I never said I was consistant

Yesterdays snaps were almost in focus - although I do agree that focus is overrated. But today, with the same camera - and film as it happens - we have a sharp image - taken yesterday. I mean I quite like it. And so I should since it depicts me pal Mr Windy all thoughtful and full of hope. [Or something like it! ]

I have nothing more to say [today]

Of course we had a lovely day

Here we are, inside the good ship Hannah in Stornoway Harbour. What a lovely boat and such lovely people too. Have I told you that? Well, I am going to tell you again. And they make a fine Beetroot wine too.

I clambered in with the Kowa6 camera, pointed it and everything then took a snap or two. I like these snaps I must say :-)

Hannah and the lovely crew - Mick and Bee - are soon to be off again onto the high seas. We wish them safe and joyful voyages.

I make no apology

Well, 2007 and all that. We had not long arrived from England then this couple bobbed into Stornoway in their lovely two masted gaffer boat . I snapped them up as I did back then - and sometimes do now. Here it is.

Then, Mick & Bee were off over the seas with me following their fine blog in their wake. They came back this week, just in from another crossing of the pond and we enjoyed a lovely evening in their company here at home. Felt like I had always known them for ever too. And their boat Hannah - oh she is so lovely, cosy, solid and I didn't want to leave when I was invited on board  - mainly on account of the mode of entry to the cabin - but that's another thing completely. Even Mrs Up-Yours, our esteemed authoress in the village came over to meet the travelling two. Mutual fans by all accounts.

I may have taken some new snaps but, they lurk in-camera so you'll have to make do with 2007 snap. They haven't changed so that OK then.

Spring has gone

Spring has gone apparently. And the longest day of the year too so it seems. Not sure what happened there, it was winter yesterday. At least it felt like it. Or was that the day before? Who knows.

Good news is that Mick & Bee are back from their sailing trip to goodness knows where. I met them when they were washing their bottom in the harbour some years back and have been following their blog ever since. Whoa! That was 2007!!!!!!!!! Now they are back on the islands and I'm really looking forward to catching up with them. and perhaps taking a snap - again!

Just to celebrate, here's another peat track snap from yesterday :-)

Tour

I took a little tour round the village yesterday. A quick visit to Royston, Sergeant Bilko at the shoppe, Donald, Ken and Ian were all on my list of conversationalists as I took the air. The clouds were looming but it stayed dry - just as well since I had some washing on the line.

There has been a camera lurking around the place with a half exposed film in so that got an outing too. Snapping here and there as a whim over took me for a moment.  Twas an Industar 61 lens if anyone's asking. And Polypan-f film.

There's another Tour starting soon down in France. No doubt I shall be following its progress on the pooter and on Radio5 with Rob Hayles. There's Brits a plenty riding and some could win too. Look out for Mr Froome Dawg for the overall and Mr Cavendish MBE for the stage wins. Not forgetting Messrs Thomas MBE, Stannard, Kennaugh MBE and Millar.

See the stages here.

Have fun.

I should have been an artist. After all I have the temperament if not the skill

No, I am not at my best today.

I shall be feeling better in the morn.

Gaze into Lord Wiesmier's eyes, courtesy and then leave the room backwards. Please.

I shall be back very soon

Scraping the bottom

I'm awaiting the postman. He should be here by 4pm but whether he is bringing foamcore to make a 5x7 pinhole camera remains to be seen. I'm a hankering after doing some more cyanotypes and VanDykes but the old Soviet FKD is a pain to use to make larger negs and I am less than good at making digital ones. Having said that, I might just print a neg on thin paper as I have done before, wax it and use that. Yes, that's what I'll do. Well, until I have a better idea.

No, that isn't here in the snap, it's Venice.

I may have reached an impasse

One thing and another, mainly another, my photographising productively has declined markedly in the last couple of weeks. Maybe it's life getting in the way or maybe it's a lack of inspiration. Or maybe I know what I'm trying to achieve but failing to see the way to get there.

So, I'm hankering after a set of Oblique Strategy cards for the anniversary of my birth, and my very significant other - Eve, not Lord Wiesmier - has agreed she will try to source them. :-) So, while I await that date of my birth I shall just have blunder through as I usually do. I might even finish a roll of film today - we are meeting William, Just William for lunch :-)

Do you mind if I snap up my prints with a phone??

I think perhaps I should snap these prints up this more professionally. I know the Coelynes over at Oiseval would. I mean, the print is actually quite nice - printed as it is on Slavich paper in Lith developer and everything. Looks like I know what I'm doing with that bit. Then along come the pixels and I'm lost. Ah well, you get the idea anyway. Who in their right mind wants pixels? Eh? Tell me that.

Then there's this, a reprint of a section of a neg. The neg was taken with an OM1n so that's alright. Polywarmtone this time. Nice eh? For me I mean.

The weekend is nearly here - so the weather has gone off but that won't stop me enjoying the longest day of the year. It never gets properly dark here at night at this time of year anyway. You know, I might even stay up late tonight.

In the dark, now in the light but damp

Yes, still damp from hanging in the darkroom. A lith on Polywarmtone of a Polypan-f neg. Print snapped with the phone imaging device - and not very well it seems. Still you get the idea.

I must remember to turn the darkroom light on from time to time to see what I have printed. I seem to have printed images of dust on some of the prints!

The summer parlour is cool this morning

I know that's the sort of information you like - details of life in the village on the island. The outside world has been my place for a few days of late so I'm sort of lacking snaps from here. Maybe I shall take a camera out on the walk with the Barking Dog this morning - out to where our peat-bank is. Maybe.

Instead I have for you two snaps. One taken in Venice somewhere and the other in Glasgow. You decide which is which.

Found; at the back of the pooter

I think the kitlings may have been using this neg for a plaything. Still, the scanner thing managed to find something lurking within it. If I'm not mistaken - and I often am - it's the track down to Murray's peat-bank. That's a bout as close as I have have got to the peats this year -but next year I will cut most of the peat that's left there on the moor. Possibly.

No idea what camera I used for this snap - not that it matters a jot I suppose. Looks like it must have had some sort of lens. The neg was found lurking behind the pooter keyboard. No idea how long it's been there. but who cares anyway? eh? The sun is shining after all.

Cycling on Saturday

 The 'racers'

When I was a mere yoof, we used to look at some with fancy bikes and think "all the gear and no idea". It hasn't changed much though some now have bikes made from plastic with all the bells and whistles. Actually, no bells at all!!!! 

Take Eve for example; here lined up for the charity ride to Scaladale. A former world masters track cycling champion and still riding a lovely steel framed road bike - adorned with a bell. Eve rode down to the end of the event then back to Stornoway and then on to Tolsta. Eh? And smiled.

I was at home nursing my tooth but I did make the start with a little Olympus XA2.

Well done to all the riders and runners who took part in the event and raised money for a very worthwhile charity.

First solo traverse of..

I made my first sol traverse of Brunswick Street, Glasgow yesterday. No of course the snap is not Glasgow, it's Italy. However, my visitation to the city of smiles [apparently] wasn't all fun although I did enjoy a visitation to Streetlevel and, by chance the degree courses show at Glasgow School of Art. Here I was wowed by the [photographic ] work of Catherine Cameron. Proper prints on proper darkroom paper - printed huge. Go check out her web-site - it's worth it.

I might write more later only, my head's sore after having a tooth sawn about and stitches and the like.

Blue

I'm away again. Having a tooth messed around with in Glasgow. That's the sort of thing you do when you live here - fly off the island to see a consultant dentist - and all because I liked sweets.  Hopefully, I'll get to visit StreeetLevel while I'm there.

Poped

We were just a wandering and all that. Down this lovely cool lane atop an Alpine-like plateau in the Italian Dolomites. This little churchy thing loomed and lured us through it's old doors. And there, lying so we couldn't miss it was Himself, the Pope-man smiling from the front of a glossy magazine. Sine the little church was dedicated to St Francis and the Popesy is now St Francis, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
A nice respite from the warm sun though.

Six Twenty [Junior]

Been working. No, not chasing miscreants about the place but sitting, watching and trying not to fall asleep for three hours at time. I wasn't doing it on my own I might add. Was with some scribes who were pitting their wits against the exam setters of the OU. Poor souls. Some were racked with angst; others confident and sitting upright, smiling and all that. Oh the fun!

I read books, wrote stuff, listened to my radio on the earpieces and did everything one can imagine not to fall asleep. I didn't as it happens.

So I have not too muchly to show. Just this little snap from a lovely little Kodak 620 Junior box camera given to me by the lovely Ook?! Re-spooled GP3 and all.

Can I sleep now please?

Stroll

Took the air this morning. Along with Toots Wilson at Gress, watching the world and his dog go by. Lovely. And we met Mrs Bac Pharmacy too - just on her way to work from her new abode.
So, whilst a new snap is cooking in Rodinal as I type, one of the last and best I think from Venice.

Muri

I like walls. You may have noticed that over time. I rather wish I had one here at home. There is a pastiche of a wall here - made of concrete the material so loved by Hebrideans - but not a proper wall made of stone of irregular shape interlocked with love and attention. That's the sort of wall I like. Maybe that's why I also like peat stacks.

How can you not love a wall like this? Eh. Would not be out of place exhibited in an Lanntair if you were asking me - which you are probably not. Found this whilst wandering in the lower slopes of the Dolomites. An area beset with vines and orchards. Lovely to see the land being worked.

BTW; this could be this island. It isn't but it should be.

Give me a break, the sun is shining here and I had to paddle in the sea!

Doesn't happen often. Looked it up and I have paddled three times since living here. That's enough for anyone mind you.

We were on the 'tourist' beach today and sure enough there were one or two there. The locals - those not in church that is - were huddled down on the Claddach watching the four basking sharks swimming thereabouts.

In the meantime here's two snaps from our week away - suitably blurry and just a bit stereotypical of Italy don't you think?

 Twee Bergamo street

Twee Venice 'boats'.

As a slight addendum to this post, I might add that I'm a loving these type of snaps. They lith up well a create the sort of effect that I like. I actually feel I'm 'making' an image for a change. Does that make sense?

It's not here that's wet!

Sunny again today. I say that as I post this digi-snap of a Lith-print I made from a snap on Polypan-f in Trento recently. Is that allowed; I must check the Boxes and Bellows rules.

I just love the Lith process. Especially since you can use old papers that aren't too much good for anything else. Although having said that this one was made on Slavich paper again. Nice innit?

I was looking through some negs yesterday and found some from the Prestwicski Aiport - recently de-furbished to commemorate the Great Leap Backwards  by King Il O'Leary . I was there to take a flight. Wasn't sure if I was better flying Air E R or O'LearyFlot. Anyway, I may print one up. You never know.

Lithing up Trento

I was in the room that is nearly dark yesterday. Had a fine old time I can tell you. Not too much waste paper either which is a blessing. The beach called in the morning so Barking Dog and I took an hour to stroll its length. I can report sun and cool breeze - perfect. 

Just so you know, the image was meant to be like this. Hand-held longish exposure on polypan-f film and printed on good old Russian Slavich paper. Lovely. Presses my buttons anyway. Oh yes, and it did rain there in Trento.

While the peoples look in my window from their floating block of flats, I'm trying to sort fuzzy snaps

Great big floating block of flats bobbed by as I was trying to sort this snap. Huge great thing - can't imagine it being much fun cooped up on there when you can have a warm sunny, sandy and clean beach to yourself here. Eh?

This is / was Trento. No, it's not the usual snap of the place you'd see but it's mine and it's fuzzy so I like it. And it's got a bike and everything. What more can one ask?

Stage 20, Giro D'Italia 2013

Mr Cavendish rides with his team in the bunch prior to finishing the stage in a snow-storm. The day before it was cancelled. The day we were going to go up on the mountain to cheer them on that is. We tried to go up on the mountain but had to turn back because of the white-stuff all over the road. Mr Cavendish didn't stop for a chat either - he was busy winning things. I wanted to tell him he spelt my name wrong in his book ! Just like Michael Hutchinson wrote I drank white coffee in his book - and aged me somewhat!

And the police were having fun too.

There's always time to snap up a cyclist

When you need......

If it's an oversize toothpick you require, then here the only way is by water.

Simple.

Sorry, must have taken this one by mistake. It almost looks like a proper snap! Not sure I was feeling my best that day. Must have been the warm weather. And the crowds of people. And my sore arm. Must have been that.

On texting

Somewhere. In the sun.

I forgot to remember how many people want to go here.

Can you imagine? Most of Europe and at least ten percent of the Americas were there this day plus a sprinkling of others. Most crammed into a square outside a big church following someone with a half-raised umbrella. And then queuing for hours to go inside the big church - when the smaller ones nearby stayed empty.

And shops. Nice ones with multi-coloured and flavoured Gelato on sale. And ones with people - posing.

School groups. Did my head in I can tell you. We went on to a quieter place.