The Viking

 

Not seen Keith the Viking for ages. Must pop over to see him and his wife in lovely Lemreway. 

Valasay

 

Valasay, such a lovely place but it's a pity for the community that most of the houses seem to be short term rental. It is though a lovely place to rest a while and enjoy the changing light over the water and mountains.

Victor

 

Here he is checking out the bridge at Valasay. Tis a fine place to visit on a nice day - and it was.  And if one feels up to it start of a great walk to Tobson and on to Bosta via some fine old lobster ponds.

somewhere

 

Somewhere on the mainland. Can't remember where exactly but i suspect Aberdeen. Eve will tell me when she gets back from her bike ride in the sunshine.

archives

 

2011 don't you know

Dad Crofter

 

David, the Crofter's dad who still come and works a bit on the croft. Calls in home here for a cuppa now and again which is really lovely. A chance to catch up on all the local goings on.

He's just had a cataract done and waiting for the other too. We are very lucky up here with the quality of the NHS.

Oh, on another note have a look at the blog of artist Tom Hickman

apt

 

My Crofter pal just doon the road has some fine sheeps that could make a fine Halloween presentation should they  so wish. These are the Hebridean sheeps.

friends

 

We had some long time friends up on the island recently and actually  went to the Stones with them. They haven't changed - the stones that is.

Yes it was the Pirate and the potter who came and lovely it was too.

way back

 

this was the day.....

 

This day The Crofter went down the croft to tell his coows a little story. I think it rained soon after.

Evelyn

 

Darling Eve.

We've been together 23 years now. and it's been wonderful.

i have been wondering

 

I am not sure why I still do this blog. It is a worry to me. I don't know what to say most of the time.

I am not going to write diary here, neither will I comment on the parlous state of the world since it won't help anything. 

But, now and again I raid the archives and find a snap from a while back "on the way to Catditz' for example and think, I must show this again. it is, for those who don't know, the road up to the Lighthouse on Point, the other side of the bay here where the cattery is located. Perhaps it will lift my spirits if someone notices the image, the wind howling and the rain lashing down  as I write.

stone

 

Love the use of the stone in Portsoy.  The stones on the harbour wall were placed vertically in the belief that this way they dispersed the power of the waves somewhat. They gave been there a while so perhaps there's something in it.

Ghosting

 

William

 

Not quite as spritely as he once was but lovely all the same.

Taken at his home with an old minolta 505 and kentmere 400 film.

i HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU

 

some days

 

Crovie

 

Now this was an interesting place to visit.

I have just about recovered from the walk back up from here.

Sandend

 We stayed here for a few days, walks along the next door beach watching the surfers. Dallying around this little harbour right outside the wee hoosie. ooft, was lovelee.

I had this Canon AE1 with me and a 20mm lens and, as you can see it showed the curvature of the  earth just like it is at home here. Always like this. Either that of I have one leg shorter than the other.

here now

 

We have been away.

Off island and everything.

The island was still here when we got back although the ferry bumped up and down down somewhat on the way back while trying to find it.

We went to the sea side. A house by a harbour and not too far from a distillery which we didn't visit. The sea was a tad cool over there too.

not there

 

excitement

 

It's all happening here you know. where i say here i don't actually mean here in the village [although the bin lorry did come round this morning] but in our small capital Stormoway.

As you may be able to see someone walking IN THE SUNSHINE. Doesn't happen too often and not today especially as it's a minor howling outside. [it was inside briefly the other day when the roof sprung a leak but that seems to have resolved itself I think.]

In the village nothing much has happened to be honest.

ball

 

curves

 

You may have noticed if you look back at the non blurry snaps on here that I rather like curves. road, walls and what have you. Anyway, here's one i like.

smoother leci

 

At last after countless months without a working leci meter, another has been fitted. Not before Eve wrote to an MP up here.

Anyway, I can confirm that the leci stuff seems much smoother than before although seemingly making the meter go around at a previously unseen rate.

sorry, I must have fallen asleep

 

Such is the excitement of my life at present I may have dozed off for a few days.

On my return I bring you a boat. There's a lot of boat up here.

Minolta A3

 

Some time ago I had a rush of blood to the head and lashed out a little bit of money for a Minolta A3 rangefinder camera that was made in the year of my birth. EG; a long time ago. 

I took it out for a little jaunt the other day and again it surprised me that even in my hands the results are quite good for such a simple camera. I must use it more.

which way to go?

 

something somewhere

 

me. apparently

 

bike

 

a service is returned

 

This is my idea of a good scape.

Not so regular

 

Sorry, not been keeping going of late. 

I'm still active here so please bear with me while I reboot.

Meanwhile another "I went so you don't have to " snap.

wildlife

 

I'd heard about these ferocious dwarf elephants that had taken up residence in the locality so I thought I'd track them down.

Taking untold risks I found the beasts lurking round The Croft down t'road looking lean, mean and..... rather small. Shaken at the risks I was taking with these beasts, unprotected as I was - except for the fence and their apparent friendliness, I moved carefully. The beasts immediately charged at me and nuzzled my outstretched hand. I had no food but this beast with two trunks on top of his head posed for his portrait. Politely. 

I may have misjudged him.

weather

 I love this snap.Toots a year or two back braving the wild weather. No bus was expected but the shelter was good. Toots has been known to snap pictures with his 8x10 camera from inside a bus stop.

However, today I took a short stroll in the sunshine with Toots after we'd cheered on Eve and others at the Stornoway lawn bowls club women's championship where she gave the last winner a run for her money in the semis. Lovely day out.

Gala

 Island gala and agricultural show. The highlight for me was the all-comers highjump.

nae

 

out with a point and shoot

 

It's a Pentax 170sl in pano mode. 

35mm pictorialism. Must print this as Lith I think

lithing

 

Had a play in the darkroom tother day - did a few of my fav type snaps. 

A little 12x12 cm lith print on old Kentmere Art Classic paper. And no, it is not really that grey on the edges. The chemical was 'straight' Fotospeed lth with no "old lith".

Island Beauty Pageant

 

Best in show.

I like bikes

 

Did you know I like bicycles and the act of bicycling? I do and have done as long as I can remember.

This is a Belgian owned bike, in Belgium. It might even be Belgian made. Classy as you ca see.

Back then

 

Back when I had a lovely KOWA 6 camera. The sharpest lens but fragile body. Loved it but was costing me too much in repairs.

This was in Namur, we were on our way to somewhere in 2006. Apparently we stayed in a Formula 1.Went to Bruges again and the Brood cafe. We knew how to live :-)

re-computered

 

Yes that's darking Evelyne chillin out in Belgium some years back my notes - such as they are - tells me.

Having to re-computer is a pain apart from the cost it's sorting out the passwords and the programs I use that is a hassle. I'm still wading through that task hence the photo has been saved using some generic photo editor as i can't get the Serif Affinity to play properly.

Harris

 

Yes, I am all over the place. I'm wondering about this and despairing about that but not achieving much at all.

The world cycling championships in Scotland are now over so I have little excuse. The weather here has been too warm for me though. 

however

 

and then there's the film.

Unexpectedly from Polypan-f

whot this blog should be about

 Snaps and cameras, and films and [usually] ghastly chemicals. 

Having said that, I went to a petite gatheration at Island Darkroom the other night for a fascinating talk by Jesse from South Africa on developing films and prints using plants and the like from the island.

Anyway, despite endlessly telling you about this here island and some of it's going on, I might remind you I am still using old film cameras. Sometimes they work too.

This 'marvellous' image was taken just down the road a few meters. The camera was made in the year of my birth 1955 tickled back to life by Black on white of Bristol. I like the camera and it works well despite my efforts to muck it up..

The film was foma200 and the developer good old rodinal.

Brides

 

Looks like all the petals were falling off Mrs Wilman's flowers. But no, people threw them there, I couldn't believe it when there were so many bins around.

Meanwhile Mrs Wilman was fending off someone who was telling her that she could have got a few yards of that out of a parachute she had in the loft if only she'd be told.

Ion the other hand am not liking this colour thing. of the fact that the images are almost in focus. Far too 'normal'.

a few weeks since

 

Yes, that last lovely wedding again.

Not sure why they paid and arm and another arm for their specialised photographisers when they could have had just me. I mean, I was there with this Olympus XA pointing it this way and that, almost in focus, almost looking at the right place. and almost the right film in it. Colour don't you know. Kodak 250d movie film which is why I suspect, they were moving in this snap.