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.

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.

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.