The images in this blog post are from an entire roll of medium format film all shot during the same lunch hour which is a first for me. Total time from start to finish was approximately 30mins. I’ve posted the images here in the same order that they were shot on the roll. It was a freezing cold day but in the sun it was somewhat bearable. The film I used here is slide/transparency film which is meant to be processed with E6 chemicals. I don’t have any at the moment so as an experiment I processed this in C41 chemicals which are meant for colour negative film. The result is meant to be crazy whacky colours but it’s also a bit unpredictable as you can see here. More testing is needed.

When I processed this roll of film I thought the chemicals had gone off because the colour of the developer looked darker than usual and I had mixed them 6 weeks ago. Not wanting to lose all of the shots on the roll I took a gamble and added on 30 seconds to the processing time. It looks like I needn’t have done that and the film got a bit over cooked. Fortunately the images weren’t lost but the contrast seems to have gone through the roof.

[Tech info:] Mamiya C330f with 80mm lens loaded with Kodak Ektachrome 100G film.

G.A.S. (aka Gear Acquisition Syndrome, a little in joke)

This is one way to hold your camera steady.

Work continues on the Bodleian Library building, Broad Street.

University students, Radcliffe Square.

Tourists, Divinity Schools quad.

Students keeping warm in the sun.

Coffee and a muffin.

Georgina and friend. I first met Georgina during a rehearsal for POSH at the Oxford Union. It was sheer chance that we bumped into each other this time so I had to do a street portrait.

My impromptu street portrait had put Georgina and her friend off course and they ended up looping around the Divinity Schools and bumping into me again. This time I decided to try a different spot with better light.

Bodleian Library crane.

Another film photographer that I passed on my way back to my office.

The weather recently has not been very nice for photography. It’s either been very dark and gloomy with no interesting light or it’s been raining. Here are some images that I managed to get during a brief spell if nicer weather. I think these were all made during the same lunch hour.

[Tech info:] Mamiya RZ67, 110mm lens with Kodak Tri-X film, processed in Ilford DDX for 8mins at 20C.

Shoe shop, Turl Street.

One of the very few times I've not asked permission before photographing someone. The Missing Bean, Turl Street.

These two students were so friendly and cheerful about being photographed that it gave me a spring in my step as I headed back to my office. Broad Street.

These two guys seem to be regulars on this blog. They're usually on their lunch break as I head back to my office and my route takes me right past them. They're part of the demolition crew working on the parade of shops along Walton Street.

This shot was made directly after the one above but this time I asked these guys to step out of the direct sun.

All of these images are from the same roll of film inside my Mamiya RZ67 medium format camera. I only get 10 shots on a roll so I make every one count. Regular visitors to this blog may have noticed certain themes that I like to photograph quite often – one of them being old or interesting looking bicycles. Another theme I’ve recently decided to work on is builders. There’s a lot of building work going on near my office so I see quite a few builders around during my lunch hour walk into town. I think it’s important to record some images of the people working on the buildings that are going up around us. They may not be all that interesting to look at now but years from now they will be.

[Tech info:] Mamiya RZ67 camera, 110mm lens with Kodak Portra 400 film. Processed and scanned by me.

I photographed this man on May Morning but I was using digital back then. I'm pleased to have photographed him on film this time.

The owner of Scriptum, a really nice stationary shop on Turl Street.

This builder was painting the wood panels that surround the Bodleain on Broad Street.

These two builders are part of the demolition crew working on Walton Street. I tend to pass them every day on my way back to my office. They're very pleasant to chat to and probably think I'm a bit mad as I stop to photograph them with my old film cameras. You can see the extra dynamic range in film compared to the shots I made on Fuji instant pack film at the same time as these.

Builder, Walton Street.

Builder enjoying a cuppa, Walton Street.

Phillips bicycle, Beaumont Street.

Chainwheel.

While I was visiting Antwerp earlier in the year I saw lots of bicycles there with double crossbars but this was the first time I'd seen one in Oxford.

Current progress on the building project that is on Little Clarendon Street. Former site of the Oxford Barbers, an image of which you can see further back on this blog.

These shots are all from my first attempt at using my Speed Graphic hand held. I think my Speed Graphic is from the 1950’s, it’s a 5×4 large format camera that was used by press photographers and made famous by New York photographer Weegee. As a first attempt I’m pleased to see that there are images on the film especially as I was rushing to make these shots on a really windy cold day. The focus is quite a way off and that’s because I didn’t have the lens parallel with the film – something I only noticed when putting the camera away. Lesson learnt for next time. I’ve scanned the whole negatives so you can see the entire frame.

[Tech info:] Speed Graphic with Ilford HP5+, processed in Ilford DDX for 9mins at 20c.

Art students visiting from London. The girl with the scarf in the front was very excited to see my camera.

This gentleman was my first shot of the three here and he was very patient while I got set up. Thank you.

It's such a shame that the focus is out on this shot. This gentleman looks quite French in this shot but he seemed very English to me.

Recently I’ve been having fun using Fuji instant peel apart film. Years ago these were called Polaroids, named after the company that made invented and made the instant films but today Fuji is the only company left making it. I do still tend to refer to these as Polaroids but not without feeling guilty for lack of credit to Fuji for carrying the torch. I heard someone refer to these as Fujiroids which I thought was very appropriate.

Here are a few Fujiroids of shots that I’ve also made on film but I won’t get to process those rolls until the weekend. I love the ability to have a print in your hand within a couple of minutes of pressing the shutter. It’s nothing short of magic.

[Tech info:] Mamiya RZ67 camera with Fuji FP100-c pack film. The image of the C330f camera was made with a Speed Graphic large format 5×4 camera.

Laundrette. I've cycled past this laundrette on my way to and from work for nearly 14 years but this is the first time I've ever set foot inside.

Mamiya C330f, one of my favourite cameras for street photography.

Tea time. There's some construction work going on down the street from my office. A couple of the builders have allowed me to photograph them, most of the others are camera shy.

Out of the shadows. This shot shows the limitation of this instant film. The contrast range only seems to be around 3 stops. Here I metered for the shadow under the helmet because I didn't want to lose his eyes but in doing so I had to sacrifice the highlights in his face and jacket.