Orwo n74

 A nice cuppa after rolling some film onto a cassette

....and then down to The Croft to quickly get through the short length of film

Hello, what's this all about then? Well, as it happens it's photography of the proper type. You remember, film and all that. Yep, I managed to acquire some Orwo n74 35mm cinematic film. Made in what once was East Germany, it's an interesting one I wanted to try. Not much infor available on to tinternet regarding developing but I turned to my trusty Rodinal [as that was only developer I had] 1:50 for 18 mins. 17 would have done better I think but not too bad at all me thinks.

There's a few more snaps from this roll over here :-)

What do you reckon then?

Some days

 Horses - outside

One morning

Some mornings one wakes up with a wonderful sunrise peeking in the bedroom window [I have a camera by the bed - don't you?] and the day starts very well indeed. Today was not one of those days. The van from the shoppe needed driving to Stornoway and back again after filling it with nefarious items for on-selling as it were. The run was done - albeit later since the plane with the newspapers was late - then I checked on whether I still had 'friends' on a social network. I did. I also noted the Dalai Lama was coming to do a gig at Eden Court Inverness in June, so without so much as a hows-your-father, I rang up - getting through in a mere ten minutes - and booked two tickets. My day was made. Well, the month probably! :-)

The Great Alexander

The Great Alexander

This is Alexander. I work with him if you must know and a nicer, more trustworthy and pleasant workmate I couldn't wish for.  Alexander has a lovely family too with extremely talented kids to boot. Now he's into music, you know the proper stuff with violins and all that. I listen to Alexander talking about the loveliness of this piece of music and that fiddler, and then this piper and this particular tune. Tis a sad tale behind the tune and beautifully played too - all of which nere brought a tear to The Great Man's eye the other evening.

On the other hand I came across  Kimmo Pohjonen - who you may think I like because he has an interesting name. And of course you could be right but if you listen and watch here you'll know you'll not see accordion playing like this down the Sea Angling Club!

Mind you, I haven't met many who like the fella - so I don't expect to see him at the Heb Celt Fest - more's the pity.

Not with-standing that, a friend of mine - her name withheld for obvious reasons since she has to run the village shoppe - loves this sort of thing. Strange, because I find that interesting too. There's no telling is there?

Winter Swim

A pre-wetted Royston

I took myself off today to enjoy the warmish winter sun. But not before I had visited Royston . With the weather such as it was, it didn't take much to get Royston and his doggie Zig out for a walk on Gress. Tis a lovely stroll along that beach - currently piled high with seaweed after recent storms. Only, to get from one end to the other one has to cross a river. We did that using the road bridge. Then we had a little stream to cross - which we also did. However, Royston lost his footing on one stone and went down laying flat in the cold stream before I valiantly rushed forward, forgoing my chance to snap up a wallowing fellow villager, and hauled him out  - dripping. Oh how we laughed. Sorry. "Oh, how I laughed".

Oh no, more colour

The barking dog

Ok, ok, more colour and all that! Since I have the whole roll to plough through - assaulting my senses - assuming I have some that is - you might be seeing a couple more snaps from it. Despite the poor, whatever it is.

I'm just back from a quick stroll along the beach with The Barking dog - seen above. Funnily enough, she didn't bark today. Must be something up! Bit like The Crofter where all is in minor chaos.

This is why I don't 'do' colour [as well as landscapes]

 Mrs 'Up yours' Maciver tries out the new in stock Mr Muscle

Beth Windy sings the recipe of her magnificent cakerity Yuletide confection

Every now and again, I fall over a roll of colour film lurking in the dark recesses of the house. And as usual I get over-excited about the prospects of the this new fangled idea, pop it in the nearest camera and shoot away. Only, after the film comes back from being dragged through hairy chemicals elsewhere [I don't do that sort of chemical thing]to be bitterly disappointed with the resulting imagery. Colour is just wrong.

All the same the cake was just wonderful - it was made by Beth for Eve and myself and Mrs 'up yours' is still stronger than I'll ever be.  

No idea why the chains in the shop though.!

Voice

Paxette sharpness

It may not please you but my voice has returned. This morning all I could do was croak and whisper. But after a quick stroll and a warm drink in a cafe, my sensibilities are reviving.

Waxed

I play.
Even though me bod is racked with a blimin cold, I'm coughing like the proverbial, I cannot sit around and do nothing. I took a quick stroll in the surprising sunshine this morning down to the village shoppe where 'Up Yours Mrs Maciver' was lurking with a smile, refusing to give me discount on my bulk purchase of one first class stamp. I noticed an ink-squirt print of two shoppe 'staff' [I use that term loosely here] has appeared on the wall - ripped off from this very same blog without so much as a by-your-leave. Eh? My lawyers are on to this as I speak and no doubt I'll be able to retire once the case has been settled :-) .

Eishken Estate sheeps

In the meantime, another masterpiece has been created after copious sloshing of liquids plus some elbow grease as I finished  a print I made yesterday in t'darkroom. My sisters both keep bees - I hate the things myself - but the wax they produce does lovely things to darkroom fibre prints. If you heat the print [on the Rayburn ] on top of a newspaper [The Guardian is obviously best but since I read that on-line and the computer screen in all likelihood would melt, the local Events rag had to suffice ] then rub a block of bees wax all over the print till the wax melts and the print is covered. Then take a piece of extra special exclusive paper - in this case kitchen towel - and rub the print all over till any excess wax comes off - whilst still hot. It's a really nice thing to do on a cold day as you keep warm doing the process and it smells nice.

Oh, excuse me while I wipe the keyboard. This cold is worse than I thought! I hope someone at work HQ is reading this as I am still on shift at the moment. Not now of course but tonight.

Once the print has cooled [and here it's best to hold the print flat with a few handy weights on the corners.  I used four cameras I found down the back of a chair ]  you can polish the print using the extra special exclusive paper again. Not sure why there's a light bit on the left -side of the print, something to do with scanning I shouldn't wonder.

Not sure the print is any better but I love doing the process. Makes me feel like a proper artist like my dear Mum who passed away last year and would often be found with paint, paper-mache or suchlike adorning her hair after an artistic session.

Gosh, I have such a sore nose!

Back to normal

 Shop work Eh? What's that all about then?

Rodney and Jane in awe

Normal it seems is rain and lots of it. Normal is also the Muineag staying in port, rain and me having a cold. Did I mention the rain?? Seems to have come down everyday since a month last Thursday week or thereabouts. I almost need a snorkel to negotiate the garden path . Anyway, Rodney and Jane came to visit which was lovely. It rained all the time they were here but, apart from Jane buying up the Harris Tweed shop contents in Tarbert, Rodney gassing to that ex-punk FlyingMonk in Obbe, we paid a visit to Stornoway's Lews Castle where they both marvelled at the the way it was being left to fall down in order to make a ruined castle - which obviously will attract countless visitors in the future.

All Buzzcockian - Ever fallen in love?

The Love of my life - who wasn't in the Butty Bus.

So, there we were, looking out the steamed up windows of my little car as the rain lashed down – as it had done all day. I could see my English visitors were impressed at the wetness of it all. I told them the Clisham Mtn was under that big grey cloud, the views would have been lovely had we able to see them, Luskentyre beach was the best in, in, possibly the best in or should I say on Harris and that the fact that the galleries and cafes were all closed, was not because it was Sunday – it wasn’t but because it is a special time of year when only special people bother to visit. We needed a cuppa all the same and I remembered the Butty Bus in Obbe. Dashing over to the equally steamed up bus through the wet from the car, we found a lone figure sat supping his tea. “Bit damp out there I ventured”. To which the little human nodded sagely. “ Just showing my English chums here round the place – they have never been before.” The man looked at me with a weary eye, glanced over to Butty Bus man urging him silently to deliver the ordered eggy sandwich – quickly.

“Hang on” I thought out loud  ”you’re John Maher, the former Buzzcockian”. I might have included the current drag car engine maker, pixel-peeker and night walker – but I didn’t. Or at least I don’t think I did – tis all a blur now. The little man looked at me with his head leaned to one side looking again for the eggy butty – which actually turned out to contain tomato as well – and in a bun, then retorted “and you must be Wiesmier”. I stood back [well, back as far as you can in a little bus on the side of a harbour in the Outer Hebrides with the rain lashing down outside] amazed. “I am as it happens but you can call me Andrea – since that is my name – Wiesmier being merely a nom de prune" [or whatever it is]. Mr Maher explained to my bemused English chums we both take snaps with cameras, both post them on Flickr but have never met. Goodness knows how Mr Maher knew me since the other rare snaps of me to ever appear online are both blurry and / or odd! Still, I played along with the new-found chumminess introducing the lovely Jane and Rodney – Jane who used to be the same cycling club as myself and the Rodney I used to work with at the Manchester Velodrome. “Manchester Velodrome? Did you say Manchester Velodrome?” All of a sudden Mr Maher became really animated. “I love cycling, follow the tour de france and everything and I’ve just been reading Mark Cavendish’s book - you are not THE Rod Ellingworth that Cavendish talks about are you?” . "The very same as it happens” the Rodney one replied “Been coaching Cav since he was 17” he added with his typical cheeky grin. All of a sudden our loose bond became closer, coffee’s ordered, and seats warmed up by bottoms three. And photos snapped up too. Mr Maher Sir was questioning Rodney to an inch of his life about the life with Cav and the boys of the Sky cycling team. Then I chirruped in. “Hgmmm.” I coughed trying to get a little attention – Jane looking on as ever, the resigned but accommodating creature she is – also working for the Sky cycling team and having heard this sort of thing a hundred times before. “Hgmmm, I’m in Cav’s book as well’ I said rather less meekly than perhaps I should. The day was made.

Mild

 Wrapped up against the mild weather

What a lovely place to stroll

I told you it was mild and dry the other day. Probably why it's been lashing down all morning - now my pals are arriving from England. Oh well, at least they get to see the real island :-)

Weather

We are having weather up here at the moment. Rain seems to have been falling for weeks, gales too. Mick & Bee, wintering over the other side of the Atlantic in Maine with the good ship Hannah told me this m0rning that more gales are heading this way later. I really wish I didn't know that!

Portrait of a horse

On the other hand, yesterday was lovely. Mild and dry with no wind at all most of the day. It seemed a perfect day for a stroll so off we went to the Eishken Estate on the Isle here. Twas wonderful. So quiet, so beautiful with deer on the slopes of the hills around us, seals in the loch and Golden Eagles soaring overhead. There we even the semi-feral horses to talk to.

Soggy Boxing Day

 Eh?

 MV Arran

Evelyn and my Dance Teacher

It's been raining for days up here. Gales howling too. I think The Crofter's coows have probably grown webbed feet by now. Still, it is unseasonably warm so we don't have to wrap up too much.

My dance teacher Karmiena, and Eve posed for me on a recent beach walk when I was lurking with camera with COLOUR FILM IN !. And then 'we' snapped up two views of the Harbour in Stornoway - one of which may contain my image. It vaguely resembles me anyway. It's not digital ICE I need with these colour neg scans but cryogenics!

Greetings all

Winter Beach

Many thanks for taking a look in here from time to time [and here as well ]. I enjoy taking the snaps and sharing with you all - as well as making the up rubbish I write. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read it!
Just want to wish all the very best over this Festive period - whatever it means to you. Take very good care and hope to see you all again soon.

Shopping. What's that all about then?

We had to do a bit. Shopping that is. Tradition demands it for some reason. It's all to do with the Festival of  Conspicuous Over-Consumption don't you know. Luckily, local customs haven't embraced this festival fully yet preferring to get on with the day as per normal. But us English have been infused if not infected with this pagan celebration with gay abandon, drinking the supermarkets dry and emptying the shops as if they will be shut for a month - not the one day [possibly] that they are down there.

After coffee with Lewis Photographica [continuing] on Saturday, Eve and my good-self when into The Smoke - Stornoway, our small capital. The place was heaving. Lovely day though, sun shining and all that. Dosed up with coffee and cakes from Toots and the Windy's we raced around getting a few minor items to send southwards and an extra potatoe for us on Christmas Day. I took the opportunity to snap up the scenes of  mad shopping with a lovely Fujica Slr I have lurking - loaded this time with old Kodak Fine Grained Positive film. That's an old copy film with an iso of around 1 or 2 with a paper-type emulsion, Developed in Multigrade paper developer when I got home, I present to you;
Stornoway gone mad -Wabi sabi;[ a Homage to Nickolai Globe].

Did I tell you about Toots?

He's happy.

I can hear it ........

 North Tolsta

  North Tolsta

 "So, you're taking landscapes now are you? And pictures of the Callanish Stones too. What an earth has got into you?"
I can just hear it as I walk into the coffee club on Saturday morning with him of the Coelyns bending my ear and Toots grinning from ear to ear - as he is prone to do these days. I must admit that I may have mentioned that 'I don't so landscapes' once or twice.  I may also have mentioned how much the endless snaps of  the stones at Callanish are a particular irritant. But these are different. The snaps at the stones were because I went there to show a work colleague - [see below] - and my picture taking finger got over-excited. The other snaps? Well, I just like the look of snow :-)
"So Mi Lud, there rests my case."

All change

 John A and friend

 Oh no, not a Stones snap!

 Monochrome rainbow over a croft

Snow. Eh?

No, it's not snowing. Been there, done that. And maybe it'll do it again too. But it is raining now. Has been for days. But when we had snow I did take a few snaps with my trusty Zorki6 and some RolleiRetro400s. You can see some Crofter snow images here too.

And I took a snap of a rainbow - in black and white of course. 

Standing

The Tooter stood in the sunlight and shadows and waited while I pointed an optical device at him 


What it says.

Paper-neg in camera then enlarged onto Ilford RC

Anti Tunnock

The Tea Cake Connoisseur surveyed the feast before him and noticed there were no tea cakes. A candle drooped in his disappointed glare.

I always like a good title. And I think this is one I like. If you visit the Arts Show thingy in An Lanntair in Stornoway you may happen upon some more nice titles. The images there are lovely too. In reality the whole show is lovely. And I have a my eye on a little painting there too :-)

Now, I can hear you all thinking this image is a bit weird. Well, I meant it that way. I didn't happen upon it for a change but used my paper neg [Orwo paper]  in-camera and then enlarged onto more paper [Ilford] technique. Eh?