Mission House Studio

Nickolai, Mission House

You have got to go to the Mission House Studio on the Isle of Harris as there is some fine work on the walls and around this lovely art space. And, you will be made most welcome. I took the 8x10 camera along and loaded with a paper neg I shot this. Contact printed onto Foma Varient RC and toned in Sepia. I like it and so does Nickolai.

Peat Tractor

So, here we have it. A nice contact print from a pre-flashed paper-neg I shot this morning, developed in weak developer, dried then contact printed it using split-contrast filters and sepia toned. Eh? Do we like it? Yes we do.

The Festival is over............... there

All quiet on the western front as the revellers go home.

Just William

8x10 Agfa. PaperNeg

Another 8x10 paper neg

8x10 paper neg

My first 8x10 paper neg digitally inverted because I couldn't wait! Just a test exposure with the old view camera I have been loaned. Now for some portraits......

Diddlededee

In t'town hall- very dim. Only had slowish film and a wee camera. So long exposure

Toots; BluesMan

walk

Eve, on the path

I must say the stroll we did on Skye the other weekend was so lovely I have been reliving it on film as the days have passed. Here's a little selection taken with the Minolta

Lithing around

Sheep shears at 10 paces. Kodak PolyprintRC / LD20

Eve - Koday polyprint RC/LD20

Spent some time out of the rain and mist in the darkroom playing with Lith prints. My first lith session the other day went well but this time using a hot lith developer, my results were less pleasing. However, I do have these two to show;

Haircut 100

Well, 60 anyway. Alec's sheep needed a trim so William and Gemma lent a hand while Mr Batty and I snapped away. Only I had the old Kiev60 and its knackered. Should have remembered - the frames overlap and the shutter cloth has holes in it!!!! Still, managed a few snaps.
I was taking these to make lith prints later so you may just see these again - in print.

Peats - again

The Peats are rather hanging over me. They should be in and sitting nicely next to the house but, one way and another I have not got round to bagging the things and getting Mr tractor to do the honours and bring them in. But, today I actually went out and started the bagging process. Lovely ride out over the peat track on the mtn bike then set too until my back broke.. at least most of it is done - although not back in.

Here another image from our little trip to Skye - just north of Dunvegan

Raasay

The Isle of Raasay has a lovely feel to it. Admittedly the day we were there we were blessed with sunshine and, no midges. Eve and I strolled along to the village after departing the little ferry from Skye then took up the hill to the Iron works before making our way right over the moor to the other side of the south of this little gem. Not sure exactly wjhere this was taken but it was Raasay!

Blue Skye hols

Towards Raasay

Just back from a few days living it up on Skye - just to see more trees. Despite the horrible weather forecast, the sun shone down us most of the time while we took in a longish and lovely walk on Raasay, a trot along under the ridge towards The Quarang. Terrific campsite in Dunvegan made the w/e all the better although I did have raging tooth ache all the time - which made a visit to the dentist back in Stornoway a necessity and there they promptly relieved me of a tooth!

Now back home I have dipped a film in some developer - a Rodinal clone as it happens - and lo and behold out pops the Census survey gang - or at least some of them. If you need to employ someone on the island and one of this lot pops up at you door, employ them as they as great workers I can tell you.