Struggling

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Been struggling a bit of late. Struggling with my health and with my picture making. Sometimes find the best way is to go simple to get out of that hole. Simple strolls on the beach with a simple scale focus camera, straight forward film and devevelop it by stand development. It works sometimes.
Kodak Retinette 1a. APX100/R09 1:100.

Walking in trees

We took the dogs into Stornoway for a walk the other day. Its a chance for them to sniff around trees and see something other than sand. The light was dull but I took the Voigtlander 6x9 to finish off a roll of APX400 I had. Just love this image from near the castle. Technically it may leave something to be desired but it does have a feel about it.

A once fast table

I used to work at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester before I was 'saved' and got a life. The old track surface, down since the Velodrome opened in 1994, was being replaced just as I was leaving so, as a parting gift, a wonderful carpenter called Alan Whitworth - who also works on the track, made me a fantastic table from the old surface. Here it is complete with scratches, track-lines and probably a bit of Craig Mcleans skin, now located in the summer parlour of our little abode in the Isle of Lewis. This huge table - at which I sit now typing this - finally got here due to the good auspices of Vic Posse who was up visiting recently to bring up his two dogs for a hol. Nice init?

Cyanotypes

Hendrix in the Isle of Lewis -Check it out!

The Lochan

Just outside the village boundary is this lochan. And since the sun had decided to show itself for a change and was glistening across the water, I slopped through the soggy grass and took this with the Hasselblad on FP4. I like it.

BosseB

Complete with the requisite dust and what have you that befits a neg that fell on the floor and was trod on in the darkroom is this print of BosseB, a fine photog from Sweden. Check out his wonderful work here .

Half or twice the fun?

From time to time I like to use my half-frame 120 film camera the Korol24s. It's cale focus with a piece of dodgy glass that passes for a lens but its great fun and makes the film developer man look quizzical! These were taken on our nearest beach and on Bernera island. NPS160.
It is lovely to be free of anything that passes for sharpness :-)

Foul weather

The ferry is not running, the wind is howling and I have to go out on a job soon. Ah well, I have just acquired some new to me kit for the darkroom today - just need to sort the roof of the thing and then I'll be in business

Snow

Apparently, we don't get too much snow here on the island. Have not seen any yet though the mainland has had some. Here's a snap from back in Saddleworth where we had a little snow last year. What with global warming and the genral lack of concern by many people, it looks like snow will become scarcer every year

Bad weather - again

Rocky, checking out the beaches - yesterday. What a difference a day makes!

There's a little stormette raging outside and the ferries are not playing again. Just as well really since the waves in the Minch look nasty and might be nausea inducing should you be daft enough to cross the Minch today. I've shut the doors and windows and lit the fire so we [Frank, Rocky and myself - Eve not having come home yet] are nice and cosy in here - although the Jon Norfolk Suite [aka The Darkroom] has sprung a leak in the roof. Just as well it's not at the other end of the room since that's where the leci is! I wonder if my old pal Graham Leeke might be willing to troll over from Manc to fix the thing?? Oh no, he can't. The ferry is not running.

Another meeting

The electricity was off last Friday so when I went out with our visiting dogs for a stroll on the beach we met Ron an English chap now relocated to the north of our island. Ron was meant to b doing a loft conversion nearby but since his power tools didn't work and he had no light he took time off to explore our lovely beaches. Voigtlander Bessa ! 6x9 Rf- hp5 @800 LC29.

Most days I take time to have look what's going on on APUG - a analogue photo site but recently one thread that started about China's environmental record and rambled around the global warming issue - really got me wondering why so many people don't see the issue as an issue at all. There are some that have taken the issue on board - see my chum BosseB here and Portal23 here

I didn't quite nail the focus when I took this snap of Rosaline at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester. Rosaline is the head poisoner at the Velodrome.

Claire

Now in NZ.
Kiev6c. HP5/LC29

Paxette and flare

Paxette
I have this old Braun Paxette 35mm camera which is a delight to hold and use. Only trouble is, it looks like someone has cleaned the outer lens element with sandpaper! As a result, in daylight the results are 'interesting'. Here using APX400s in R09.

Mum takes the stage

While I and my partner Eve reside up here in the Hebrides, Mum is still in Burnham-on-Sea. And seeing Mum works her socks off for everyone in the area, she was recently invited to open the local ASDA. Very proud of her I am.
Anyway, here she is on the left getting out the Limo to open the joint.
from www.Burnham-on-sea.com

Rain= darkroom

Ilfospeed G2. Sepia

35mm splurge

Frank and Rocky checking the policies

Rocky, checking out a new walk

BigBoat, smallboat in Stornoway

For some reason I have been shooting some 35mm recently. Since I have some bulk rolls of B&W film it doesn't cost a lot. Having said that, I never seem to get results that inspire me to print in the darkroom so I'm showing a couple here. Taken with either a Pentax Spotmatic or K1000 [now inoperative sadly]. Films are Efke 100 and Apx400s - both in R09.

We get sun too

Kiev IIa APX400s@200asa R09 1:50

Reminder of summer

Beach

7.30am

Morning light over Minch

Agfa Record 6x9 FOMA100 R09 [cropped]

What they saying girls? Are we for it?

Lovin the Koroll24s

Double exposures:-)



That lovely soft focus

Morning stroll to P.O. then the beach....

Ilford Sporti APX400 R09

Hybrid print

Taken from a scan of an old neg, outputted onto translucent inkjet material then contact printed onto KentmereFintprintVC and stained with tea.

Far from the castle

KievIIa APX400s R09

Painting with colours

That's what happens when you let lose with some colour film, an old folder and a flash with some gels! Not 5 mins walk from home! Second one includes the Point lighthouse!

WTCD2007

.. in Stornoway
Vivitar UW&S

Post Athens, pre Bejing

This bouquet came from a bronze medal winning ride at the Athens paralympics on the tandem - Paul Hunter/Ian Sharpe. Paul's wife Ellen won gold in the tandem Kilo at the same event with Aileen MCglynne MBE and hopefully this pair will be riding for another medal in Bejing. This bouquet is nearly 4 years old and follwed us from Lancashire to the Isle of Lewis and I am so proud to have it.

England revisited

Sheiling village

.. to be continued

Kiev 60. Agfapan400 LC29

kates cabbage

Start of a new series.
Kowa6 hp5/lc29