Author: freelancewastrel

Single frame… Serendipity in Scotland

~ freelancewastrel ~ 1 Comment

My pal Mark (husband of my regular ‘Photography Friday’ partner in crime, Rachel) loves flags so it came as no surprise when he suggested a visit to the National Flag Heritage Centre at Athelstaneford during a trip to Scotland.

Lone tree, AthelstanefordLone tree, Athelstaneford
Fujifilm X-T2, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 19mm, 1/200s, f11, ISO 200

The Heritage Centre occupies a lectern doocot (dovecote) dating from 1583 to the rear of Athelstaneford Church but it was the above scene that caught my eye when I rounded the corner!

I’ll confess to not knowing what kind of tree it is but I recognise a Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) when I see one!

Monochrome Monday… Winch, Craster, August 2020

~ freelancewastrel ~ Leave a comment

Winch, Craster, August 2020Winch, Craster, August 2020
Ondu 6×6 Pocket Pinhole + ND8 filter, 30s, f167 – Foma Pan 100
Developed in Ilford DDX at 1:4, 8 mins at 20°c.

Another pinhole pic from a recent visit to Craster in Northumberland.

This winch is quietly rusting away beside the harbour and only a couple of feet away from the bench where we tucked into a picnic lunch…

Again, I could’ve done with getting much closer with the wide-angle Ondu camera!

Square Saturday… Craster on the Ondu 6×6 Pocket Pinhole camera

~ freelancewastrel ~ Leave a comment

Craster, August 2020Craster, August 2020
Ondu 6×6 Pocket Pinhole + ND8 filter, 19s, f167 – Foma Pan 100
Developed in Ilford DDX at 1:4, 8 mins at 20°c.

Another pic from a recent visit to Craster in Northumberland, this time taken on the ONDU 6×6 Pocket pinhole camera.

Last weekend’s trip north came just a couple of days after I received my camera in the post so I just had to take it!

I’ve not yet got the hang of getting close enough to the subject with the camera’s wide 115° angle of view (and no viewfinder) but I’m sure practice will make perfect!

Single frame… Cove Harbour, August 2020

~ freelancewastrel ~ Leave a comment

Cove Harbour, August 2020Cove Harbour, August 2020
Fujifilm X-T2, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 32mm, 1/300s, f11, ISO 200

A brief trip to the Scottish Borders last weekend gave us the opportunity to explore a couple of lesser known locations on the coast below Dunbar.

Cove Harbour was one such location. The tiny natural harbour was improved in 1831 by the building of a breakwater and to all intents and purposes not much has changed since then!

Access to the harbour from land is via a tunnel through the cliffs that was dug by hand in the 1700s, a tunnel that has a number of side chambers that were used for storing fresh fish (and no doubt a variety of smuggled goods!) The chambers continued to be used as changing rooms by bathers until they were sealed up in 1981.

It’s a location I’m very keen to return to!

Monochrome Monday… Mercia Marina on Kentmere Pan 400

~ freelancewastrel ~ Leave a comment

From Friday’s film disappointment (Foma Retropan 320) to a film I’m really beginning to love… Kentmere Pan 400.

Mercia Marina, January 2020Mercia Marina, January 2020
Nikon FE, Zoom-NIKKOR 43˜86mm f/3.5 AI at 43mm, 1/250s, f8½ – Kentmere 400
Developed in Ilford DDX at 1:4, 11½ mins at 20°c.

Mercia Marina (off the Trent & Mersey Canal in South Derbyshire) is an odd mix of old boats and new buildings and it made for an interesting ‘Photography Friday’ outing back in January.

I was testing a (new to me) Nikon FE and shooting an inexpensive black & white film made sense as I’d just started home developing again.

Kentmere Pan 400 is certainly more contrasty than the Retropan and whilst still grainy, it’s a more ‘crisp’ grain that I rather like.

I’ve just bought some Kentmere Pan 100… let’s see what that’s like?

Single frame… Chimneys, Long Eaton

~ freelancewastrel ~ Leave a comment

Chimneys, Long Eaton, April 2019Chimneys, Long Eaton, April 2019
Olympus OM-20, Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8, 1/250s, f11 – Foma Retropan 320
Developed in Ilford DDX at 1:4, 10 mins at 20°c.

It’s taken me over a year to finish this roll of Foma Retropan 320 and although the results are better than the roll I shot in Norfolk last year (in the then on loan Fujica GW 690) I still don’t think I’ll be rushing to buy any more…

This roll only had one damaged frame but the lack of contrast and ‘fluffy’ grain still aren’t to my taste. If anyone has any tips for exposing and/or developing this film to get the best out of it then please let me know…

Throwback Thursday… Royal Albert Bridge, August 2014

~ freelancewastrel ~ Leave a comment

Royal Albert Bridge, August 2014Royal Albert Bridge, August 2014
Fujifilm X20, Fujinon Super EBC 7.1-28.4mm f2~2.8 at 12.7mm, 1/280s, f8, ISO 100

What was I photographing on this day in previous years?

Six years ago I was travelling from Liskeard to Exeter by train and couldn’t resist poking the lens of my Fujifilm X20 out of an open window to capture the Royal Albert Bridge.

The bridge spans the River Tamar and also the border between Cornwall and Devon. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, construction commenced in 1854 with the bridge opening on 2 May 1859.

For the rail enthusiasts amongst you the train was ‘The Royal Duchy’, the 14.00 First Great Western service from Penzance to London Paddington, powered by High Speed Train power cars 43151 and 43195.