So, this is the lovely Barbara, here in the Toots' sunny conservatory.

I think I may be off Lewis at the moment, off to the southern isles for work and all that. One has to earn a crust you know.

Just don't tell me it's not in focus

Taking the Graflex Baby Pacemaker out for a spin in the sunshine

It's a wall

In the village

Little prairie

I was out on the prairie the other morning, lugging a heavy camera around and snapping here and there. Here actually. Just round the corner from here as it happens. The print [on Kentmere Select vc] makes it look dry and crisp - but it's not, trust me.

Mr Toots is feeling better you'll be pleased to know, He's been suffering from double pneumonia or man-flue or something. Proper knocked him about and he had do nothing for a few days. I'm sure we'll be back sloshing chemicals around in his palatial darkroom soon.

Ken

This Ken.
Do you know Ken?
I  do. Nice nice man too.

Moni thinks he's nice too. And so she should as the two as getting hitched soon. I wonder if The Shed, in which Ken is the drummer boy, is playing the party afterwards. I hope so!

Twicer

You may have seen this image before of the Tweed Ride but this is the lith print on Slavich Unibrom. Unibrom is a truly wonderful lith paper - from Russia with love.

Until recently, the waether has been playing well. Sun and calm conditions tempted us out on the old tub Freyja but there was too little wind really. Still, nice bobbing about a bit.

Lithed

All lithed up. A crop of a 35mm Polypan-f neg printed onto some old Bergger Prestige paper. Not sure who made this paper but it liths up wonderfully. Mind you, I had a nice subject.

Sorry about the scan but have not mastered that either.

The Olympics have finished now so just the Vuelta to keep up to date on. I might even get another darkroom sesh in this week.

Latin feeling

Not sure why, but this snap gives me 'Latin'.

I'm here

Carbon

In our insatiable search for oil, huge constructions get towed around the place. Recently, you may know, an old rig on it's way to be cut up in Malta went aground on the west coast of the island. Only 53,000 gals of oil has escaped - so far and the thing is still stuck there.

Now artists such as Alex Boyd and John Maher have trekked over the hills to photograph the wreck. I haven't. You are not meant to either. The road to the beach where the rig is located is closed by the police and there are notices all over that side of the island forbidding one to go there.

 To be totally frank, I'm not sure the sheeps can read that notice stuck to a rickety gate down the west side somewhere. It hardly registered on my Polypan-f film in my Zorki6.

The up-side is that we now have more tug boats and salvage related boats in Stormaway harbour than cruise ships for a change. I snapped this snap from our wee boatee Freyja while out for a sail the other day using a little Pentax Espio P&S and good old Polypan-f film zapped in PQ developer.

Are you waiting for something interesting?

I might just have something. Might. Soonish.
Please keep visiting as one day I might surprise you.

In the meantime, here's a Kodak Cresta II masterpiece.

Callanish bin-scape

Have you seen this fence before?

I think you may have seen this fence before if you are a long term regular visitor. This is how it looks though the glass of Zuiko onto Foma200 film.

It's near a fav place of mine in the village, near my all time fav track. I shall show you that again soon.

The next Jason Kenny

Many years ago when the world was a nicer place, the weather was better and everything looked rose-coloured I was working at the Manchester Velodrome as a coach for cyclists. I noticed one particular lad coming up through the ranks on his little yellow bike. His name is Jason Kenny and seems to have done rather well. I take no credit for this at all having very little input into his development, but I did know him.

Now I've seen a new Jason Kenny up on the rock here taking part in the tweed ride. Dan 'leica man' Macalpine and mum rode the event - help Dan clock up the over 200 miles he's done on his bike since Christmas. What a star ! Might have to wait a year or two till he grows a bit and to find hiss own Laura Trott but sure, it will happen. Trust me

I didn't mention this before

I was using an old Minolta 505si I bought for about 2/6d some years back for the Tweed Ride snaps. Can easily alter the ISO for the Polypan-f film I used, you can switch off the AF, and it does the exposing thing properly. Not that this usually bothers me but still. Only thing is, this particular body has stopped rewinding automatically for some reason and I can't be bothered to look up how to alter it back. So, for the second time of late I have opened the back of the camera to accidentally expose the film to the light and this adds little to the effect I'm after.

The effect I'm after is Utter Gorgeousness. That's a photographical term for 'nice'. I'm still searching.
Having said that, this next imaage does come somewhere near U-G nestling just behind the Futurists and beside the Rubbishists.

For those in the know it's a bikist on a Moulton bike.

Tweed

The Tweed Ride happened on Lewis on Saturday. Harris tweed ride that is, supported by Harris Tweed and others. There have been pale imitations elsewhere but this was the real thing.

 Where else do riders get [if they like ] Harris Gin and Stormoway Black pudding on a 5 mile ride !

Oh look a twicer. Must get ours on the road again.

Yes, yes, Eve did take part dressed demurely in Tweed jacket borrowed from Ian Gilbert who rode alongside in his borrowed tweed jacket. Oh how very lovely they looked.

Look, lots of riders. Perhaps even more next year!
Put it in your diary!

I don't know why I used the 50mm

Perhaps it was because that's the only lens I have for the Hassie and the Hassie was what I had with me. There was foma100 loaded and partially used too so it was hand held and very slow speed. Not the most obvious choice to be honest but I new the lovely Joanna is very photogenic whatever I did. And so it proved - although somewhow the lens distortion and movement doesn't do Joanna justice.

I shall miss Joanna when she goes. She's almost gone off the rock already as it happens - even though I didn't really see much of her while she was here. But somehow, just somehow she has made a lovely and hefty positive impact on Eve and my lives.

Hoarse

Been shouting at the pooter whilst watching the British cyclist at the Velodrome in Rio. Sorry

Overflowingwiththrilledness

Had a fine morning this morning - despite having to get out of bed after a less than restful slumber last night. I blame the GB cyclists in Rio who over excited my brain cells last evening racing round at breakneck speed and really fedding up Mr Bauge. Again.

I met the delightful and ever smiling Ms Niciejewska [above] my former and much missed dentist here on the island who is starting the next phase of her life in Glasgow. Yes, Glasgow. Why? I can't imagine. Still, I made sure she is actually leaving the island by boring her to tears over a coffee in An Lanntair.

I stayed on in an Lanntair when Joanna [above] left me awaiting my next co-coffee drinker, the wonderful Coelynes, formerly of this parish who now reside somewhere south of here. In England as it happens. Was so very lovely to see them and I was triply thrilled by the sight of two prints from The Great Coelynes' portfolio which were taken in Stormoway. Love them to bits. And no they were not manipulated in the pooter.

Eat your heart out punters, these are now mine :-)

Pity about the p*ss poor phone snaps of them but I was keen to show them to you.

Yes. Again

Same roll of film but another snap printed on Kentmere VC Select.
Was all worth while.

Busy

Been busy and everything.

Was a bit under the weather recently - things aching where they shouldn't and what have you. But this other morning the sun was shining and I was feeling a tad better.

Oft I jolly well went with the Kiev 6c on my shoulder weighing me down. Up o'er the moor towards the peats I went, enjoying the fresh air, the gentle warmth of the sun and the clouds. I shot the whole roll of Foma100 in half an hour stroll then developed it when I got home.

I didn't stop there either. Printed half a dozen of the negs too. I don't know why I did that, but felt good about myself for that. Pity the camera was crooked !

Summer

It is summer but not as you probably know it!

See, the flowers are out on the machair and you only have to wear three layers - as long  as the top layer is waterproof.

Oh, I really don't like colour film.

Mrs Up-Yours is still here

I don't know how we cope when Mrs Up-Yours is away. She's just been keeping Edinburgh in line for the weekend. Thought it felt a bit odd round here. I'm sure she'll be back home with her delightful family by the begining of thwe week. At least I hope so as I'm not sure what the village would do without her.

Watching the world

I like Carloway Show

It didn't rain much this year. Mind you I haven't been for a few years and it might have been bright sunshine those years. The sheeps seemed to enjoy the trip out - new view and everything. People looking - stars of the show pretty well I suppose. Apart from the horses, the coows, the dogs and the high jump. Oh yes, lets not forget the high jump. I missed the high jump. Too concentrated on the pillow fight.

 I knew it was a day. a day for a few snaps and all that so I took my second best Kodak Cresta II to play with. It seemed the right tool for all this innocent fun.

There was a man there too. Some sort of important or, once important or once self-important man in a kilt. He spoke a bit, told a few tales and declared the show open. The rain then came down. But this man stood there waiting for someone to talk to. Only they didn't talk to him. Sad. No idea who he might have been. He didn't even smile at the Kodak Cresta II.

Shows. Lovely

There was a bigger dog than this horse there but it didn't have a sweet little rider. They won a rosette too - and so they should do.

And while the H&S person is not here,lets have a pillow fight on a pole. It ended a draw in case you are wondering.

At the Carloway Show.

On the anniversary of my birth; A self-portrait.

Now you know what I look like - with glasses on obviously. Me with glasses on that is.

Taken with an Ensign box camera using Kentmere Art Doc as 'film' then printed onto Kentmere Select Vc and toned.

Contact prints

ok these may not look like masterpieces, but trust me, they are.

Sot on Ortho film in 4x5 format and contact printed onto Fomatone then sepia toned.

That'll teach Deanne and Ian for being friends !

We go to parties to sometimes

More village gates I have known

On crappy film;