A shocker

A snap of the village with Mr Windy's Holga 35mm

The last few days have been a shocker. A good shocker as it happens. I have at last managed to see a few words written by a budding author in the village - and liked what I read. I have heard from a former dentistry work colleague who now lives on a remote Shetland Isle . How good is that? And the sun has shone, I had a lovely walk with my dance teacher's secretary and her son, I met my new work colleague and all is nearly well is the world.

Stornoway with Mr Windy's holga 35mm

Television

In my line of work, I do have little conversations with a variance of personages about all sorts of things. That's the sort of person I am. One thing that often crops up is the fact that we do not have a television at home - and have not had one for at least twenty years. I'm just waiting to see if they catch on first!

"What do you do in the evenings" I get asked, "stare at the walls?". Well no actually, we do have a pooter so I can look at things, watch an occasional film that gets sent by post, read books [remember those? ], print in my darkroom and countless other things - like talk to each other. Weird isn't it? It made me wonder how many more of you out there do not have a television.

In the meantime while you contemplate the above, I post two snaps to show you the fine grain of the Foma 400 @ 250 in Rodinal - although the choice of sand for this I now realise was a bit of a home goal. Oh well :-( 

 Look, little grain

Sand, not grain

.

BTW; the sun shone ALL day - bar the short time it didn't and Eve and I had a lovely stroll with my dance teacher Karmeina.

The day it rained nearly all day bar a few moments in the morning and the evening.

Rain coming by

Out Eishken way - on a dryish day

It is  quite warm for the time of year but extremely wet. The island is sodden. I mean, even more sodden than is usual. Today's walk was late - just after the rain had stopped for a while and hence it was nearly dark. It feels like it's never going to stop.

Oh dear.

Hasselblad 50mm Distagon RolleiRetro400s Rodinal 


And while you  are wasting time, check out Basic Black blog. Great stuff with lots of lovely links to blog and web photo sites [including this one !]

Hp5, Tri-x, Rollei 400s, Orwo N74, Foma400, Ilford Pan 400 or what?

I have cameras. Several of them lurking around the place. medium format, largish format and 35mm. Hang on, excuse me a moment while I peek out and see what that glow is outside....

It's the Sun. Hurrah! Not seen that for a while. There goes my darkroom sesh!

To The Croft - Tri-x

As I was saying, I have several cameras and, things being what they are - the wind from the north, the price of carrots and what have you, I am using 35mm this year a lot. I like 35mm. The cameras are generally small, light and ,,,,, cheap. For the Island Crofter series [3 years and counting ] I have virtually exclusively used 35mm. I can creep up unawares and snap the Crofter doing his thing without him hearing me. Except when I have to take a meter reading first, wipe the rain off my face and find a spot away from the 50mph wind and shout at Maclaren to stop eating my boot - most of the time really. Still, the little Zorki6 does a lot of the work - a freebee from Mr Blomquist in Sweden - along with an OM10, the Kiev II and any other cameras that I notice around the place. Not sure where they came from really.

Toots feeling happy - Tri-x

These days proper film  is not cheap. In fact what with the price of silver being what is is/has been, movies using more digital than film [except for the good ones :-) ] the prices have gone up and up. So, I'm always looking for a bargain to grab. Ilford film from Mobberly is truly excellent - HP5 being a nice 400 film although my choice of developer - Rodinal - means that it's best at 250 really. Scanned or wet-printed.

I mean, I do like grain but there is a limit! It's not cheap though - the best never is - but I bagged a couple of  out-of-date 30m rolls from Spain recently at a good price so that should keep me going for a while.

Fallen Angel - Tri-x

The same goes for Kodak Tri-x - I bought 10 out of date cassettes of the stuff for - cheap :-). Looks like a grainy HP5 to me - but I'm sure there's a better way to do it! It was meant to be THE photojournalists film after all but I'm not so keen. I've also got some ORWO n74 - which is nice too. Grainy but nice tones me thinks . Foma 400 is fantastic at either 250 [rodinal 1:50] or 1600 [Rodinal !;50]. Don't ask me why, I just like it. Ilford Pan 400 - made for the export markets [India etc] I like too but the BEST real 400 film for me is Rollei400s - works lovely in Rodinal and wet-prints beautifully. Yes, really. Pity really since I haven't got much of that stuff left. 

Mmm, maybe I need some more for 120 / Medium format!

Oh bother. The sun has gone !

We need more rain - like a fish needs a tandem :-)

 Toots in An Lanntair

 William in An Lanntair

Norman in An Lanntair

It rained again today. It's pouring down as I write despite or perhaps because there was a wonderful red sunrise this morning coming up over the mainland mountains. As they say, "Red sky in the morning, Sheepherder's pie at night" - or something like that. Which, as it happens is wrong since we are having potato cakes and other veg.

Twas lovely despite the dampness. I met Mr Leica Man at his Hebridean Garden Machinery, then William, my former-work colleague for a Mocha in An Lanntair. Norman was there of course then along happened Toots. That's the nice thing about this place, you'll be pretty certain to meet someone you know every day.

And yes, these are meant to be blurry ! Made with Kodak Fine Grained Positive and Polypan-f film.

The day I was late in getting up as it was blowin a hoolie outside [again] and I'd been working out late the night before.

Odd colours

Yes, yes, it's colour. Odd colour mind you. Even I can see that. I think it might be the Episcopal church in Stornoway but I wouldn't put money on it. I rarely put money on anything. Not because I don't trust my judgement [I don't as it happens] but because I don't agree with gambling. There I've said it. Having said that, I must admit to putting 50p each way on some nag at the Grand National a few years back but, hey surely that's traditional. Of course the nag fell at the first fence - if it even got that far.

Oh, I didn't dream this morning. Well, I can't remember it anyway. Sorry.

Off to the darkroom now for a spot of wet printing :-)

The day I went to town to replace the broken washing machine

Consumer capitalism at work

There's wet washing hanging all over the place. Newspaper on the floor to catch the drips as the un-spun washing relieves itself of water. The machine that washes the clothes for us broke last evening. The spindle thing that holds the drum thing seems to have given up the ghost - and it's only 15 years old! Goodness, things are not meant to last these days are they?

The tunnel was long and dark with running water in the bottom. I inserted myself into it feet first and pulled my bod along, somehow floating on the water. When I got to the daylight, the exit was vertical with handrails but I managed to pull myself up feet-first without drowning myself in the process. I found myself on a roof with steps to my left, a bit drop over some windows on my right. I took the steps. Then I woke up. Eh? What was all that about then?

Time for a coffee me thinks.

And no Sir, it was not you in the green suit. Trust me. If it was, I would have never got in the bath with you :-)

Edit; I now have a new washing machine - delivered the same day and at a better price than the new discount store. From here. Highly recommended shop