Monochrome Monday… Steamboat on the Trent & Mersey Canal

Steamboat on the Trent & Mersey CanalSteamboat on the Trent & Mersey Canal
Nikon FE2, Tamron Adaptall-2 35-70mm f/3.5 at 70mm – 1/250s, f8, – Lomo Lady Grey 400 rated at ISO 320

Another shot taken with a charity shop find Tamron Adaptall-2 35-70mm f/3.5 lens mounted on my Nikon FE2. A steamboat chuffs its way along the Trent & Mersey Canal at Shardlow during a recent(ish) ‘Photography Friday’ jaunt.

Scan by AgLab with minimal cropping and tweaking in Lightroom Classic CC.

Monochrome Monday… Tees Transporter Bridge

Tees Transporter Bridge, September 2017Tees Transporter Bridge, September 2017
Olympus μ[mju:] Zoom 115 – Fuji Neopan 400CN rated at ISO 200

The Tees Transporter Bridge links Middlesbrough on the south bank of the river Tees to Port Clarence on the north and is the longest transporter bridge in the world with a span (between the towers) of 590ft.

Built by Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow between 1910 and 1911 the bridge replaced a ferry service and the travelling ‘gondola’, suspended from the bridge, can carry 200 people or nine cars across the river in just 90 seconds!

Scan by Peak Imaging with minimal cropping and tweaking in Lightroom CC.

Monochrome Monday… The Sound Tower

The Sound Tower, Chapel Six MarshesThe Sound Tower, Chapel Six Marshes
Nikon FA, Nikkor 85mm f/2 AI-S – 1/125s, f11, – CineStill BwXX rated at ISO 250

The Sound Tower is part of The Structures on the Edge (SOTE) project, a fascinating series of installations on the Lincolnshire coast.

Designed by R Cannon and M Springett, London, the tower is ‘a device that focuses people’s senses and amplifies the windy nature of the site.’

I’ve no idea what the pipes in the foreground are for…

Square Saturday… First roll in the Diana+

Cleethorpes Pier, July 2018.jpgCleethorpes Pier, July 2018
Diana+ – Lomo CN 800

A shot from my first roll in a charity shop find Diana+ camera. I’m not entirely sure how I messed up the film loading but none of the images are even remotely centred on the negative strip, they’re all cropped by the top edge of the film…

I’m quite fond of the little beast though and have a couple more rolls from it waiting development.

Single frame… Crich Stand

Crich StandCrich Stand
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 24mm, 1/220s, f11, ISO 400

High above the Derbyshire village of Crich and 1,000 feet above sea level, is Crich Stand, a memorial to the soldiers of the Sherwood Foresters Regiment who died in World War I, World War II and in conflicts from 1945 to 1970. It also commemorates those who died serving the Worcester and Sherwood Foresters Regiment from 1970 to 2007 and the Mercian Regiment since 2007.

A peaceful spot to remember my wife’s father who served in the Sherwood Foresters during World War II…

Monochrome Monday… St Andrews, Fife

St Andrews, October 2017St Andrews, October 2017
Nikon F3HP, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI-S – 1/500s, f8, – Ilford HP5+ rated at ISO 320

Another shot from October’s holiday in Fife… this time from the “home of golf”.

This scene caught my eye when I glanced over my shoulder during a stroll along the East Scores from the Cathedral to the Castle.

Scan by AgLab with minimal cropping and tweaking in Lightroom Classic CC.

Photography Friday… a trip to Wales

Today’s ‘Photography Friday’ trip took us off to Wales… specifically to the Llangollen Railway and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

Llangollen lies on the River Dee in Denbighshire and plays host to the International Musical Eisteddfod, an event that we completely failed to realise was taking place this week and the town was packed with visitors (and performers) from all over the world!

The River Dee at LlangollenThe River Dee at Llangollen
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 18mm, 1/240s, f11, ISO 400

After grabbing a bite to eat we boarded the first train to Corwen and I was surprised to find (given the recent dry weather and potential fire risk posed by a steam engine in such conditions), Great Western Railway (GWR) 5101 class ‘large prairie’ 2-6-2T No.5199 in charge of the five coach train.

Sadly (for some, not me, I like diesel locos too…) the return trip was handled by British Railways (BR) class 26 diesel-electric D5310 and No.5199 was returned to the engine shed.

GWR 'large prairie' 5199 pauses at CarrogGWR ‘large prairie’ 5199 pauses at Carrog Station
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 32mm, 1/80s, f9, ISO 400

Following a delicious pub lunch overlooking the river at The Cornmill we headed off to see the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a stunning structure that carries the Llangollen Canal (originally the Ellesmere Canal) over the River Dee at a height of 126ft!

Pontcysyllte AqueductPontcysyllte Aqueduct
Fujifilm X-T1, Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5~5.6 R LM OIS WR at 26mm, 1/250s, f8, ISO 400

Completed in 1805 at a cost of £47,000 the aqueduct is a Grade I listed building and a World Heritage Site and still carries boats from the village of Froncysyllte to the canal basin at Trevor. The towpath is open to walkers but a head for heights is definitely recommended!