Leica glow eh?

Not a chance of a Leica glow as it happens. I don't even own a Leica sticker let alone a lens. I think I can honestly say this is the Industar 61 glow. Or maybe the Polypan-f film glow on account of the film having no anti-halation layer being meant originally for copying movie film.

Or maybe it was such a shock that the sun was shining and The Crofter SMILING for goodness sakes, it started glowing all of it's own accord. Either way, it is nice to see The Crofter glowing.

Spring could be on it's way

Look. See Eve has her summer wear on already. Only 6 layers of clothes and a hood up to keep the brisk cool rainy wind off her dainty head. And the sheeps are interested. That's a good sign I'm told by the local sages. "If the sheeps look you in the eye they'm just about to have a pee" - which translated to layperson speak is the good weather is on it's way. At least I think that's what they mean. They being they west country folk I used to consort with. I'm making a rather big assumption about the local sheeps really but bound to be true-ish.

The snap was taken with me Zokri4 and a lovely Jupiter 12 on AGFA ASP 400s film @ 1600. Doused in Rodinal for an hour at slightly more than homoeopathic quantities. I know one shouldn't. But I did.

Oh, and passing on some interestingness; if you like photography videos, look here for a huge list.

Pinhole

The pinhole boxes have not seen the light of fay recently and now the Worldwide pinhole photography day is looming, I might just have to dig them out. Might use the box-file camera or the converted folder, who knows?

And, if there's enough interest I might even organise a little pinhole gatheration on the island. That would be lovely. I am sure there are some ardent pinholists over here somewhere! Anyway, mark April 27th in your packed schedule as THAT IS THE DAY.

If you don't know how to proceed, make a contact with me and I'll sort you out - as it were! Or look at these resources.

And before you tell me, yes you have probably seen these images before. However, I like these print and they are pinhole images.

I just wanted to see what it looked like on film. eh?

Mr Winogrand said something like that title. And I thought it as I almost mowed down Mr Toots as he snook across the road from his gaff to take a snap near the beach with his 35mm Nikon. The sun was shining see and Mr Toots likes that. I don't really but did have a Baby Speed Graphic in the car with some film I wanted to finish. Screeching to a stop I leapt out of the car, rolled across the bonnet [as one does] and crept across the road camera in hand. I never did find Mr Toots who was obviously hiding but I did see 'stuff' and I wondered what it would look like on the film in the camera.

This is what it looked like;

 Obviously, I added the crud on the film to make it authentic or something.

And while you are about it, check out this fine short B&W film documentary about my pal Bill.

No posts

I'm not stopping. No, I rather like the discipline of posting something on here everyday - or nearly everyday. It may be rubbish but it is my rubbish and that's what counts.

One thing that really gets me up-fed is a blog that has dried up, or stalled or worse still, forgotten. I shan't name any as I'm sure you know plenty of them. The disappointment on re-visiting a nice blog only to find it has not changed.

So here's today's less than exciting post.

Eve cooked some food. No, I don't know what it was? Looks like wraps of some sort. Satisfied?

Of course we have been out for a stroll on the beach. Wouldn't you? Granted it's not 44c but we like it wet and cool/cold. Just as well really.

Blinded by the light

Lovely sunshine rained upon us today. That's why beautiful Eve is in her summer clothes :-)

Eve even went out on her bicycle to enjoy the air while I meditated at home, before I went out to work. And while our pals teams - Queens Park Rovers and Portsmouth Lacrosse sloshed around in the mud down south.

On the buses

Was in town early the other morning. Dentist I think it was. Always think it's a great idea to book an early appointment at the time but live to regret it when the time comes to get out of bed. At least the sun was shining through the perspex nicely as I passed by the bus station.

wasting time on the pooter

I woke up this morning - for which I am grateful. This was only after what seemed to be 5 mins of restless dozing after a fitful night. I might have done too much strolling the other day and suffered for it. Botheration!

So I wasted the rest of my morning at home, missing the ChiGong sadly - as I dragged myself around the place looking for the energy and feeling of good-health that seems to be eluding me. I have not found it yet so if any of you see it around please bring it back.

I have been spending too much time looking at other peeps images online as it happens and do somewhat like  some 'imperfect' snaps that I see,. I played with my simple PS program and came up with this look - of the Crofter. Do we like it? I do.

A new day, a new developer

I'm trying some Firstcall Finegrain developer of Firstcall's own brand. I didn't like the bottle it comes in. I'll tell you that for nothing. Too flimsy and white. And I don't like a white bottle. Seems wrong. And the name of the stuff isn't that great either - "B&W Film Developer". I mean, they must have thought hard for that eh? But it is cheap. Didn't I tell you that?

Despite this bad start I tried this stuff @ 1:7 @20c on some AgfaASP400s which has been my go to film of late - especailly since it's been so dull most days. Except today that is; the sun shone, peoples smiled, sheeps danced, and I enjoyed a village stroll.

See, that pole smiling in the sunshine and everything. The image came out ok. The time developing wasn't too long [8.5 mins] and those little sandy like bits on the snap are rather nice.

Even the football pitch looked nice in the sunshine although I wouldn't go on it unless I had some waders on.

And yes, that's a newly modified sled. It was a trailer, but the wheels fell off. 

Ah well, Tolsta eh?

Seven years exactly to the year!

Around seven years ago we came up to the islands and stayed here. Bliss eh? Apart from the fact that it rained every day. The little house we rented is still for rent [Cliff Cottage] and still in this spot on the edge of a sea loch with otters playing outside. It's really lovely there on the wonderfully brilliant Golden Road.

No, we don't live there - mores the pity - but up here on the Isle of Lewis. Easier for work and what have you. But I would have liked to live there on Harris you know.

And don't forget to check out Mr Trellis.

I could do it once

When I didn't think about things too much, used very old cameras and shot tree-scapes, they were quite nice snaps me thinks.

This I might add, is a Yorkshire tree. Or was it a Lancashire tree? Must get that right otherwise could start a war!

Even this snap from a couple of years back was interesting. What's going on? Have I lost my touch, trying too hard or, not hard enough. Eh? Tell me that!

It's been rather nice

That's here, just out the window down the road and everything. Sun that is in the sky. Remember that? Eh? 

Yes I have done a portrait of a seascape here before but, it is always there so I can eh? Even when John Cooper-Clarke is mumbling to me on the Iplayer-radio thing.

HHHCB has a special 'hat' on since she is still over-licking herself and going bald in the process. She is not happy I can tell you. Especially seeing she is nearly royalty and everything

Whoa! Steady on chaps.

I met the chaps today only, they seemed a little at odds with each other. William looks like he wanted to take Alec's lights out. And Alec wasn't too happy about that. It must have been William's crutches that Alec was a tad worried about. Having said that, I'm not sure William could punch his way out of a wet paper bag - even if he wanted too. And Alec is a black belt, fifteenth dan in Origami or something. Game over I'd say.

Alec definitely was on edge today. Wouldn't let me take his snap properly so I took it anyway and got a better images as a result. I think I might print this huge and post the image through his door.

because we can

Side of the Sea

The sea.
Or a bit of it anyway. It isn't really that colour but I like the snap so that's that I'm afraid. There's a bit of land in the snap too and a lot of sky. We have a lot of the latter but less of the former - land that is. Did you expect that?

Not really quite sure what people think it's like up here on the Isle of Lewis since most of the images you see on the tinterweb are in super-bright colour and the sun is shining. We do have sun. It was sunny today for example but that's the exception not the rule.

The sea nearly had me this day. Came at me in a rush and if it wasn't for my fleet of foot and razor-sharp reactions I might have got a bit wetter :-(

Young enough

I'm not though, more's the pity.

I must have an excuse for this here snap. Perhaps it was the bus-driver over North Lochs way who felt he had to stop to tell me that he hadn't even combed his hair. Not that he had any.

The whole snap was a mix-up to be honest. I'd tempted Toots out of his armchair to accompany me this sunny day as I tried this film out. Some RolleiRPX25 by all accounts. If only I could use it properly, I'd be dangerous.

Much ado about something

Time has been passing me by. I find that it is catching up with me - about to overtake me. Surely time is speeding up. Days pass in moments, weeks in a blink of a fluttering eyelid and years. Well years just happen, too quickly.

Now I find I am part of the oldies. At least I am still here I suppose - and with so much to do. What it is I have do is open to complicated conjecture mind. Trust me, the identifying process has commenced - or will do shortly. When I get round to it anyway. One doesn't want to rush these things does one?

No, it's not my snap but from a neg given to me by the nice man at Real Camera Co. Manchester some years ago. It is Fallowfield Velodrome, Manchester - a few years back.

They are nearly everywhere now.

Because we fill our houses with electrical gadgets, radios and in most cases, countless TV's we use a lot of electricity. More than we should I think. Houses are often so very hot inside, so hot the occupants sit around in t-shirts as the cold wind rages outside .

So there's plans afoot to build more and more of these windmills over the island. In itself that's not such a bad thing only, first we should find every-way we can to reduce our usage. Then we should be siteing these things away from houses - like these are - and not have our heads turned by money.

North Lochs

We went there, young Toots and I. With cameras and film and everything. Dragged Toots away from his pooter thing where his emails were getting a hammering.

Oh, the sun was shining, the air warm and we took off for North Lochs, just because we could. Mr Toots was in his element shooting here and there with his Isolette.

I shoot more discreetly with the Bessa and Juptier 8.  There were coows, sheeps and everything.

Boats too. And inevitably, a tractor.

Eventually the low sun gave up its light for the day but not before I'd shot a runrig or two. We then retired to town for a bowl of soup. A lovely day.

Exclusive. Toots returns home with some exposed film.

There he is; Sir Toots of Gress -or Bac as he chooses to call it. Back from his Spanish gaff where he and Lady Toots spent the festive period. We met for luncheon you see, with Lady Toots at the newish Bridge centre cafe. Hail the Great Toots of Gress for he has exposed [though not developed] a roll or two of film from his Isolette whilst away.

I had the Perkeo with me today and shot him thus; Developed this afternoon in PQ developer and presented here for your pleasure. Or something.

While I was in toon I shot this family too. I really like this. I might even show some photographic paper to it. In the dark, obviously.