I think I've been good.

Have I been good? Eve tells me I have. Mostly. Mostly tells me I have been good not, I've been good mostly. Got that now?

I do have a lust for a book. It's the sort of thing that happens from time to time and like the Dalai Lama says "I do think I want these things but that doesn't mean I need them" - or words to that effect - I don't 'need' this book. It was a couple of years ago I went to listen to Mr Lama talk. I may have paraphrased a bit. Or a lot. He did say "My  religion is simple. My religion is kindness" which I do like. I wish I could say it for myself. And if you'd like some more of the Dalai Lama's quotes, you can look here. It is interesting.

But I still like this book. I mean, I want it. I don't need it that's for sure. There are more books in this house than you can shake a stick at - although they do make fine insulation.

Copyright- Mr Brodovitch. From http://balletpony.wordpress.com/

I mean, have you seen these images before? Have you really? Go on have a look see. I'll wait here while you do but do come back as I might say something interesting soon. My big sis used to teach dance and her towering and talented youngest son [ the eldest is talented too BTW- see his company here] Jacob is a professional dancer residing in Brussels, the Belgium as it happens - although currently in Cardiff, which is not in Belgium. Well, not yet anyway.

There he is - Jacob that is. I think he may be the one having some water. Possibly. I haven't seen that piece before - and yes, since you ask it is dance. Contemporary or something. The electrically produced image is from this site http://www.cristianduarte.net/projects/it/. Go look, there's even a vid of the piece above. I'm sure you'll be all chasing them down to watch that live.

And that perhaps is why I am interested in that book. The one I lust after. It's dance after all. And blurr and everything. What more can one ask? EH?

Only thing is, and please don't tell Eve, I've just been bad. The honey and almond flapjacks I made this afternoon had cooled enough and after looking at them pleading to me to eat them, I did. Only the one but that is bad!

I'll leave you with a snap of our dear Highness Henrietta Cartier-Bresson. taken with a Petri7s on Polypan-f @ 200 in Rodinal. Because I can.

This print was Ok till I started messing wif it!

Honest guv. Nearly a masterpiece it was. And on ancient Kodak Polyprint RC paper too. Only, I decide to bleach it back and then sepia tone it - then try to scan while still damp. The result is this; a blotchy print which looked not too bad before the scan - if you propped it up on the other side of a dark room and looked at it without ones glasses on.

Gosh this old paper tones well!

Look, see that's a prized possession of ours [darling Eve & I]. Snapped yesterday with the wood, paper and gaffer tape monstrosity laughingly called a 13x18ish FKD camera. On Shanghai film - developed in PQ then cyanotyped onto Khadi paper - which doesn't take too kindly to such abuse - especially as I then dumped it all in cold coffee!

The subject; Ellen Hunter's [MBE and now Cornwall's fastest postwoman!]Athens Paralympic gold medal winning posy - or whatever it's called. Bit fragile now but I love it! The snap; dreadful!

Max or Print?

Mr Toots has had this old roll of Kodak Polymax RC paper up in his loft since,,,, ages ago anyway. The stuff is ancient as Kodak stopped making the stuff quite a few years ago. Well, Mr Toots kindly let me have a bundle of sheets to play with so I lithed it - in Rollei Lith chems. Nice innit? You might have already seen this snap of The Crofter on the web-site about the fella. Or you might not have if you have not been reading it very long. Still, this old paper is ok in Lith despite its age. 

At the same time as cutting the roll of Polymax RC gloss [above] I took the opportunity to use Mr Toots' spacious but under-used darkroom to cut the last of my extra old Kodak PolyPrint RC matt - again from a huge roll. It has a wonderful surface but I am less than convinced about it in lith- although that migt have something to do with the neg i chose. Stornoway - on a wet day. Most days at the moment.

Now I have got my experimental head on so to speak [Coelyne reels with despair] I even managed a few 5x7 negs today in the FKD camera held to together with elastic bands and the inevitable gaffer tape. No shutter so used a hat. I think a cyanotype or/and a Vandyke print is in the offing. You MIGHT see them.

Another boring and limited post about photography and the most wonderful Isle of Harris.

There we are in a village on Harris. Drinishader as it happens [opposite this place]. When I say 'we' it's just Eve in the snap on account of me holding the camera thing. I mean I could have used a tripod, set the thing with the camera - my little sisters OM1n with ultra-sharp 50mm Zuiko lens - snapping all on its own. Only I couldn't be bothered since it was cold and the sleet was coming in from time to time and, and. Needless to say I didn't use the tripod. I should have and everything. I would have been a proper photographiser then. And the snap might have been sharper - if I'd wanted that.  Talking of which, there's an interesting article about that here.

See, we were tourists this day. Proper tourists going into hotels and supping the green tea, eating lovely food with Gemma and William. How lovely was that? Very since you ask. Then Eve and I snook off down this road for a look-see, a gander or what have you. Basically, we are nosey. I guess you have worked that out by now. We have been here before but as you can see it's a lovely road with proper bends, views and sheeps. Quite a few soggy looking sheeps too. Quite the most lovely place - whatever the weather. Trust me. I must go back with a proper Pictorialist lens and ungainly camera to make a nice hash of the snap. Sometime soon. When it has stopped blowing a gale.

Harris, an Isle

It has to done from time to time and when there one just can't help point a lens out of the car window in between the sleet showers and take a snap. Lovely isn't it? Eh? And just down the road from here with an excellent hotel bar on the way to have a fine luncheon in - which we did with Gemma and William. Twas lovely - especially the sticky toffee pudding :-)

As you can probably see, the sun even came out for a short while although it didn't warm up any. And the ferries sailed this day.

Grain

There's some people who search for the least grainy combination of film and developer. I don't usually. I mean, are these grainy?

Yes, it's sand for goodness sakes!

I like sand snaps

Printed stuff

 
 
 

    Edges North & South by Toots & Wiesmier
    |
    Make Your Own Book
 
 

    |
   

Done wif Mr Toots and myself. A bargain @ £3.11

                              and below, link to the FILMWASTERS April 2014 - April 2015 Calendar.

Done wif www.filmwasters.com.

Leica glow eh?

Not a chance of a Leica glow as it happens. I don't even own a Leica sticker let alone a lens. I think I can honestly say this is the Industar 61 glow. Or maybe the Polypan-f film glow on account of the film having no anti-halation layer being meant originally for copying movie film.

Or maybe it was such a shock that the sun was shining and The Crofter SMILING for goodness sakes, it started glowing all of it's own accord. Either way, it is nice to see The Crofter glowing.

Spring could be on it's way

Look. See Eve has her summer wear on already. Only 6 layers of clothes and a hood up to keep the brisk cool rainy wind off her dainty head. And the sheeps are interested. That's a good sign I'm told by the local sages. "If the sheeps look you in the eye they'm just about to have a pee" - which translated to layperson speak is the good weather is on it's way. At least I think that's what they mean. They being they west country folk I used to consort with. I'm making a rather big assumption about the local sheeps really but bound to be true-ish.

The snap was taken with me Zokri4 and a lovely Jupiter 12 on AGFA ASP 400s film @ 1600. Doused in Rodinal for an hour at slightly more than homoeopathic quantities. I know one shouldn't. But I did.

Oh, and passing on some interestingness; if you like photography videos, look here for a huge list.

Pinhole

The pinhole boxes have not seen the light of fay recently and now the Worldwide pinhole photography day is looming, I might just have to dig them out. Might use the box-file camera or the converted folder, who knows?

And, if there's enough interest I might even organise a little pinhole gatheration on the island. That would be lovely. I am sure there are some ardent pinholists over here somewhere! Anyway, mark April 27th in your packed schedule as THAT IS THE DAY.

If you don't know how to proceed, make a contact with me and I'll sort you out - as it were! Or look at these resources.

And before you tell me, yes you have probably seen these images before. However, I like these print and they are pinhole images.

I just wanted to see what it looked like on film. eh?

Mr Winogrand said something like that title. And I thought it as I almost mowed down Mr Toots as he snook across the road from his gaff to take a snap near the beach with his 35mm Nikon. The sun was shining see and Mr Toots likes that. I don't really but did have a Baby Speed Graphic in the car with some film I wanted to finish. Screeching to a stop I leapt out of the car, rolled across the bonnet [as one does] and crept across the road camera in hand. I never did find Mr Toots who was obviously hiding but I did see 'stuff' and I wondered what it would look like on the film in the camera.

This is what it looked like;

 Obviously, I added the crud on the film to make it authentic or something.

And while you are about it, check out this fine short B&W film documentary about my pal Bill.

No posts

I'm not stopping. No, I rather like the discipline of posting something on here everyday - or nearly everyday. It may be rubbish but it is my rubbish and that's what counts.

One thing that really gets me up-fed is a blog that has dried up, or stalled or worse still, forgotten. I shan't name any as I'm sure you know plenty of them. The disappointment on re-visiting a nice blog only to find it has not changed.

So here's today's less than exciting post.

Eve cooked some food. No, I don't know what it was? Looks like wraps of some sort. Satisfied?

Of course we have been out for a stroll on the beach. Wouldn't you? Granted it's not 44c but we like it wet and cool/cold. Just as well really.

Blinded by the light

Lovely sunshine rained upon us today. That's why beautiful Eve is in her summer clothes :-)

Eve even went out on her bicycle to enjoy the air while I meditated at home, before I went out to work. And while our pals teams - Queens Park Rovers and Portsmouth Lacrosse sloshed around in the mud down south.

On the buses

Was in town early the other morning. Dentist I think it was. Always think it's a great idea to book an early appointment at the time but live to regret it when the time comes to get out of bed. At least the sun was shining through the perspex nicely as I passed by the bus station.

wasting time on the pooter

I woke up this morning - for which I am grateful. This was only after what seemed to be 5 mins of restless dozing after a fitful night. I might have done too much strolling the other day and suffered for it. Botheration!

So I wasted the rest of my morning at home, missing the ChiGong sadly - as I dragged myself around the place looking for the energy and feeling of good-health that seems to be eluding me. I have not found it yet so if any of you see it around please bring it back.

I have been spending too much time looking at other peeps images online as it happens and do somewhat like  some 'imperfect' snaps that I see,. I played with my simple PS program and came up with this look - of the Crofter. Do we like it? I do.

A new day, a new developer

I'm trying some Firstcall Finegrain developer of Firstcall's own brand. I didn't like the bottle it comes in. I'll tell you that for nothing. Too flimsy and white. And I don't like a white bottle. Seems wrong. And the name of the stuff isn't that great either - "B&W Film Developer". I mean, they must have thought hard for that eh? But it is cheap. Didn't I tell you that?

Despite this bad start I tried this stuff @ 1:7 @20c on some AgfaASP400s which has been my go to film of late - especailly since it's been so dull most days. Except today that is; the sun shone, peoples smiled, sheeps danced, and I enjoyed a village stroll.

See, that pole smiling in the sunshine and everything. The image came out ok. The time developing wasn't too long [8.5 mins] and those little sandy like bits on the snap are rather nice.

Even the football pitch looked nice in the sunshine although I wouldn't go on it unless I had some waders on.

And yes, that's a newly modified sled. It was a trailer, but the wheels fell off. 

Ah well, Tolsta eh?

Seven years exactly to the year!

Around seven years ago we came up to the islands and stayed here. Bliss eh? Apart from the fact that it rained every day. The little house we rented is still for rent [Cliff Cottage] and still in this spot on the edge of a sea loch with otters playing outside. It's really lovely there on the wonderfully brilliant Golden Road.

No, we don't live there - mores the pity - but up here on the Isle of Lewis. Easier for work and what have you. But I would have liked to live there on Harris you know.

And don't forget to check out Mr Trellis.

I could do it once

When I didn't think about things too much, used very old cameras and shot tree-scapes, they were quite nice snaps me thinks.

This I might add, is a Yorkshire tree. Or was it a Lancashire tree? Must get that right otherwise could start a war!

Even this snap from a couple of years back was interesting. What's going on? Have I lost my touch, trying too hard or, not hard enough. Eh? Tell me that!

It's been rather nice

That's here, just out the window down the road and everything. Sun that is in the sky. Remember that? Eh? 

Yes I have done a portrait of a seascape here before but, it is always there so I can eh? Even when John Cooper-Clarke is mumbling to me on the Iplayer-radio thing.

HHHCB has a special 'hat' on since she is still over-licking herself and going bald in the process. She is not happy I can tell you. Especially seeing she is nearly royalty and everything

Whoa! Steady on chaps.

I met the chaps today only, they seemed a little at odds with each other. William looks like he wanted to take Alec's lights out. And Alec wasn't too happy about that. It must have been William's crutches that Alec was a tad worried about. Having said that, I'm not sure William could punch his way out of a wet paper bag - even if he wanted too. And Alec is a black belt, fifteenth dan in Origami or something. Game over I'd say.

Alec definitely was on edge today. Wouldn't let me take his snap properly so I took it anyway and got a better images as a result. I think I might print this huge and post the image through his door.

because we can

Side of the Sea

The sea.
Or a bit of it anyway. It isn't really that colour but I like the snap so that's that I'm afraid. There's a bit of land in the snap too and a lot of sky. We have a lot of the latter but less of the former - land that is. Did you expect that?

Not really quite sure what people think it's like up here on the Isle of Lewis since most of the images you see on the tinterweb are in super-bright colour and the sun is shining. We do have sun. It was sunny today for example but that's the exception not the rule.

The sea nearly had me this day. Came at me in a rush and if it wasn't for my fleet of foot and razor-sharp reactions I might have got a bit wetter :-(

Young enough

I'm not though, more's the pity.

I must have an excuse for this here snap. Perhaps it was the bus-driver over North Lochs way who felt he had to stop to tell me that he hadn't even combed his hair. Not that he had any.

The whole snap was a mix-up to be honest. I'd tempted Toots out of his armchair to accompany me this sunny day as I tried this film out. Some RolleiRPX25 by all accounts. If only I could use it properly, I'd be dangerous.

Much ado about something

Time has been passing me by. I find that it is catching up with me - about to overtake me. Surely time is speeding up. Days pass in moments, weeks in a blink of a fluttering eyelid and years. Well years just happen, too quickly.

Now I find I am part of the oldies. At least I am still here I suppose - and with so much to do. What it is I have do is open to complicated conjecture mind. Trust me, the identifying process has commenced - or will do shortly. When I get round to it anyway. One doesn't want to rush these things does one?

No, it's not my snap but from a neg given to me by the nice man at Real Camera Co. Manchester some years ago. It is Fallowfield Velodrome, Manchester - a few years back.

They are nearly everywhere now.

Because we fill our houses with electrical gadgets, radios and in most cases, countless TV's we use a lot of electricity. More than we should I think. Houses are often so very hot inside, so hot the occupants sit around in t-shirts as the cold wind rages outside .

So there's plans afoot to build more and more of these windmills over the island. In itself that's not such a bad thing only, first we should find every-way we can to reduce our usage. Then we should be siteing these things away from houses - like these are - and not have our heads turned by money.

North Lochs

We went there, young Toots and I. With cameras and film and everything. Dragged Toots away from his pooter thing where his emails were getting a hammering.

Oh, the sun was shining, the air warm and we took off for North Lochs, just because we could. Mr Toots was in his element shooting here and there with his Isolette.

I shoot more discreetly with the Bessa and Juptier 8.  There were coows, sheeps and everything.

Boats too. And inevitably, a tractor.

Eventually the low sun gave up its light for the day but not before I'd shot a runrig or two. We then retired to town for a bowl of soup. A lovely day.

Exclusive. Toots returns home with some exposed film.

There he is; Sir Toots of Gress -or Bac as he chooses to call it. Back from his Spanish gaff where he and Lady Toots spent the festive period. We met for luncheon you see, with Lady Toots at the newish Bridge centre cafe. Hail the Great Toots of Gress for he has exposed [though not developed] a roll or two of film from his Isolette whilst away.

I had the Perkeo with me today and shot him thus; Developed this afternoon in PQ developer and presented here for your pleasure. Or something.

While I was in toon I shot this family too. I really like this. I might even show some photographic paper to it. In the dark, obviously.