X-ray vision

Or not as the case may be.
if you see me wandering around the village with the heap of old junk that passes for a camera - all covered in a black cloth, be not afraid. It will be my modified FKD Russian plate camera [see bottom snap] and dark-cloth. With an old Dallmeyer projection lens and barn-door shutters, this is just the tool to shoot old x-ray film. Film for this size of camera can be expensive but x-ray - when you can get it, is not.
The top image is of my dear Eve at home last night. The image has been printed onto watercolour paper coated in light-sensitive emulsion - Vandyke process. Nice

A couple of North Tolsta Peat Cutters

Fine fellows both of them - delivering a few feed bags to put some peat in for ease of carrying home. Mostly the peats come back on the trailer of an ancient Massey Ferguson tractor. Most of the peats are cut and many are in - including our own now neatly stacked in the local stylee - or something akin to the local style but without the finesse or style, local or otherwise. But we try!

Kate VanDyke

VanDyke print on Bockingford watercolour paper from injet neg taken from film scan.
I like it. Not the easiest of alternative proceses fromyears past but well worth the effort as the tones are just lovely

Locals

Mr Batty is El Presidente of the local camera club on the island and fine a Rhubarb grower. Originally from Yorkshire Mr Batty has been here in the village for a long time now. I must say i enjoy my coffee mornings with him.

Ahmed is virtually a local these days although from hailing from Turkey. Without Ahmed and his pal Donald the tractor, our peats would still be residing on the moor. Now, if you want some marble flooring, this is the man to see as he has a few tonnes of it to shift!

Waiting to weave

wet-print. In development

Working on it;
A bit lighter than I wanted. Other prints are better but not dry. See my Flickr for another print - but one that toned well.

Messing again

I have a vision of a series of prints I would like to make in the darkroom. The subject matter will come but the printing I envisage being something like this - created in PS from a neg made in the trusty IlfordSporti. What do you think?

A new little Gem

Eve tending the veg plot

A few weeks ago a little parcel arrived from the States with a little old camera inside. I'd won it in an online competition with this image. Anyway, the new camera is a gem - a Super Ikonta A from around 1950. So loaded with some GP3 B&W film I shot in the continuing lovely weather we are having.

Donald and Mandy

A grand chap in the village I have got to know. Has a lovely dog too .

New images

I've taken the Hasseblad and KOWA out on the Moor yesterday with top island model Kate to shoot a roll or two of film.
Here the peats are cut - traditionally by the men but often turned to aid drying and lifted and carried by the women who carry on their everyday tasks as they go.
Things have changed a little.......

A bendy lens

I've been playing with a self-modified lens recently. I use an old medium format kiev lens fixed to a 35mm slr with gaffer tape and some old bellows. Great fun although exposure issues prevail.
Here's an early one from this series.

Andrew Sanderson - Master printer

Some time ago I spent a great day with Andrew Sanderson in his darkrooms in Holmfirth trying to get my head around the nuances of B&W printing. I learnt a lot - mainly because the man has such a subtle eye but producing the same emotional response that Mr Sanderson seems to be able to coax out of a neg is difficult - I am still learning.
Anyway, have a look at Andrew Sanderson's web-site for inspiration. the paper negs are particulary fantastic I think.

Taransay

Thought it might be worth seeing Taransay in colour since it was spectacular. Taken with the Rollei30 on AgfaUltra50

Peat cutting ex-seaman

"I was in the merchant navy and in a bar in New Zealand once there were 20 other men from North Tolsta there. And when I arrived in Australia, the first man I met there was from North Tolsta too"

Peats & Me

Just to prove I have been cutting, here's snap taken by Eve with a Kodak Duoflex and processed by me!

Been South

The lochens on North Uist are dry!

Taransay. It could be the West Indies. It's not, it's better!
Zorki6-ERA100-R09

Just back from a few days south of home but still in the Hebrides - Harris,
Taransay, Berneray and North Uist - on the bikes and camping.
Ok, here's the first neg-scans. The first one is on N.Uist, the second Berneray and our campsite and the last two from a roll I took on Taransay on a trip organised by the Island Book Trust. A fine day was had by all - especially Eve & I. The island is owned by Angus who also owns the camping site at Horgabost and runs a jet-boat trip to this island in the summer. Well worth the trip too.

Another Cyanotype

Here's one from a 6x9 neg enlarged onto OHP film and printed on watercolour paper and toned in tannic acid.

A Grand Day Out

Last Saturday Eve & I went over to South Lochs to attend a stroll with the island's archaeological society led by John Randall - seen here on the left talking to Piers from Edinburgh. Firstly we looked at an old cleared settlement and some surprisingly good house remains. Then it was off to look at the Ravenspoint centre where the Angus Macloed archives are held.
After this it was over to Cromor and Charley Barley's island - whose name escapes me - via a nice causeway that is exposed at low tides. It a wonderful place where an old chapel sits on the shoreline. A truly wonderful day.

Biking again

I have been out on my bicycle. First time for years since I have been recovering from CFS lately yet managed a couple of rides along the coast to Bac and back! Lovely to feel my old legs turning the pedals again - although not as fast as my dear partner Eve used to. Eve was World Masters track Cycling Champion in 2006.
Anyway, took the time to stop and chat to this chap who was planting down near the beach in Breavig - then snapped him wif my Zorki6 loaded with ilfordPan400. I had to distract the fine fellow with inspired questions about cabbage root fly and like - but he was quite happy to have me snapping away. Sadly the place is mired by old cars - this was one of two.
Found this nice scene on the way to Breavig too - looking out over Gress.

Textures

Old camera-1930s
Old film-1950s
Old place- Gress Fank
=Nice snap!

Playing

I have a new to me camera. In fact its a 1936 Zeiss Ikon folding camera and yes, I have already run a roll of film through it and printed some pics - which i will show later.
in the meantime, here's an old pic rejuvenated flikr stylee.

And here, after a frantic developing and printing session is the first pic out from the Zeiss Ikon 6x4.5 1930s folder

Light

Sometimes there is such nice light in a photo you really don't need much more. I think this one is a case in point. Taken from the cliff looking over Garry beach near North Tolsta, isle of lewis.

Colour - again

This time a neg scan from a trip down Uig direction. Tis a lovely area and well worth the time to cycle down that way given half a chance. And since the weather is great again today, I shall be trolling out for a little bike ride as soon as I finish this. ByeBye

cuba

Eve & I went to Cuba a couple of years ago and wonderful people they are. Took a few snap while I was there and just decided to print this one as a VanDyke print.
This was a lovely hill village near Vinales a local lad took us to.

Peat-Bank Man

Hewn from the soil and snapped with my Ziess Ikon folder, this image of a fellow peat-cutter here in North Tolsta was taken one sunny morning. The print is a cyanotype toned with tannic acid.

Time for Colour

The sun has been out and the colour film nestling in my fridge wants to get out. Just for fun you understand - I feel that the colours in B&W are much better.
Anyway, Tolsta, where we stay on the island [live that is] is lovely. When the sun is shining it is superb! The beaches are very nice and a great place to while away a few moments while walking the dogs - or taking snaps. here's scene doing all three .

World Cup Winners twice over x 4

Images; Larry Hickmott for British Cycling

Jon Norfolk riding with Ant Jam-Man Kappes and Ellen Hunter[top riding with Jon Norfolk] riding with Aileen McGlynn MBE won their second Gold medals at the recent paralympic world Cup in Manchester today. Brilliant riding by the lot of you.
Oh, and it seem like Sharpie and Mr P Hunter made it both to the start and finish line in the puruit challenge where they recorded a fantastic time and were fastest.

Rock & Sand

Rock & Sand - Traigh Mhor

Sam on Strawberry Hill

The weather up here has been tremendous of late. Sunshine and a soft breeze has been making the place feel more like the Caribbean. In between cutting the peats, I have managed a little snapping. Her's a couple from the Zorki rangefinder. Film is Era100

Big up to Jon Norfolk [sen in yesterdays Van Dyke print] and Ant 'Jam-Man' Kappes who won the World Cup paralympic tandem kilo TT today with a world record time. great rides from members of Yasumitsu-Schlapp.
More Schlappers, Ellen Hunter who rides with Aileen Mcglynn MBE and Paul Hunter who rides the tandem with Ian Sharpe are riding thr World cup so we wait with anticipation.

later;
Ellen Hunter with MiLady Mcglynn took the womens kilo tt and yet another world record. Getting a bit boring now...

Van Dyke

Since its been so warm and sunny, going into the darkroom for long spells is less than appealing. So, been making van dyke prints which involve making the light sensitive emulsion, preparing then coating the paper [in the darkroom doh!] then exposing under sunlight. then there's the development in water and fixing in hypo. You can read more about the process here .

Painting

We are most fortunate in this village in having lovely neighbours - some of whom we know well and others less so. This delightful painting was created by one of our younger neighbours and presented to my partner Eve as she was planting the caulies. I think it may depict me :-)

Just before disaster...

I took this image. Then a camera on a tripod fell face first into the sand ! Not too good for the works me thinks! ah well, such is life. and the evening was superb as it the weather today. just like a summers day today.

Scalpay

There's an island down Harris way reached by a bridge and bathed in the most wonderful light sometimes. Don't miss the opportunity to go there should you be on the Western Isles. Go by bicycle.
This snap of a Scalpay building is for Donnie Mackay

I like this

... the glasshouse

Going West

For the last few days we have had the pleasure of Mr Paul West for company. Paul, with whom I used to work, has just finished working for British Cycling in Manchester and is embarking on a spot of travelling - and the Western Isles were his first stop.
After a spot of Peat Cutting - Paul had a look round the island in the wonderfully warm weather we have been having.
The nice thing is we saw about a dozen cyclists out riding on Friday - two here seen riding towards Floddabay on Harris.