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Thursday, November 24th, 2011
Here’s something a little different from my usual street portraits. I bought this large format 5×4 camera brand new in 1990 and it’s still going strong. Whenever I used to take it out around Oxford it would always draw a crowd of people that thought it was a hundred years old. This image was made in total darkness and ‘painted light’ with a Mini Maglite torch that I focussed down to a small spot of light. It was total guess work as to what the exposure needed to be but it turned out great.
[Tech info:] Speed Graphic 5×4 camera, 127mm lens at f8 on Fuji FP100-C pack film.
Wista field 5x4 camera.
Posted in film, Still life | No Responses »
Sunday, November 20th, 2011
This morning I spent a few hours photographing the dress rehearsal of a new play called ‘POSH’ which is being staged at the Oxford Union Debating Chamber, a fantastic building dating back to 1823. The cast and crew were really nice to work with and I photographed what I could without being too intrusive. I didn’t have time to stay to the end but what I did see was really very good. The show runs from 21 – 25th November, more details are on the website: http://www.poshoxford.co.uk
I approached the team putting on this production after I saw their website written in chalk outlines of bodies on the pavements of Oxford city centre. A clever marketing campaign that certainly got my attention. I really enjoyed working with this team and would really like to do more of this kind of documenting of goings on in the city.
Cast members from 'Posh'
Drinking club.
A member of the cast. This shot was made on Fuji instant pack film and seems to have lost detail in the shadows. I did make some exposures on Tri-X film and I'll post them when I've processed them as a comparison.
A cast member in character.
Posted in film, Oxford | No Responses »
Sunday, November 13th, 2011
These shots are all from the first roll through a Pentax 67 medium format camera that I recently got. I’ve been having some random issues with my other Pentax 67 so I decided to pick up a second body that can be a spare and also for when I want to shoot colour and b&w at the same time. The weather for the past week has been day after day of heavy cloud that has felt very oppressive. The light level has hardly been brighter than 4pm on a winter day. All of these shots bar one were shot during the same lunch hour on the brightest day in over a week.
[Tech info:] Pentax 67, 105mm lens, loaded with New Kodak Portra 400. Processed and scanned by me.
Oxford students relaxing in the sun. I really like the autumnal colours in this shot.
Building work at St. Mary's Tower. The stonework is beginning to crumble on this old tower so it's in desperate need of repair before a chunk falls on someone.
Plebs' College is back.
Vicar's bike. I love this bike and can't help photographing it whenever I come across it. It belongs to a vicar and looks 100 years old.
Private sign.
Rusty spiral staircase near the Turf Tavern.
Mayfair bike. I love the retro look of this bike, especially the chrome chain guard.
TV camera crew filming a documentary. That's a big HD camera.
Posted in film, Oxford, Street portraits | 2 Responses »
Friday, November 11th, 2011
This is one of my all time favourite images that I made during a trip to the states back in (I think) 1993. This shot is from Yosemite National Park, somewhere along the Tioga Pass. Every year the Tioga Pass is closed for the winter because the snow fall is so heavy it’s not possible to safely travel along it. This shot was made on the day before it was to be closed off. Unfortunately this scan doesn’t do the original justice because when you view the original transparency on a lightbox the colours and clarity in the image have to be seen to be believed.
[Tech info:] Wista Field 5×4 camera, 90mm lens, Fuji Velvia 50 film rated at ISO64 and pushed 1 stop in processing.
Lone tree, Yosemite National Park.
Posted in film, Travel | No Responses »
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
Recently it occurred to me that so far I’ve only posted film images made on negative films, either colour or b&w. My archive of film photography mostly consists of transparencies (slides) stretching back to the late 80’s. From the late 80’s to early 90’s I used to work in a photo lab that specialised in processing E6 slide films by hand so I got free processing and discount film. I’ve got so much material that if I continue to create new images at the rate I’ve been doing recently I will probably never have enough time to scan it all.
After seeing one of my contacts on Flickr get excited about shooting some slide film I thought I’d dig something out of my archive. The image below is from the early 90’s and is a view from the top of Magdalen Tower looking up the HIgh Street towards Carfax.
[Tech info:] Wista 5×4 large format camera loaded with Fuji Velvia 50 film. I used to rate Velvia at ISO64 and then push process it 1 stop.
Oxford dreaming spires.
Posted in film, Oxford | No Responses »
Monday, November 7th, 2011
These images are from earlier in the summer. I’m slowly working my way through a huge backlog of film. The weather is really grim at the moment which is preventing me from creating any new images so if this is the start of things to come I might actually get a chance to catch up with my scanning. All of these images are from the same roll of Kodak Ektar 100 which I was testing out for possibly the first time.
[Tech info:] Mamiya C330f loaded with Kodak Ektar 100. Processed and scanned by me.
Impressive hair do. I chatted with this girl about photography. She shoots film. I encouraged her to try processing her own. I think she was visiting from North America. A very pleasant girl.
I seem to remember that this guy was rather tall. I like his sunglasses. Outside the Sheldonian Theatre.
Italian tourists. There was a 4th person belonging to this group but she didn't want to be in the shot. I wonder what she'll think when she sees this.
Brown and black. Just as I was on my way back to my office I noticed this girl locking her bike so I waited until she had finished before asking her to stop for a shot. I like how her shoes match her retro shoulder bag.
They don't make 'em like they used to.
Posted in film, Oxford, Street portraits | 8 Responses »
Saturday, November 5th, 2011
Some images from the end of the summer that were made in a wood near my house. I was accompanied by my friend and work colleague Martin because he knows this place very well and it’s easy to get lost in there. The first image here of the sunrise was the second trip we made. The first trip as the sun was going down one evening was to have a scout around so that when we decided to revisit the wood at sunrise we would know exactly where to go. Our preparation paid off because a couple of weeks later we went back to the wood on a chilly Sunday morning for the sunrise and the light was magical (first image below).
[Tech info:] Mamiya RZ67 loaded with Kodak Portra 160 and 400 film. The sunrise image was made on Portra 400, the others on 160. Processed and scanned by me.
Sunrise through the trees
Leaves are beginning to turn.
Evening light.
Smooth bark.
Posted in film, Oxford | 3 Responses »
Sunday, October 30th, 2011
Earlier in the year I noticed some great photography posted on Flickr from a photographer based in Oxford. After sending him a message it turned out that he works down the road (literally a stones throw away) from my office. He exclusively uses medium format b&w film and I always enjoy seeing which parts of Oxford he’s been exploring from his abstract images. A few weeks ago we arranged to meet up after work to go on a photo walk which took us down to Port Meadow. Here are some images from that trip. Unfortunately I lost some shots from the end of a previous roll of film but I don’t know how or why. The film came out blank. It might be a faulty lens, I’m still looking into it.
[Tech info:] Mamiya C330 loaded with Kodak Portra 400 colour film. Processed and scanned by me.
Rainbow over North Oxford.
Empty triangles.
Sinking tree.
Gold plated heart.
Weeping willow.
Posted in film, Oxford | 1 Response »
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
I like this image so much that I think it deserves a post all by itself. How cool does this guy look? This was on Broad Street, Oxford. Hopefully I’ll get to photograph him again with some other cameras.
[Tech info]: Pentax 67, 105/2.4 with Tri-X @ 200, processed in Rodinal 1:50 for 9 mins, 20C.
Sharp dressed man.
Posted in film, Oxford, Street portraits, Street style | 2 Responses »
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
This set of images are from a day trip to London that I made in September. All shots are from the same roll of film, processed and scanned by me.
[Tech info]: Expired Fuji NPH 400 (2007) in a Mamiya C330.
It's very rare for me to photograph someone on the street without asking them first but I really liked the bright colours in this scene and as I was walking past the man was so engrossed in his phone that I decided to grab the shot - of course that's when he looked up at me!
This photographer was part of what seemed like a Leica user meet up in Soho but they all had M9's whereas this guy had a film Leica so of course he was the only one that I photographed.
This lady was having a smoke break outside the beauty salon that she worked in.
These masks remind me of Strong bad the wrestler: http://www.homestarrunner.com/vcr_sb.html
RGB
I love the exterior of this shop and can only imagine what it's like inside.
Just chillin'.
Hats, hats and more hats.
Posted in film, London, Street portraits | 2 Responses »
Monday, October 17th, 2011
The mornings during last week have been quite misty and the light during sunrise has been quite amazing but the only time I’ve been able to enjoy it is on my cycle ride to work. That was until the weekend. I got up especially early and braved the frosty temperature to enjoy the sunrise along the river Isis near Iffley Locke. Apart from a few joggers there was no one around and the peace and quiet was very relaxing. These images were all made with my large format 5×4 inch camera.
[Tech info]: Shen Hao 5×4 camera, 150mm lens, Fp4+ film processed in Rodinal (1:50) for 16mins, 20C.
Into the water.
The way back home.
Fade out.
Breaking through.
Posted in film, Oxford | 2 Responses »
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Apologies for the lack of any new images being added. I’ve been very busy working through my back log of processing which seemed to be never ending as I was busy adding newly exposed rolls of film to the pile almost daily. I’ve now got a huge pile of negs waiting for me to scan in so I know what I’ll be busy doing during the dark winter months. I’ve had a quick look through and there are some real gems in there so stay tuned as I drip feed them in the weeks and months ahead.
Here are a few images from a day trip to London near the end of July. More images to come from this roll.
[Tech info:] Mamiya C330f. I need to check on which type of film this was.
Taking a break.
Watching the world go by. This man reminded me of Stan Lee. We had a nice conversation about how London and the types of tourists that visit have changed over the past 20 years.
Leica photographer. I bumped into this fellow film photographer as I was on my way out of the British Library. I can't remember which model Leica he was using. The sun was very harsh, this is on the edge of the shadow from the building.
Posted in film, London, Street portraits | No Responses »
