I wonder who is in here

Remembering the show

Sun ! At the Carloway Show. Unheard of but wasn't it lovely

I hope he remembers we sleep in here

With a nod to ..

A nod to The Crofters whom I still catch on film from time to time - when I'm on island. I'm not at the mo being in Engerland with my sisters. Family and all that.

Here's a snap I tooked recently while Dad Crofter was outside the Tooth Factory and I had the Kiev60 loaded with proper film and everything. He's proper photogenic that Dad Crofter.

Hate being away from home, Eve and the island. I'll be back soon :-)

I know not what I do

I was do a spot of rummaging the other day - in the small roomette that I laughingly call my camera store and came across the Petri7s which I've had for years but rarely use due in the main because the less than usable rangefinder spot. I notice that film was lurking within and the sticker on the outside of the camera was marked 1600asa so I took it out and shot the couple of frames left this morning - in the fog.

Even when I took the film was not entirely sure what film it was - possibly rollei retro 100 asa film. I did my 'usual' in these circumstances and developed the thing in PQ print developer 1:10 for 4 mins. Looks usable to me.

The cat's tail

There she is

Doing what she loves doing - riding her bicycle - and I love her for it.

I was doing what I love doing - snapping.

Another Bikist in Stormoway

Here he is

Just for those who missed him the great Mr Windy with his newest steed just back from an early morning tootle.

I think Mr Windy was as concerned as me that he hadn't featured on here recently.

Oh no!

Oh the indignity - but better than having a maggoty bum !

Oh yes, Mr Crofter and Dad Crofter de-poo the back end of this youngster before she goes back on the grassy bit.

At the show

Goodness

The other evening Eve & I took ourselves of to An Lanntair for what turned out to be a wonderful evening of music - a sort of Gaelic / Indian thing charting a journey from the island to India by Colin Mackenzie around 1780s. It was by all accounts a most delightful, not to be missed occasion. The musicians were world class - some all the way from west,,,,,, west Manchester/Birmingham and the island here. The background imagery was lovely - a lot of it shot around the village here.

To be honest, I didn't expect such a fantastic evening but it was the best music evening I've been to in years.

not now

Jupiter 8m lens'

I have two of these lenses, one on a working Kiev4a and another on a non-working camera of the same likeness. One of the lenses has click stops while the other has not. I'm suspecting that one lens is a lot older than the other. Since these things have a reputation for being a bit hit or miss, I've been trying to work out which is the better. Now I've tried both, I'm none the wiser though this last film using the click-stop lens is quite nice really. After all, the duds are probably of my doing anyway.

See, the lens sees Stuart the Weaver from o'er the road nicely. Sunshine and everything.

Oh, and that lovely Mr Windy looks lovely with the sun coming in from behind.

And dearest Eve who always looks and is lovely.

And the bottom end of the village looks lovely on a sunny day - which wasn't a couple of days ago I can tell you.

I don't know why..

I don't really understand why but I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy putting new film into a camera. Perhaps it's the expectation, the possibilities the hopefulness that this will be the film that realises all of my so far hidden photo-talent. As a result there are several perhaps more than several cameras around the place loaded with film ready to go. I think there are even Med format and Large format cameras loaded. It's a sickness, I know.

You never know when the right place will be for the right camera and film. I should and usually do use one or maybe two different cameras. A day. one loaded with 200asa B&W film and another with Polypan-f you understand.

Anyway, for you delectation [if there is anyone reading this after yesterdays post] is a snap I took in a recent An Lanntair exhibition I think using the unwell Kiev60 monstrosity on some film or other :-)

The Sunday Shopper

I hate shopping. I hate shopping on all days if I'm honest.
On Sundays here you cannot shop - much - as it happens. The day is quiet and nice - apart from the hoardes of church goers driving at 5mph and parking all over the place. There are some retail places open but they get "threatened" by certain parts of the community from time to time so there aren't too many of them stay open and as a result not too many shoppers.

I like it quiet like that but please, if you wish do go and shop at the places that are open - it's is your right. There's a garage shop that is famously open and now a Tweed shop.   Do not be cowed by the vocal minority.

For "The Cludgy"

At the suggestion of some of my fan, I have started this little series of prints - all to be taken on the island - for the cludgy wall.

On Fotospeed RC - as if you cared :-)

Provokism

I'm loving the aesthetic that was around in the Provoke era. All that challenging norms, high contrast and what have you. I touched on it before you know. I didn't really know much about it then and I'm not much the wiser now. However, time has passed by and I can re-configure images to that look at will you know - as with Hils here.

Must do this again

A couple of weeks back - back when the world wasn't threatened [so much] by an idiot with small hands and an equally small brain - Eve and I went on a bike ride together. How good was that> Veyr as it happens since I have been afflicted by ME/CFS for over a decade and a half and this sort of thing is usually off the menu for me. Only, as I mentioned before Bespoke cycles have e-bikes for hire, so I got one for an hour. Fabulous. Must do it again sometime - once I regained my strength from the last one.

Kiev 4

I treated myself to an old Kiev4 Soviet rangefinder camera the other day - a birthday presi to myself as it were. I mean, I am old you know. Anyway, said camera has the Jupiter 8 lens on it - a fine performer I'm told. I was given one of these cameras some years back though it is plagued by lightleaks through the rangefinder window. I was hoping this one wasn't.

I shot a roll of film through it quickly - and yes there are light leaks although I suspect it is from the camera back rather than the rangefinder window so there is hope.

Caught Toots blessing his bacon butty the other day - the lens sees that fine I think

The Visual Artist

This is Katie a visual artist. Proper and everything despite not wearing a beret. Uses colours as well.

I was in an Lanntair yesterday, minding my own business - and others' business as well - obvs - when Mr Alex Boyd of that parish introduced me to this delightful young lady with a very interesting blog..  Go on, check it etc but come back after.

I've seen snaps by HCB of Artists so I thought I'd do one too. Not sure I've shown Katie at her very best here - I blame it on the film I used - and the technique but rather like the snap all the same.

What's going on?

Seems to be an exodus of incomers from the island as the tourists pour in. Or maybe it's just my friends that are going! Had a bath this year and everything so it can't be that.

The sun is shining again so just back from a stroll on the beach [as I write this]. That's where I learned the news from one or the soon to be gone peeps.

Still, Eve & I love here[despite all the tourists] and are not going anywhere at the mo.

The weather

We are some what governed by the weather here on the island. I mean, tis nice at the moment although cloudy, it's warmish. Sometimes it's horrible like a few days ago when I visited The Croft and it threw it down for a while - luckily as I was in the Big Shed.

The wind direction affects the cooking too. The old Rayburn stove sulks with wind in one direction and is an almost uncontrollable blast furnace when in the other. It does rather influence ones cooking!

Still riding

My dearest Eve

Jim

Remembering Jim.

The Minch

Yes, I'm late posting this. Sorry and all that. Eve & I were gadding about o'er the Minch in Inverness, living it up looking at prints in the Print place by the river there, sitting outside cafes in the sunshine, Walking about a bit and buying another art book. I wasn't going to buy the book but I just couldn't help myself. Must get some therepy!

The other day I took this snap of The Minch as I waved to photographist and seafarer Roy Kalsvick  - you can see his excellent blog here - as he pootled up the sea bit in his wee boatee Subsea Viking. The flippin thing looks huge in the pics online but I think they must have thrown an invisability cloak over the thing as, despite seeing it on AIS outside on the watery bit, I couldn't see a boat at all. Ah well, such is life! Hopefully, I'll meet Mr Roy somewhere in the future.

Twas as expected

I wasn't expecting the sun though.

Just wanted you to know I had a fine day yesterday.
I took some snap with a Kiev4 (1959).
Went for a stroll with Toots on a beach.
Had lunch bought for Eve and I by Mr & Mrs Toots.
How nice was that?
Very nice.

I get out you know

Took the liberty to go out over the West Side of the island in the hot sunshine to attend the Carloway Show. Name the dead fish, hit a nail on the head, knock a brown eatery thing off a pole, jumping up and down to tunes, jumping up and over - for fun presumably, tossing the big stick, throwing the bag of stuff, and posing. All the goings on from a fine show. Plus the cooking of the animal bits, tea, cakes, drawings, photos [not guilty] and a huge cabbage that must be growing on one of the cupboards  in a classroom there as it was there a few years ago - I'm sure.
Met lovely peeps, ate ice-cream, met more peeps and dogs, sheeps, horses and coows. Oh what a day. Suffered for it mind. Had to go to bed when i got home :-(

Old camera, old film, same old, same old

Eh?
What's this about then?
Well, hang on a bit, I'll tell you.

I took the clunky somewhat dodgy Kiev 60 out for a spin the other day. When I say I say 'spin' I mean I dragged the heavy lumpen thing around nearly putting my shoulder out of joint. These are a big piece of metal let me tell you. Having said that, the glass is rather good - if the shutter is firing ok and the winding on of the film works.

Since I'm a cheapskate, I loaded the Kiev with some old Shanghai GP3 film I got from a pal. I used to use this film a lot at one time. It was cheap and rather good - and cheap. Did I say Cheap? Only the last batch I used - and I suspect this was from the last batch made - was awful. I mean, really awful. at least this roll didn't have the backing paper numbers imprinted on the film . Anyway, I saw this interesting scum line at Cuddy Point and shot it. The peaty water from the Creed river was being washed right in there by the horrible easterly wind that prevented us / dissuaded us from sailing earlier in the day.

Don't tell me you hate this: I won't listen if you do.

I mean, LOOK, just look.
Isn't that something?
I'm sure it is whatever it's meant to be. I do like it anyway - and so do you. :-)

Wet

It was a wettish Saturday to be honest. The rain came and bounced off the pavements in Stormoway. We were in there for some reason that escapes me: ah, I think were intended to go south on the island but the weather got he better of us. Ended up in The Bridge Centre Cafe - which is, I might say, rather lovely.