO 400

These painted aluminium beadings were designed to give an impression of speed (and visually break up the high bodysides) of the English Electric ‘Diesel Prototype 1’ (DP1) locomotive. A designation it never carried, the loco is commonly known as DELTIC as it employed two Napier Deltic engines giving a combined power output of 3,300hp. Following a serious engine failure DELTIC was withdrawn from service in 1961 and donated to the Science Museum in 1963, moving to the National Railway Museum in York in 1993.

A few frames from… Hartlepool

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On the Fujifilm X-T1…

My main digital camera is the excellent Fujifilm X-T1, combined with the Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR lens it forms a superb ‘walk around’ set up.

Last weekend my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a trip to North Yorkshire and County Durham and the following shots are the result of a wander around Hartlepool on Monday, a wander that included some delicious fish and chips from Verrills on High Street!

PSS Wingfield Castle, Hartlepool, September 2017PSS Wingfield Castle, Hartlepool, September 2017
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 52mm – 1/450s, f8, ISO 400

The Paddle Steamer Wingfield Castle is an exhibit at The National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool and was built in the town by William Gary & Company in 1934 for the London & North Eastern Railway’s Humber Ferry service. The PS Wingfield Castle was withdrawn in 1974, seven years before the ferry service ended with the completion of the Humber Bridge.

Northgate, The Headland, Hartlepool, September 2017Northgate, The Headland, Hartlepool, September 2017
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 98mm – 1/450s, f8, ISO 400

Victoria Dock, Hartlepool, September 2017Victoria Dock, Hartlepool, September 2017
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 78mm – 1/500s, f8, ISO 200

Victoria Dock opened in 1840 and although much less busy now than in its heyday it still handles a considerable amount of shipping. The general cargo vessel SP Viking is berthed at the dock in the image above. In the foreground is part of the medieval town wall that once enclosed the whole town.

Railings, The Headland, Hartlepool, September 2017Railings, The Headland, Hartlepool, September 2017
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 41mm – 1/350s, f8, ISO 200

We were pleasantly surprised by Hartlepool, it’s an interesting town, rich in history and we’re keen to return…