xa

I currently have use of a very fine and small camera of some renown. I couldn't wait so the first day I had it in my grasp I loaded it with Polypan-f and took a short stroll.

Not sure what's happened but when I just went out and back to the darkish room, the ground was white. Outside that is. Not sure I'm ready for another lot.

Nearish home but still across the sea

Just here to be exact.

I'm trying for a new [to me] aesthetic.

Just to please my regulars, the horizon stays the same !

Dreich

Twas dreich old day when I took off to Harris with Toots. A few days ago I might add.
I'm not there now. I am elsewhere.
This a snap of a house. This is what a house can look like here.

Don't tell me I cannot milk it

Not yellow snow. Just playing

same film

Snow

It snowed a bit the other day here. Despite our fairly northern location, it doesn't snow that often. So I snuck out with the Voigtlander Perkeo and some Foma100 and snapped up the bus stop. as I do.

Then I came in and listened to this. Lovely though I know not what it is.

There again

I may well have snapped here before but why not, I like it here and the sheeps were most accommodating that day.

And before you ask what camera it was, what film and so on, I can't remember and to be quite honest, past caring. There, I have said it.

Masha

For some unknown reason to me, this lovely lady of my acquaintance is Masha. Really, she is Maria. Either way she is Russian - and a fine photographist as well as pharmacist and friend of Eve my partner. We also have a Romanian friend - also lovely - who is Moni - short from Monica although I am told her given name is Andrea.

J12

Over the years, as a fully signed up cheapskate I have played with a few lenses acquired for little or in this case - nothing as it was kindly sent to me years ago. Only thing we have not bonded. I really don't think the thing realises that sometimes I do want something in focus and without a cloud of flare. This is the L39 lens that I use on an old Zorki6. I did have one on a Kiev4 that was sharp as a sharp tack and contrasty too- but it fell on the floor which rendered it jammed.

I decided to give this lens a last chance. The 'enth time I have done this. However, despite the less than sunny conditions, the flare was there. Perhaps the focused bits were not too bad as I was stopped down to f5.6 - as was the lens.

From a stroll in the Glen

Oooff. I may have to return to the Industar 61.

A Windy ride

There his is; Mr Windy leading Eve on the bikes somewhere.

Proper nice snap too

Not been out much

I've been throwing paint at the walls in the warming room [aka the kitchen] and as a result have been neglecting my snaps. Of course I managed a little trip to a coffee shoppe but the weather is a bit dim and dreich here at the moment so that f2 1/30th asa400 barely cuts the biscuit [or whatever ones says these days].

I show here, for your amusement a little snap I did earlier. Talking of which, I came across my Blue Peter badge whilst clearing the room. Eh? Yup, got it for arranging them TV people to film Sir Chris Hoy [or Chris as he was then] and Andy Slater riding a tandem on Manchester Velodrome where I worked at coach.
Fame eh?
No.

Stubbsy

Posted before but worth posting again.
The artist called Stubbsy

I may have gone too far.....

Oof. I like it.
Now for the darkroom

Snow

Yes, yes. No snow on this snap. Took this a week or so back. Maybe more. Who cares anyway?

But there was snow on the ground this morning. The Clisham is well coated but round about the wee housey here it's a bit thin on the ground. I can tell I was so thrilled to see it when I awoke that I turned over, gave HHHCB the cat a stroke and went back to sleep. There is no need for snow is there? To be honest, despite our northerly location 58.2416° N, 6.6616° W, we don't see much snow due, at the moment, to the Gulf Stream.

Contrast is queen

I know, I know, nothing like this will Provoke you. or not.

I like the feeling. I might explore some more.
I have a visit to The Abroad booked. I may experiment there - as none will know me.

I seem to be portraitising everything these days

This is there. Just after refreshments. Or was it before?

The world, or this bit of it portraitiesed for posterior - or something.

Don't tell me I don't put myself about for you all.

The day I got out of the car and walked to the beach. Again.

Twas the day after a blow. The fronds were clean and happy to wave about in the breeze for me. And for that I was grateful. Then I stopped them in their tracks with this snap with a camera with a long lens and a short slow film.

It wasn't the first time I'd got out the car that day either. The time before this I'd strolled then taken refreshments. It was that sort of day

The day I shot from a Harris fank and was fairly satisfied

Obviously, apart from the intruding lens shade i was satisfied.
I mean, for a portrait of a place there is little more one can ask for. Apart from a sheeps perhaps or a wandering deer.

I might add this is hand held balanced on a fank wall. The camera was a Hassie with 50mm lens and foma100 film. eh?

It's not what I wanted

I was out driving Mr Toots as he snapped up the road that is golden. it was a raw sort of day with a wind so cold it cut through your clothes in a trice.

I did snap too a little - in between getting The Toots' tripod out, suggesting where to shoot and generally being a nuisance. It wasn't til I'd fought the wind - almost losing my ears in the process, and developed the film that I noticed the square lens hood had been askew and showed itself in the corners of the neg. I cropped.

walker

Car ramp

A great place for mending the car.

On the Golden Road.

My car didn't require mending at the time. I'd just thought I'd show you the versatility of the air round these parts.
The car did need a little tlc yesterday though. One of tyres had decided the air was too tight inside it so slowly let it out again. The nice people at Marybank Tyres soon had that sorted.

And I re-found this post too and I wanted you to see it . Many happy years etc

The fall and rise of the UW&S

You know the thing, my little 99p wonder of a camera I've had for 10 years or more. Thought I'd finally finished it off the other day. The shutter wouldn't shut or whatever it does. And the film wouldn't wind on. I was mortified and went to bed in a sulk. Then I thought about it, went down and realised the film was finished. Took out the film and all is well.

Gold star if you can tell me where I was when I snapped these up.

Somedays, one doesn't walk alone

Some days.

I went there and came back.

I took a camera with me too.
It wasn't the best day.

But yesterday was lovely.
The sun shone, there was no wind.
I made some lith prints.
Eve swam in the sea.
We fixed the topping lift on the boatee.
Enjoyed a walk and a lovely meal with friends at home

Who used to live here?

I even took a Mocha here.
No scone though

Not having much luck

Perhaps it's me but the camera I have been using of late - my little sister's OM1n with 50mm lens has just decided to play up. And that a mere month of so after having the seals done and the meter corrected ! Now, the film transport seems to have gone wrong allowing the film to slip at frame 20 or so causing the frames to overlap.
So annoying.

This was from the last film I used in the camera. In Harris.

getting lazy

To be honest, I always was lazy.

But I am getting worse.

It is so much easier to scan images from the neg than from a print.

In fact I have never managed a good print scan. How does one do it?

The year is going so quickly

The 3 rd already. And I've barely registered the year in.

Maybe another trip to the southern isles ??

This year

Ah ha!

This is what 2019 feels like then.

Pretty well the same as last year only more fuzzy and more achy.

I might have to go on the moor later to see if that's the same as it has been for the last few thousands of years.

And I may take the Zorki 6 with me again as it seems to work well, seeing nice things and the like.

Wishing you up

Wishing you all a fine 2019.

It is, I am sure going to be a fine year.

Many thanks for your visits. Please come again.