Big is better

I took out the FED 35mm rangefinder the othwer day - its knackered so can't make it worse if it gets rained on. Only, the sun shone for a bit and I took this snap on the old road to our village. I went back yesterday with the Agfa Record 6x9 and some FP4 and took these;

Usual stuff

Safe surfing
Traigh Mhor
Flying
I have this FEd rangefinder that only works on one speed. And rthe dials for the meter fell off. Stil, it works using the aperture on the Industar 61 lens. So, here's a few from APX100/R09 @ 1:200 for 2.5 hours.

Trad Neg

Here's my first cyanotype using a traditional film neg. In this case its a 5x7 neg taken with the FKD plate camera- Forte 200 in ID-11 - printed on cartridge paper and toned in Fairtrade coffee. Kiev and FED rangefinders posing.

Cyanotype over pigment inks - experiment

Another Cyanotype

Not toaking too many photos at the moment but using what energy I have to make these alternative prints. Toned in Fairtrade coffee.

Stroll along Tolsta village

Before I had my stroll, the boys - Rocky and Frank took Eve & I for a walk on Traigh Mhor - one of the local beaches.

The sun was out so took off with the Kiev rangefinder and some apx400s. Here we are at the top of the road leading to the cemetry on the machair.
Down the cemetry road and looking back up to this part of the village across various crofts.
Bit of rural furniture here.
The road to the cemetry. A nice last journey - if the weather is kind.
Looking out over the crofts, decrepid farm machinery and the coast
Some 'locals'. Actually, they are 'white-settlers' since the locals are browny-black.

Back towards home and a croft overlooking the sea - as they all do!

Worries

Its been a worrying few days since at the moment we are looking after two older dogs while their pet - Victor - holidays in NZ. Firstly Frank the Lab had a turn and now walks wonkily and loses his way. Then Rocky the Terrible had a turn and we, Eve & I sat up half the night with him before taking him off to the Vets today. Turns out he had wind !!!! We are glad he is better and will get a few more walks on Traigh Mhor as the snap above shows.

Two fast boys - in the blue[ish]

I used to work in cycling - at the Manchester Velodrome for my sins. It did however, give some fine chances to snap some nice people. Here is a prime example of a fine chance - badly done. Still, the slightly off-focus image looks fine as a Cyanotype - or will do when I get a better print out. This particular one is toned wuth green tea and on cartridge paper.

Oh, and the boys are right- Graeme Obree - former World Hour Record holder and
Left- Michael Hutchinson, - multi GB national champion and author of The Hour; Immortality the hard way.

Severe weather warning ahead!

And the weather is already deteriorating. So, the fire is lit and I have just scanned a glass neg I shot with the FKD plate camera today - too much wind outside so an abstract of the wall will suffice! Exposed for 1min 30 secs @f16
I did a nice Cyanotype too. I seem to be getting the hang of these so bought some cartridge paper to continue the roll. Anything, yes anything to take me away from all the stuff on the radio about the USA electoins.

Frost

A wonderful morning on the island with a sharp frost and sun glaring through the window. We, the dogs and I, have been out onthe beach but Frank, the 15 years old Lab is not too well so we are home now and I'm scanning some snaps taken a few days ago with the Kiev rangefinder, 35mm Jupiter lens and out of date Efke 100. Nice combination though. Here's two of the nicest -I think - from Brevig and nearby.

Playing with Cyanotypes

I love cyanotypes. Lets get that straight. Not the bright blue ones you usually see but lovely toned ones like this .
So, armed with an enlarged digital negative from a 6x9 neg taken in Saddleworth with my very good chum Jon, I set to work. Now, I only have some Bockingford watercolur paper that Mum sent me in the vain hope I may paint - and, in the past I have not had good success with this stuff. Liam Lawless emailed me to say that one needs to soak the paper in acid. The only acid I had was stop bath. And it works.
I coated when the paer was still damp, exposed under UV lamp for two hours and 'developed' in water and peroxide.
Ok, it is blue. But I will print another and tone in coffee. Or tea, or herbs.

Salgado

The weather has been a little rough and so have I for some reason. Seem to have aches all over so no photoging at the moment. Still, my new copy of B&W [UK] mag came today and within there was an article about the wonderfully nspiring photographer - Salgado. Salgados images are legendary - gritty and dark. Only the images in the mag were terribly printed - all washed out. So dissappointing. However, if you do a quick search on Google images you'll soon have hundreds of Salgado images to gaze over - and it's well worth the time. Or else check out this site

Harris

Need I say more?
Kiev II Jupiter 35mm. APX400s ID-11

Obbe

Down the south of Lewis is the island of Harris - joined to Lewis actually. At the furthermost end there is a group of houses called Leverburgh - renamed such in December 1920 from the previous Obbe. Last timeI passed through the place the rain was lashing down and all looked grey. This time the sun shone so we took the dogs for a stroll round the harbour area before diving into The Anchorage cafe for luncheon.
Here is a snap I took with a Kiev Rangefinder. APx400s/R09

Good weather

The last few days have brought us great weather. So good that I have rather overdone the walking as I take the dogs to enjoy the sun. Living here, when the sun is up, the place is likeliving in paradise. When the wind is howling, the rain lashing; more like the other place!
For ease, I took the Retinette and finished off a roll of Era100 - Chinese film - and then soaked it in R09 1:200 for two hours or so.
Here's snaps of our local beach - and the track to another where there is some wonderful rock.
Oh, and a special hello and best wishes to my 'down under' friends & readers Max & Maureen .

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. And a special BIG UP for the North Tolsta Massive whom I am assured look at this blog from time to time.

1930s plate

So I put this SELOCHROME plate - made by Ilford - into the Ziess Ilkon. Eve shots it at 30asa and I develop it in LC29. Something happened of which I am not too sure but, here I am in my best 'weather' outfit on Traigh Mhor dunes.

Playing around

In The Jon Norfolk Suite [aka The darkroom/coal shed], I have a stash of old unexposed glass plates. I have found that some of the smaller ones fit into 120 folders so, loaded up the Rolfix with FP4, shot Eve at Leverburgh where the winter sun was shining and hey presto; I forgot to shut the thingy that hides the red window!!!!! Duh!

Digi and all that

Eve, my dear partner took the resident dogs down to Traigh Mhor this morning as I was not feeling my best - again! I sent them off with the Digi-snapper we have and it did manage to catch some of the early morning light, Frank wondering what life is all about and, Rocky in his new Harris Tweed jacket. This old digi snapper may have only 3 pixels or something but it did the trick!

Got through Christmas

Just about anyway. Weather up this way has been terrible and only really ventured out today - Boxing Day - in the howling wind and lashing rain. For a bit. Took a few cameras - one of which I used - which was a pity since the film was already finished. Would have nothing to show for it anyway.
Instead I shall show you another photee from a couple of days ago when a neighbour came in for a sup. Kiev rangefinder, flash I think and APX400s APH09 1:200

Have a wonderful 2008
Well, this one below got away. It was the only frame left on the roll and just about sums up the day!

Happy Christmas Day

Digi-point-and-snap

BIG WORK with German glass

e have a fine image
In contrast here we have a fine image taken in the Castle grounds in Stornoway with the Voigtlander 6x9 rf. APX400/LC29

Russian glass

I am so lucky to have been gifted a Kiev rangefinnder with a 85 portrait lens. Tis a wonderful piece of kit rthat in the right hands can produce some sensatinal images. However, in my hands the snaps are just OK. Here's a crofters dad. Efke100 APH09 1:200

Old film

I was given a few rolls of 35mm film the other day - some were exposed including a Plus-x cassette. So souped it innR09 @ 1:200 for two hours and ended up with somerespectable photees. Lots of church images of which I think these are the best!

FED up

Rocky being brave. Got caught out on the way back when the edge of the sand-cliff gave way but he still managed to scamble through without falling.



I have not been having too much success with the old picture taking of late. There are a myriad of cameras lurking around the hoose - plate cameras, folders, rangefinders, scale focus, slrs, medium, large and 35mm format - oh and 110; Colour and B&W film in the freezer. X-ray too. But can I take a decent snap???
So, I take out the FED rangefinder - the one with the dodgy film speed thing - it's stuck on around 1/50-1/100th I think. Loaded it with APX400 - the grainy one - and snapped away at anything using the aperture for changing the exposure - all guessed. Souped it in R09 @ 1:200 or thereabouts for around 2hours - well, just when I remembered about it actually. I didn't even take the temp of the water bt it was cold! And hey ho, its the best I have ever seen with this film!

Sunshine at last..

..but we had some shopping to do in the big metropolis of Stornoway. First we visited the village Post Office - busy for a small place too. Thena stroll looking in shop windows, walking along the harbour and drinking Mocha in An Lanntair. Nice. I played with the Kiev rf with 35mm jupiter [many many thanks to Monty /APX400/R09 - and then we met Windy; cyclist, photographist and racontour.

Posting for Christmas

With the last day for posting looming, I should point out that the Western Isles post office have been having a few issues. Firstly there are the normal issues of ferries not running and planes delayed because of the inclement weather we had recently - the issues of widespread and disperate offices and boxes. And the main post office burning down. Nearly forgot that!
Here, the box is on Bernera.
Another common issue for rural areas is the possible closure of village post-offices and our village of North Tolsta is no exception and we will not know for sure that will we still have one till Feb 2008.