Walking to the Iron Age

See, Vic and Gwynneth enjoying the mild weather to walk back into the past. Down the path to the beach and then to gape into the abyss which is the entrance to the Iron Age house.

Down there and everything.

The tale of the chuck with the shorn back end

Festival of over-consumption morning.

We took a stroll to The Crofter to say hello and take the photo of the day.
We came back to find a pile of chuck feathers by the wee housey. "Oh no" we thought and took ourselves of over the road to the chucks' home. We found a little tail - less blighty hiding behind their rubbish bin - minus it's tail feathers. It seems it was molested by something, only two more chucks were missing.

We thought a kidnapping had taken place.

As luck would have it the two missing chucks turned up later to console the tail-less chuck.

It all was happy ever after.

Friendly life

Here we are. Two furry coows awaiting our visit to Bosta beach. Nice friendly furry coows too. Just as well as they do have less then furry horns.

We were out enjoying the weather - such as it was - out on tother side of the island. With a camera and some foma400 film pushed to 800. I know I shouldn't but I did anyway. Used a Jupiter12 lens too.

The sun did shine a bit over the last few days and we took ourselves out on the wee boatee a bit.

The day we went to Bosta with Victor and Gwynneth

I took the Holga - the late camera plastica from HongKong or somewhere - no longer made as of a few weeks ago. pity, not all camera have light-leaks like this one. Are as light and simple as this one - although some do have a tad more quality.

That's Victor there on the beach. Here on the island with Gywnneth for the festive season. We took them to Bosta as one does. Loveliest place on the island. Please don't tell anyone though.

More people

 Crofter - tooth maker

 Ferry sleeper

 Nursey

Receptionist 

People

I like people. I like taking snaps of people but I am not altogether good at the process. So I just snap away. This time with the Pentax EspioMini [again] and colour film [again].

All lovely people too who help make the days go by so well.

The colour film supplier

 The car doctor

The planner

Have a fine day

We were hoping that we might have been out sailing today, but at the time of writing that seems unlikely due to the rain and wind that is howling round these parts. Tis a far cry from last year when it was sunny and calm.  I almost got stuck on the Uists for a few days last week after just managing to catch the ferry before they cancelled for he day

Anyway, stay warm and cheerful and have a fine day.

I might have to do more of these!

I have some more Agfa Vista 200 colour film in the fridge - bought for a song recently.
Quite to see a little colour now and again - especially when it's cold dark and wet!

Eve found my auxillary-slot-shutter hiding behind something the other day so I might just resurrect that stylee again for a little while - if I can remember what to do!

A guloot's guide to Cromarty

I think that's the right usage of the word - guloot. Feels right.

Look here. Almost a tilt lens effect on this snap taken with the Pentax Espio Mini and Agfa Vista film. No idea idea how that occurred but I rather like the effect. Mr Burnett of National Geographic used this technique effectively many times using his 4x5 plate camera. Nice eh?

You never know, I might get to like colour!

Whoa! What's this all about then?

Colour film and everything.

I have a pal who happens these days to hang about a lot awaiting a weather window so he can fly out to a rig  or associated floaty things and twiddle knobs or some such like thing. He contacted me the other day having raided an exclusive high-class shoppe in Aberdeen and found some Agfa Vista film for £1 a roll. That's about 1351 North Korean Won.

He, my good pal bought some film for me then went off playing boats. On our recent visit to Inverness I happened upon a similar establishment and went in looking this time for some quality reading glasses that I can afford to sit on or lose. I got hem but I also saw some of the Agfa film so bagged a few rolls. Seems to work fine - or it did in Cromarty anyway. Nice snap of Eve trying to suck the world - or part of it - into her pixel-catching-communication-device.

Festive thanks

It's that time of year again just about. The Festival of Over-Consumption is on us once again all wrapped up in what ever guise is your thing.

Thanks everso for visiting my little blogette dear reader - whoever and wherever you are, whether I have met you in person or not. It pleases me greatly to hear from you and to show you the odd world we live in from my point of view.

Take very good care everyone, go forward safely and have a fine old time doing what you like to do. Smile a bit more, hug more too and all will be as well as can be.

St Petersburg? No, Inverness.

There she is

We made a visit to a chocolate-drink cafe - or something like it. We had coffee and, a toasted sandwich. Others had choc all round. Yes, all round. I shant show you the snap, I only had a 28mm lens.

That night, the snow fell on the war graves in Inverness.

This house

This house is famous for being here, behind the wall. Or maybe it is a church behind the wall and not quite so famous.

I took this snap and the two previously posted on the old Perkeo, made some decades ago by Voigtlander and gifted to me by a lovely gentleman some years back. What a fine compact camera it is.

Another lampost

Same place as the one yesterday, just oop the road.
We found a nice cafe nearby - soup there did the trick.

Imagine the sky blue.
And the air cold.
That's how it was.
Lovely.

Took a bus ride from Inverness where we had strayed to for a few days to change the things our eyes saw. Fine buses there. I like buses and looking at the people on them. I think it's a genetic thing as my late Mum liked buses too.

We didn't sit on the seat there - too chilly and there was a nice one in a cafe anyway. With added soup available.

The Lampost

We went here at the weekend and I snapped up the lampost, lighthouse and rig. Because I could.

Coffee

Always lovely to have a smile directed generally in one's direction while shuffling past for refreshment in An Lanntair. Especially when you have an old camera to hand.

Van

I was reminded of something like this the other evening when we went to see the very fine film The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett. Ok, this is Saddleworth in England and Mr Bennett is from Yorkshire and lives in London but, I was still reminded of this sort of scene - just nearby our our little house down there. See that? Yes it's sunshine. Remember that?

 And the camera used is also very fine - Agfa Record 6x9.

Neighbour

Twas our neighbour. But not now. This was back on the mainland when we didn't have to nail the house down.
Look, it might even have been sunny at this point. Certainty not windy as I was using the old Soviet FKD plate camera and a very p;d glass plate.

Now, come to think of it I still have some unexposed glass plates. Must let them see the light before too long. eh? I call that progress.

Please.

I'm sick of waking up to this.

To be honest I usually wake up in the dark, leap out of bed and run around the village before having a cup of tea. That's when the dream ends. At that point, if I have not bashed Eve on the head with my dreaming antics, I turn over and go back to sleep to the dulcet tones of Radio3. That's a classical radio station for those of you who don't have the pleasure. I'm so sick of bad news, I tend not to listen to it.

I meditate on my blog reader. Who ever they are :-)

P30

I was out with the Pentax P30. That's a camera for the non-specific blog flaneur. An oldish camera I might add - but it does look like a proper camera. And it has a 'P' setting which I have never used. I'm a 'proper' snapping photographer you know so I don't use that setting. I like to use me 'ead a bit and twiddle the knobs on the camera me self. The exposure thing works but the indicators are less than perfect so I decided to use 'P'. That turns the camera into a point, focus and shoot camera. I thought I could just about handle that. Only I can't so well. The focus thing is not so easy now my eyes are less than 20/20. I really do require to use AF sadly. Now worries, I do have a AF camera - I just prefer not to be seen wit it!

That was the one

That's the one. The one with the horns and everything. Caught her and her pals red-hooved out on the road dodging the bus when it comes past now and again and what's more, eating the grass! I saw them with my own eyes.

I did warn them I had to tell The Crofter but they didn't move. That's black sheeps for you.

Her Highness is .....

There he is again

This is Murray. A pal of mine who resides in the village and who is a man of all seasons. Need your old Soviet plate camera repaired? Give it to Murray and it will come back better than it was before. The boat - Murray. Sheeps herding - Murray. The boat trailer - Stuart - but that's for another day.

It was time for the irregular snap of the fine man so I nailed him to the field and took a snap. The wind was blowing a tad - hence the island was leaning over a bit. That's been happening a lot up here of late. With rain. That sort of thing that disrupts the ferries and planes.

For no reason at all

Yes I was out here the other day - chasing sheeps and Crofters' relations and relations to be around the field. I looked at the Hebridean fencing and marvelled that it still there.

Hopefully, we should still have a roof and a floating boat after the wee breeze that was forcast at the weekend. As to whether the fences are still upright......

Beach life

I was perusing some snaps on FB posted by a young friend from Cornwall who, apart from completing a photography degree seems to be in a permanent party. Most of the parties seem to be beach parties. i'm not really sure why she didn't snap up on 'our' beaches.

As it happens, this is not 'our' beach but one in the next village - Gress. Obviously, it's not as good as 'our' beaches but it makes a change and the seals are always interested. There were ten of the seals this days. We sang to them - apparently they like that. Perhaps that's why they left us alone !

Dead Fish and Diesel tour

Yes, this is a continuation of the dead fish and diesel tour. Our little capitol Stornoway.
Here is a road with two cars. They are parked. Eh? How does that work then? Well, just wander round town and watch the pelican crossing where the zig-zag lines are a magnet for cars. That's how it works up here. Weird since there are legit parking parking places all over the town!

I took this snap with a little Pentax Espio Mini camera of which I can't really make my mind up if I like it. It takes snaps I suppose and, mostly they are in focus but what I really am unsure about is the dark bands at either end of the frame. What's that for then?

Same road, same delightful architecture!

I may be recycling

It's not that I have nothing to show you but, I have nothing new I want to show you. It's under wraps. Under the carpet - that sort of thing. It'll get shown in all good time - if it's any good and the wraps come off easily.

But this Vicar on a Harley cyanotype image I love. Really like and everything and you, the viewee have to like it too. Just humour me, I need humouring today - whatever day it is. The begining of December and all that. This year.

Days like this

Not all winter but a lot of it we are masked by rain and wettish clouds before it is swept away by howling gales for the next lot of damp weather to come in. It makes for nice light mind you. As long as you can rate your film at 800 or above.

This is the middle of the island - the sort of place one goes through on your way somewhere. I was on my way somewhere at the time. I came back too.

We have lost Edwin

Sad news in the internet photo community as super scot Edwin Rosenbloom passed away a few days ago. I met Edwin on a short visit to Glasgow and as usual in his kind way he took me lovely places to see and photograph.

So sad to hear you have gone Sir but that smile will continue on.

Yes I do realise

I realise this is a study of a fence on a hillock. I realise that. Not a landscape though. No it is not, trust me, I did two years of my doctorate [till me 'ed fell off].

Rather like that snap. Must have been during my 'can't think of anything much to snap' period.

Pretty sure it's a mainland snap - what with the fence being in one piece and the like. And that hillock in the background, I'm sure I can see that across the Minch from here - when it's daylight and not snowing/raining or misty or something.

VIV UW&S

Somewhere, hiding in the dark recesses of a bag in a cupboard at the top of our stairs is my trusty Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim plastic fantastic camera. I paid all of £1 for it some years back and it's brill. Mostly.
No controls bar the shutter button and wind on. How good is that? If the light suits the film you have in it, you are sorted. It wasn't in this case so I adjusted the colour a bit. I'm allowed. I'm old and everything. I must try and remember to remind myself to find the thing again.

I used to good effect before.

Fluffy cat

That caught your attention. I had to do it. Blog visits are down a bit so a quick jab in the rear with fluffy cat image and all will be saved. Probably.

Only it's not just a fluffy cat, it's Her Highness Henrietta Cartier-Bresson out on the early morning covering of hail-like snow. She just loves it! Had a couple of days of this last weekend. And a wee breeze too. We strolled a bit and then stayed in the warm of the wee housey.

I was feeling good

....then people starting asking what was wrong with me. I didn't actually know there was anything wrong with me but now you ask, I do have a pain just there and everything.....

Yes, the weather is miserable here too - hail and cold. Suppose they pretty always go together. We, Eve and I did have it mind to go out last night but what with the weather and now me feeling , well feeling like there is something wrong with me - perhaps, we didn't go. Stayed at home and tickled the cat. Listened to a Bach Cantata [I did anyway. My pal Geoffrey was listening and he doesn't like Vettriano either so I thought I'd better listen too - only with tea not a dram.]

Messed around with the gumoils again. Oiled one up and seems a little better than the last but the paper is too coarse. Tried another paper but that didn't work either. Keep trying, keep trying. I'll show you a good one - assuming I make a good one that is!

Can't believe it's just over 4 years since we were in Sienna. We there for a cycle event - the Eroica and 40C of heat. I took this snap I seem to recall. I still like it.

I was there

Don't throw away your older darkroom papers. They may be fogged but they may well lith well. See, AGFA RC paper. Old as the hills. Nearly anyway.

Or you can use watercolour paper - print as cyanotype, Vandyke [when the emulsion works] or, as this next one - as Gumoil. Yes, not gumBichromate but Gumoil. This was my first attempt. Can you tell?

Perfect eh?

Shh, I'm meditating on what to do the rest of my life....

I did manage a little trip out with The Crofter in his new four wheel drive toy to feed his coows. Out on the hill and everything With an old Minolta af and Foma400 @200 in the dying evening light..

The rest of the time I'm trying to meditate on what to do with the rest of my life. It's not easy you know.

Have a look at this fine blog while I sort the the world out!

I may not be here

I may be elsewhere.

It's been a bit like this lately

Just out the house is this road, down to a beach. It is cold but often dry.

Nice

Instinct

Didn't know that cats have a herding instinct. HHHCB has anyway. Doesn't chase the things but slowly moves them down the road - back to their housey.

Them chickns are out most days at the moment. Free range and all that. Not sure where their eggs are lain mind.