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POSH: The Oxford Union, Debating Chamber

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.

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Lunch hour session: Oxford

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.

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Posted in film, Oxford, Street portraits | 2 Responses »

From the archive: Oxford

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.

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Lunch hour session: Oxford

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.

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Posted in film, Oxford, Street portraits | 8 Responses »

If you go down to the woods today

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.

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Posted in film, Oxford | 3 Responses »

Photo walk: Oxford

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.

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Street cool: Oxford

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.

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Posted in film, Oxford, Street portraits, Street style | 2 Responses »

Misty morning along the river: Oxford

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.

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Posted in film, Oxford | 2 Responses »

Oxford: all the fun of the fair

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

I was really looking forward to St. Giles’ Fair this year, especially because I wanted to do some night photography of the neon lights on film. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and I didn’t feel like getting soaked in the rain and wind so here are some images from the first day before the weather turned for the worse.

[Tech info:] Kodak Portra 400 rated at 320 in my Fuji 645. Processed and scanned by me.

Candy shop.

Helium balloons. The wind was starting to pick up and this lady was struggling to hang onto these balloons.

What a lovely bunch of coconuts.

Helter skelter. When the sun came out colours really popped.

See if you can spot the people.

Galloping horses.

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Oxford: large format

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

These images are from my first outing with a new large format 5×4 camera that was a recent treat to myself. It’s made by Shen Hao in Shanghai and it looks like it was made over 100 years ago. For me large format photography is pure photography, getting back to the roots of image making with nothing more than a wooden box and a piece of film. I’ve been using a 5×4 large format camera since buying one in 1990 so it’s not new to me and even though I haven’t used this size of camera since probably the late 90’s it didn’t feel like starting again at all. It’s almost as if I never stopped. When you use one of these cameras it truly is an ‘experience’ in the way no other camera is, not least because when setting up you’re looking at an upside down image on a ground glass screen, usually with a dark cloth over your head to cut down reflections. Needless to say I attracted some attention around town.

[Tech info:] Films used were Ilford Delta 100 and Adox 25.

A nice old bike, I love the rod brakes.

Doorway, Divinity schools quadrangle.

Builders, Brewer street.

I really like the name of this shop.

Doorway, near Beaumont buildings.

Street musician, Broad street.

A man at peace with his pint, outside The Kings Arms pub

Patricia, Art Jericho gallery.

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Oxford: around and about

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

All of these images are from the same roll of Kodak TMAX 100 that expired in 2004. I got it as part of a batch of mixed film that I won in an eBay auction. The camera I used was a Mamiya C330f, twin lens reflex which also came from eBay and this was its first outing. The lens that came with it was a 105mm D which is highly regarded so these are test shots to make sure everything was functioning as it should. Due to its age I wouldn’t have been surprised to find not a lot on the film but despite the contrast being quite low, there’s plenty of detail to be had.

[Tech info:] Mamiya C330f,, 105mm D lens, TMAX100 (expired 2004) film, processed in HC110 developer.

Edmund.

Howard with his Minolta APS camera and expired film.

Street musician, Brasenose Lane.

Bollard (bokeh test).

Radcliffe Camera.

Brooks saddle.

Corner of Walton Street and Little Clarendon Street. This is part of a big redevelopment project so I don't know how long this will be there.

Stolen bike sign, Liscious shop window, Walton Street.

Liscious, Walton Street, RIP. Another casualty of the redevelopment project on Walton Street.

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Oxford: lights, camera, action

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

A new Inspector Morse prequel is being filmed here in Oxford and I just so happened to walk through a scene being shot while I was out during my lunch break. Of course I had a camera on me so here are some images made with my little Olympus Mju-II point and shoot film camera. These are straight scans and I’ve left some of the dust in them for that old skool flavour. Hand processed and scanned by me. The tv show is titled Endeavour and is set in 1965 – you can read more about it here.

*Update* Now that I’ve seen this pilot episode it turns out that my shot below of the black Jaguar car turning the corner is actually the very final shot in the episode. I loved every minute of it.