Behind the scenes photography from a day spent in Merton College, Oxford with the Endeavour crew during filming of FILM 3 from series 7 in October 2019. This was a busy day as I recall with both exterior and interior scenes including a stunt involving a big book and a ladder.
[Tech info:] Leica M6, 40/1.4 Voigtlander Nokton, Fuji Superia 200 film, Noritsu scans.
Behind the scenes during filming of Endeavour 7 | FILM 1 in the Goodman Library at the Oxford Union, August 2019. This location is a favourite of mine and one I am very familiar with having photographed quite a few speaking events there over the past few years. Once the artificial sunlight came streaming in through the windows and the library was filled with haze the space was completely transformed.
[Tech info:] Leica M6, 40/1.4 Voigtlander Nokton, Ilford HP5 @ ISO 1600, developed in XTOL stock, Pakon scans.
A year ago this week Giffords Circus came to University Parks here in Oxford and I went along to photograph some of the performers behind the scenes as I have done the past few years. On the first day of their performance I take along photographs from the previous year to give to the returning performers. Sadly due to the COVID-19 global pandemic Giffords aren’t performing this year which is a real shame. Hopefully they’ll be back in 2021.
[Tech info:] Fuji GW690, Fuji 400H (expired), Noritsu scans.
Day one of filming Endeavour series 7 in Oxford started in New College Lane. It was a busy morning with quite a bit of coverage to film and there was a stunt involving a cyclist. It was fascinating to see the amount of planning involved for a few seconds of action on screen. One of the first scenes to be filmed didn’t make the final cut.
[Tech info]: Leica M6, 35/2.8 Zeiss Biogon, Kodak Portra 400 (could possibly be Superia 200), Noritsu scans.
On one of my cycle rides around Oxford city centre for my daily exercise during lockdown I took along my Widelux panoramic camera to document the empty streets that would usually be full of people and traffic. Truth be told, I’ve never enjoyed cycling around Oxford more than I have recently especially with cleaner air to breath and the absence of mobile phone zombies crossing the road in front of you with their eyes glued to their screens. Small benefits of lockdown.
[Tech info:] Widelux, Kodak Ektar 100, Noritsu scans.
Here are some behind the scenes pictures during filming of Endeavour 7 | FILM 1 in August 2019. I don’t have any notes to refer to but from memory the morning was spent inside the Oxford Union and after lunch was spent filming inside and outside a flat near St Catherine’s College. The Oxford Union is one of my favourite places to photograph but when I’m photographing speaking events there I almost always use b&w film so it was nice to use some colour film for a change to show the beautiful interior. The set dressing for the interior of the bedroom in the flat looked amazing and contained lots of little details in terms of props which I’ve tried to record in my pictures below.
[Tech info:] Leica M6, 35/1.2 Voigtlander Nokton, Fuji Superia 200 film (expired), Noritsu scans.
These behind the scenes pictures are from the first day of filming in Oxford for Endeavour 7. After spending the morning filming on New College Lane the rest of the day was spent filming a garden party complete with string quartet which sounded amazing.
[Tech info:] Leica M6, 35/2.8 Zeiss Biogon, Fuji Superia 200, Noritsu scans.
Behind the scenes during filming of Endeavour 7 | FILM 3 in Merton college, Oxford at the end of October, 2019. These shots are from two different days that the crew spent in Merton College making good use of the lovely grounds and some of the rooms (second unit also filmed a brief scene on Merton Street). Fortunately we had nice weather the whole time, dry but very cold.
[Tech info:] Rolleiflex 2.8F, Zeiss Planar, Fuji 400H (expired), Noritsu scans.
Here are some behind the scenes pictures from the first day of filming in Oxford on Endeavour 7 | FILM 1, August 2019. It was great to see the crew again after nine months. We had a very busy morning on New College Lane but a slightly more relaxed afternoon inside one of the college gardens. Shaun Evans was directing this FILM and his stand-in, Anthony, can be seen in the first shot below. For a change I used my 35mm Zeiss Biogon lens and I really like the colour rendering in these shots especially the ones in the shade on New College Lane. Perhaps I should use it more with colour film.
[Tech info:] Leica M6, 35/2.8 Zeiss Biogon, Fuji Superia 200 film, Noritsu scans.
First test roll with a 40mm wide-angle lens I recently picked up for my Bronica SQ-A. I’ve had the lens for a while but I needed some dry weather during my lunch break to test it out. The lens is very wide and allows close focusing which I like. The interior shot of Worcester College chapel was an 8 second exposure which is the slowest shutter speed on the camera. I can see that being very useful in some situations. The roll of Ilford Pan F I used expired in 2007 so I rated it at ISO 25. Even though slow films are meant to lose sensitivity over time slower than faster emulsions Pan F tends to suffer quite badly for a film with a box speed of ISO 50. Not a problem on this occasion because I wanted to use the 40mm lens fairly wide open. I’m pleased with the results from this lens and it’s a keeper.
[Tech info:] Bronica SQ-A, 40mm Zenzanon lens, Ilford Pan F (expired), developed in XTOL 1+1.
Some shots here from a lunch break photo walk where I was testing a lens and a film + filter combination. The lens is a Nikon 28mm f2.0 AIS that is very beaten up. There’s a slight rattle inside if I shake it so I’d say all is not well with it but I’m beginning to like the strange almost lens-baby-style blur it gives when used at wide apertures. The film and filter combination I was testing was Eastman Double X motion picture film combined with an orange filter. The D96 developer I’m using is a 1 litre stock solution that I’ve developed 7 rolls through and these negs look fairly thin so I think I should be increasing the development time although there is no mention of doing that from Nik & Trick (the supplier I purchased it from). The 1 litre solution is said to be good for 18 rolls but I’m not so optimistic.
[Tech info]: Nikon FA (aperture priority), Nikon 28mm f2.0 AIS lens, orange filter, Eastman Double X (expired) developed in D96 for 7 mins.
I was recently asked to make a promo shot for a new band called Transmission From Nowhere to coincide with the release of their new CD. One of the band members is a fellow film photographer and suggested doing the shoot on the now illusive Fuji FP-3000B instant b&w film which I was more than happy to do. I’ve got a range of cameras that can use this film but I decided on my Mamiya RB67 because I have a sliding back for it that allows two different exposures next to each other on the same print which results in a diptych.
We used the whole pack of film for the shoot – a whopping 10 shots – and I can’t begin to tell you how much fun it was. All double exposures were done in camera. No batteries and no squinting at LED screens required.
[Tech info:] Mamiya RB67, 127mm lens, Fuji FP-3000B instant b&w film (expired).
