The Sculptist/Pottist, the photographist and the cat

Such lovely peeps too.
Meet them at the Mission House Studio and see their superb creations.

I was passing nearly and made a little detour to see them - working outside having a board meeting or something they told me. The cat gets the final vote.

I used the OM1n and some ORWO film.

playing wet

This weeks photokraze has bewitched me. Even out doing the nonsense that is brewing here in the village [petty politics, ethics and somewhat opaque transparency since you ask].

I've been using the hot - yes I said that HOT sun to cook a few wet cyanotypes infused with spices. No, it's not my idea  but I rather like it - once I get the hang of it - by which time there will be no flowers in the garden and the machair will be bare !

In the meantime, this is one of my first copies of someone else's idea :-)

Horizons

I know, you've been to a camera klub or read in a book that horizons must be straight in snaps. I beg to differ, if it's good enough for the great Ragnar Axelsson, it's good enough for me to be sloping across the image. Up here it's the wind that causes it in the main but, embrace it I say

I mean, look at this. Eh?

He wus sweeping your Honour

You can just about see Zoot through the Zweep of the almost-glass of the P&S camera I had to hand. The film didn't help much since it was 400 rated at 800 on account of the cassette it was loaded in. The weather misbehaved too - bright sunshine and everything.

As you can see H&S hasn't got this far yet :-)

A Hebridean scene

Meanwhile in Rome, Chris Froome is going to do what the Romans can't currently do and Simon Yates from Bury near t'Manc almost did - and win the Giro D Italia. Hurrah !

In celebration, here's another Hebridean scene - the same place, reviewed as it were.

developing colour

Not done this before so quite pleased with myself. Toots, my pal let me have use of his Tetenal c41 tablet chemical kit only, it is a bit  old and the tablets had got damp a bit. Still, they worked even if I did my best to mess it all up. See, this snap came fro New Years eve - as you might imagine.

and another two from the same recently finished roll of Agfa film from a stroll down Valtos way with the Valtos doggie.

Might have to get my own and try some more.

Stormoway

Yep, that's Stormoway.

As depicted by me with the help of an old Minolta 505si with a 35-80 minolta kit lens [meant to be the worst they made] and Orwo n74 film doused in PQ print developer.

Can I add here that should you that live in a place able to listen to BBC Iplayer, the In tune mixtape programmes are well worth listening to.

Flying rat

Cycling, photographising and boating

Oh, and sunshine.
Eve took the afternoon off paid work and helped my slosh some paint on the wooden bits of our thankfully plastic boatee. Lovelee day for it but we were both wasted after.

Eve

Dearest Eve accompanying me on a short cycle ride to the village border. I was giving my Minolta 505si a run in the fresh air.

Melvins

This is Alice. She came up from Lancashire with Mr & Mrs Melvin, former neighbours and friends. They were on the Uists holidaying but popped over on the little ferry for the day to visit us. How lovely was that?

Very. Twas really lovely to see them again.

Warmish

Yes it's been warmish hereabouts.
It's moved into double numbers and one can strip down to three layers as long as you don't stay too long in the shadows. I was out with Toots Wilson as he kick started his project, The Edge. I persuaded him to pass through Tolsta Chaolais on the way to goodness knows where. Tis a nice place where some TV programme was made . When the vehicle we were travelling in came to a halt, I leapt out - as well as one can when one is old and achy - and stole a snap. This was it.

Can you tell it was shot on a OM1n loaded with Kentmere400 film which later I sloshed in Rodinal then scanned? I mean, can you?

Coffee

We went here for coffee. I wouldn't recommend it even if I managed to pinch a snap with my Espio Mini

Beyond the Edge

I was speaking to my pal Toots the other day about his ongoing, sorry, soon to be ongoing project The Edge. Now at least 15 years in the gestation, I think it's about time he got on with it. So, in the spirit of things I stopped at the beach outside his housey and took this snap as if it might gee him up [some hope].

I'd been suggesting Toots look at the work of the great Hiroshi Sugimoto and particularly his seascapes which I rather like - to elicit some inspiration or something. Sugimoto is no one-trick pony though, his lightning images and portraits are testament to that.

Hold the front page !

Toots Wilson has been out photoing The Edge. On the edge and everything. Down Dal Mor way with his Isolette . In the warm sunshine, dodging the waves while I sat on the soft sand and watched. Apparently he took three, yes 3 images !!! Only took 16 years to get going .

Don't call me a skinflint

Oh no, I didn't just use a £1 camera at the wedding , I used this one too. It cost me 50p. Oh look it's that laughing pair Kate Cullen and Eileen Roe trying to outride the boys [they did]  at The Wedding.

Meanwhile, The Man of The Wedding blew the whistle.

Mad wae the Weegie

At The Wedding

All for £1

Snaps at The Wedding in Ayr with my £1 Kodak Cresta camera and HP5 film. Nothing but the best for this wedding.

 A few of the guests. Many years of cycling experience between them I can tell you.

 The Boy Vic - who was married up, with Kommonweath Games Kate.

 Eve and Tanwen

Beryl, Annie, Paul and Eve.

Ooof.

My Loveliness

Not sure sure how this happened but it is the sort of snap I just love. Really does it for me and keeps me going with this sort of imagery.

The shapes and the shades suggest all sorts of things to me and no, I was not drunk when I took it !

Now, I'll have you know I spent some time in t'darkroom with this neg and have a couple of lovely prints  - one on Agfa Record grd3 and another on Ilford Galerie grd 4. Ooooff, lovely blacks and everything.

The wedding

Don't be impertinent! Yes this was the wedding - or part of it anyway. Messers Commonwealth Games riders trashing the tandem in the grass sprinting.
What? You have never been to a wedding like that?
I hadn't either but I'd be happy to again.

Post Catholic

Yes, I have a few.

This is it now.https://youtu.be/pAENwZY032Y

Have I told you?

We, that's Eve and I plus others attended the marriage of Gwynneth and Vic the other weekend. Oh what a lovely affair it was. Sunshine, friends we have not seen for a few years and bicycles. What's not to like? The above snap was not there. It was before.

On the other hand, below was there and is the happy couple. I know it doesn't actually loook like it but this was the moment when something happened - other than me snapping them up with my £1 Kodak Cresta camera. One has to have the best you know.

Look here, proof if proof was required that we were there basking the glow of all the lovely peeps there - even if all the pixels had been sucked out the air for a few moments.

Sketches of Stormoway

Sketches


Stormoway.

Life takes a strange turn sometimes

We went to the mainland for a wedding. This is what we saw. Not all the time you understand but one time. Just before the next bit of time.

Luckily I had a camera loaded with Polypan-f and I caught it on film.

Pickled Knees

Ivor Cutler's take.

I have I might say here, been quietly doing a bit of Lith printing on the quiet. Hence the plethora of prints now coming your way. I hope you don't like them.

This print comes with chemical stain which only adds to the image. Just so you know.

There's no turtle in my soup

There you are: Ivor Cutler inspired lith-print on whatever paper it was. Or it.


I will attempt not to use the word 'nice' again.
I will attempt not to show nice pictures.
I will attempt to show you snaps that you despise.
I hope you despise this.


Better?

Somewhere nearish here

See, almost suburban !
Or at least I think some people wish it were.

Sign of the times

Sign of the times in Stormoway.

I have nothing much to say. The world is falling apart.

Perke[o]d

Waiting for a bit of action in Stormoway.
The Voigtlander Perkeo does the business.

Life outside a Scottish sitting room

With apologies to Ivor Cutler.

Scotland. This is what it's like. Sometimes. all the time actually although not all the places. Just this one when captured as it was and lith printed onto old Agfa Record, or was it Forte? I can't remember and didn't write it down. Hope that helps

There; several times there

There he is. Toots and everything.

Kentmere

No, not the Lake District but the film. Made by Harman-Ilford and quite good for the price me thinks. I'd really wanted some new film canisters so I bought this film so i'd have some when I finished. However, the film isn't bad at all. I'd sloshed in the inevitable Rodinal @ 1:100 for an hour or so with a few inversions.

Yes this is Kentmere 400 shot at 400 here. The delightful Arnish Millenium wood was my subject. See, those two sticks there? That's it.