Not much happening here

I'm back home but snowed under with 'stuff'.  Here's a print from a couple of years ago which I don't think ever got to be published on this place:

From our Jersey visit.  The young fellow was suppin' a Guinness, y'see - as he does from time to time.  Youth, eh?

The third of three...

...prints of Portstewart Strand from The Archives this week, as I'm away from home.  Technically speaking this one's not of the beach, but it was taken in Portstewart looking towards Derry/Londonderry.  Inishowen is just to the right, shrouded in cloud (as it often is).  This one from the 'Blad, printed on old Kodak Polymax 5"x7" paper.  It was damned hard to get that seagull to fly exactly where I wanted it, but eventually it got the message and I got the shot:

While we're on the subject...

...of Portstewart Strand, let's have another.  This looks like it was from the Franka Solida, an old 6x6 folder.  Looking over towards Inishown (Donegal) this time, which is to the North West and the direction we mostly get our weather coming in from.  You can almost see those big clouds comin' at yah:

Testing Times

Unfortunately not testing times as in darkroom or film work but I'm away from home this week due to family issues, so nothing new to show.  Just to keep things rolling, I'm delving into the print archives.  Here's one from a couple of years ago - Portstewart Strand, where I'm often to be found with a certain dog of the Border Collie variety:

Not a bad spot of the world to find yourself in, it has to be said.  The air is clean and there's always something going on weather-wise (well, it is Ireland) so no two days are the same.  Actually, no two minutes are the same...as the saying goes, even in summer we are liable to get all four seasons in one day. 

Clare

Yes it's Famous Clare again.  This time via the rangefinder.  I think I had cranked HP5+ all the way up to a heady 800asa and according to the MassiveDevChart that meant 16.5 mins in ID-11 (1+1).  Came out rather nice, I thought - lovely grain:

Reflections

Snapped early (ish) one morning, on a wander about Castleroe Wood by the River Bann.  It was a bit misty, if I recall correctly.  Either that or there's something strange going on with me processing:

HP5+ in ID-11, Warmtone RC paper

I’m rather fond of Castleroe. It takes me back in some way every time I go there as it was one of the places we used to go to as a family when I was young. I have photographs of my grandparents walking through the wood and that’s rather nice.  I have a vague memory of being on a shooting trip there once...my grandfather and uncle probably looking for pigeon, or woodcock. Precious few woodcock around nowadays although the pigeon seem to be thriving around our way these days. Anyway it’s a nice walk, through the trees and beside the river.  

Glasgow City

I thought there might be a snap here somewhere but in the end I had to crop the negative quite severely to get what I wanted, hence the lovely grain:

Glasgow City, 2018.  Via the Nikon/Vivitar combo at 85mm, HP5+@800asa and Ilford Warmtone paper.

Car Park & High Rise, Glasgow

The area of Glasgow we stayed in (just off Sauchiehall Street) was understandably fairly densely populated with buildings.  There wasn't much that caught my eye - I was probably too busy making sure I didn't trip over a loose paving slab - but I quite liked the lines in this one:

Car Park & High Rise, Glasgow 2018

There was a doorway to the car park just opposite our hotel and I noticed that pretty much every time we passed by there was a man standing there.  I say standing, but he was propped up by two crutches - he just seemed to be motionless and he was there all day.  He didn't look well at all and I was perplexed by his situation.  It clicked when I saw some people emerging from the car park into the street and he held the door for them.  That was his thing - and the reason for him standing there all day, every day.  Clearly he was looking for a coin for holding the door.  I felt bad for him, if that really was his best option.

A Fire in Glasgow

We had a short trip to Glasgow a couple of weeks ago - mainly so Missy could see her idol, Sam Smith.  For those of you who don't know who Sam Smith is, Where have you been for the last couple of years? While I appreciate the boy can sing, he wouldn't be my cup of tea to listen to all night - a bit melancholy for my liking.  But that doesn't matter - Missy rates him highly and she had a great night.

Before and after the concert we walked the legs off ourselves around the city.  I like Glasgow a lot - it's a real city with real people.  I wasn't quite prepared for the number of people seemingly living on the streets, though.  It seemed like every 100 yards or so there was someone lying on the pavement with a cup or a hat for people to throw a coin or two into.  Most of them seemed the worse for wear, it has to be said.  I appreciate I live a bit of a sheltered life here in The Liberties but it was still somewhat shocking.

The night we arrived was also when there was a big fire just around the corner from our wee hovel of a hotel.  Most of the block was cordoned off and the police were all wearing masks - in case of asbestos fumes, we learned later - there was a noticeable smell in the air all around.  We were lucky our hotel wasn't inside the cordon otherwise we'd have been in a spot of bother but as it turned out we were OK.  The next day the fire crews were still in attendance and pumping water into the building, from which there were still eruptions of smoke from time to time:

HP5+, Adox paper, sepia tone.  Via the Nikon and a Vivitar Series One 35-85 varifocal lens. 

Yeh, rubbish print, I know :)

Apparently the fire started in a nightclub on the main shopping drag of Sauchiehall Street but the fire crews were really trying hard to save the historic Pavilion theatre towards the rear.  I think they succeeded.

I took the Nikon with me and a lens I recently picked up on the Auction Site for not too much money - an old Vivitar Series 1 35-85 varifocal lens.  Like a zoom, only you have to re-focus after changing the focal length - no big deal really.  F2.8 aperture across the range, which is nice.  It's a big heavy lump of glass and has a huge 72mm filter ring but it sits nicely in the hand and doesn't seem too much for the Nikon.

Bangor Blues

Around The Liberties and beyond the tradition is to have slate roofs.  Not just any slate, mind you - Bangor Blue slates are the most desirable (and the most expensive).  I'm not sure but I suspect the name comes from Bangor in North Wales rather than the Bangor just outside Belfast but I could be wrong.  Anyway, one of our outhouses has Bangor Blue slates on it - although the winter gales have taken their toll on them over the years.

The other morning when I looked out the window I could see some nice morning light on them - as well as bit of frost.  I grabbed whatever camera was lying around as quickly as I could - since the light doesn't usually last for long - and snapped them up.

HP5+ printed on Adox paper, via a Nikon

I know it's all wonky and what you have you - but the roof is too so there you go.   This is the middle of 3 outhouses and the one we used to keep our hens in.  But the hens are no longer with us so now it's lying empty.

Against the tide

With the world (or Camera Club competition judges at any rate) seemingly obsessed with sharpness and contrast in their snaps it seems only fair and reasonable to try to swim against the tide from time to time:

Herself, printed on Adox paper bleached in something or other and toned in something else