No return within 2 hours

Another print from Missy's shots on Portstewart Prom the other day.  I don't think either of us noticed the Parking Sign at the time - the place was pretty busy - but it makes a perfect foil for the 3 oldies on the bench, who look like they could be there for some time:

Portstewart Prom, July 2019.  HP5+, Ilford Warmtone RC paper.

As you can see the extreme left hand side of the sign isn't on the negative but I think this is one shot that can be revisited.  On the other hand, perhaps that's not even necessary...I'm reminded of a shot from one of my favourite photographers (Yes I know, the one I'm always harping on about) - Robert Adams.  This one.

Aliens in Portstewart

Still on Portstewart Prom with Missy, but down at the harbour (which is big enough for half a dozen small fishing & pleasure boats). There was a group of lads jumping off the sea wall and Missy pointed her camera at them. Now I know I might be a teeny bit biased but I think she caught the  moment perfectly:

Aliens!  Portstewart Harbour, July 2019.  Ilford Warmtone RC paper.

When she saw the print she remarked they looked like aliens and I can see what she means. They all had wet suits on cos even in summer the Atlantic is pretty cold.

The first print had a toneless sky so for the second print I pre-flashed the paper for about a second and this was the result. Some folk keep a second enlarger for pre and post-flashing but my darkroom is too small so I just removed the negative carrier, exposed the paper for a second and then put the negative back in and exposed normally. Came out pretty well as there’s still detail in the harbour wall as well as in the sky.

(Another) dander down the Prom

When in doubt where to go with a camera, Portstewart Promenade (aka 'The Prom') is usually a safe bet - especially in the summer, when this little seaside town swells with the tourists.  And more especially when the 148th Open is on a couple of miles away in Portrush.  More of that another time - perhaps.

Anyway, Missy hadn't been out with her Olympus for a while and suggested an outing so a few minutes later we found ourselves on the Prom.  I had acquired a new (to her) lens for her OM-1...a 28mm f/2 made by Vivitar - a name that might be familiar to many of you from back in the day when film was the only show in town.  I say made by Vivitar although it now appears Vivitar were a third-party reseller for other manufacturers - Kiron, Komine, Tokina among others.  When I learned that I confess I felt somewhat cheated - as a young lad I had assumed they actually manufactured the lenses, rather than commission them from elsewhere.  Not that it matters as in terms of quality the name Vivitar is still fairly highly regarded but the nature of the Internet and Pixel-Peepers means that certain serial numbers (i.e., certain manufacturers) are deemed 'more desirable' than others.  Whatever. Maybe I’m not that fussy but I can’t remember ever thinking ‘Right, that lens is rubbish and I’m never using it again’. Even if a lens is a bit soft wide-open all more reason to use it for the right subject matter.  Anyway,  the Vivitar/Komine 28mm that found its way onto Missy's OM-1 feels very nice in the hand - a solid little thing, it is.  And being an f/2 it means the view through the OM is pretty bright.  A nice little find and one that didn't break the bank, at a whopping £25.

So as we wandered about and I encouraged Missy to go into Garry Winogrand mode and shoot away at whatever caught her eye. This one caught the mood nicely:

Fish 'n' Chips down the Prom on a sunny July evening - what could be better?  Ilford Warmtone RC paper.

Rouleurs

That's what it says on Yer Man's top from the NW200 Cycle Sportive - Rouleurs.  Sounds vaguely French, don't it?  I'm guessing it's something to do with the wheels on the bike that go round and round...

At the Cycle Sportive, 2019.  On Ilford Warmtone RC paper

He looks a bit French too, I think.  Or maybe that's just me.  Unfortunately I didn't get time to confirm or otherwise as I was too busy running around snapping anyone who looked like they were in a mood to be snapped.  Most were, I have to say - spirits were high and these two looked very happy to have an OM-1 and a 50mm lens pointed at them, in spite of it being about 7.30am.

Causeway Cycle Club

I finally got round to printing a shot from the Annual Cycle Sportive at the NW200.  It's organised by the Causeway Club (which just happens to meet at the same place as our Photographic Club) and aims to raise funds for the NI Air Ambulance.  Anyway, I wandered down early one morning in May and this was one of the shots that came out of the OM-1 and 50mm lens, loaded with, of course, HP5+.

Some of the Causeway Lads, NW200, 2019.  On Ilford Cooltone RC paper.

Lately I've become a bit obsessed with black borders around my prints.  They're useful at times like the above when the sky is a big mass of nothingness and just bleeds into the edge of the print.  Borders aren't terribly difficult to do but they don't always turn out as straight and neat as they did here.  There are special masking frames which can do them, but they're like hen's teeth and these days probably priced to match.  I did it the cheap way, by cutting a piece of mat board to the appropriate size and then setting the easel blades a tiny bit bigger.  The negative gets exposed as normal then the mat board is placed on top of the print, but pushed tight against two of the easel blades - for example along the left side and the top.  This leaves a narrow gap between the board and the easel blades along the opposite two sides - the right and the bottom in this case.  Then I remove the negative and just expose with white light for a few seconds.  Then the mat board gets moved to the opposite corner and the left and top sides of the border are exposed.  A heavy weight on top of the board helps to prevent light leaking under the mat board into the print.

Something useful for a change

A little departure from the norm today as I talk about...drum roll...hanging my prints.  Up until recently I've been either using those little picture hooks (which are rubbish and most times don't even hammer into the walls in my house which, by the way, are made from breeze blocks - essentially preformed concrete), masonry nails (better, but usually take a big chunk of plaster out when they get hammered in) or drilling and plugging and then putting a screw in (best of the three options so far but a bit permanent).  I figured there had to be a better way.

It all started with our little Photographic Club's Annual Exhibition way back in April, which took place this year at the Riverside Theatre on the University Campus (about 200m as the crow flies from my house.  Not that we get many crows here in Ireland - the only crow we get is the big Grey Crow, or Hooded Crow as it's sometimes known.  Most times when people here say 'Crow' the bird to which they are referring to is a Rook.  Or possibly a Jackdaw...)

Anyway, as usual I digress.  I was talking about the Exhibition and the thing I noticed was the rather impressive hanging system the Theatre had in its foyer.  A bit of desktop research (the best kind these days) came up with the Stas system.  You can read on for now but feel free to return and click here if you want to find out more about it (Disclaimer: I'm not getting any sort of recompense for you clicking that link).


OK so before I write a little about it here's the end product on our kitchen/snug wall - and yeh, I know...it's in colour (phone shot):

On the wall

Now I know the lighting is rubbish but that's not the point (you can actually get a lighting system to attach to the rail, by the way, which looks extremely cool).  The point is just to show the sort of thing that is possible with this system.  Basically there's an aluminium rail which runs along the top of the wall and from that you can attach any number of vertical cords and to those cords you can then attach any number of hooks to which you attach your framed print.  I say 'any number' and as far as I can see that's true - there are a variety of rails, cords and hooks available which can support up to 100Kg per meter of rail. That's impressive. Even the most basic rail (which I bought) supports up to 25Kg per meter.

The heavier duty stuff uses steel cable but I bought transparent perlon cord, which is good enough for the weight of my prints.  It's a bit more visible than comes out in the phone shot here, but then again if your eye is drawn to the cord it probably means you need to work on your images a little more...

The thing that is really quite nice about the whole system is how reconfigurable it is.  You can easily move pictures up or down, attach more pictures (or fewer) to each cord, swap pictures in and out and of course reconfigure the whole space as often as you wish when you get bored with the current setup.  It's very neat - plus the only holes you drill are the ones for the rail along the top.

It's not inexpensive but in the grand scheme of things (cameras, film, chemicals, paper, time) it's not too bad either.  And it's very satisfying to get some prints hung properly on the wall for a change.  Even better, it will allow my wife to change everything around every few weeks, which is something she has to do, apparently.  Sofas, chairs, tables, beds...you name it - if it's not screwed down, it gets moved.  And then moved again.  And again...

The Brothers

A bit like the post of father and son the other day, I think it's fairly safe to assume some sort of family connection between the two lads here:

Preparing for the Show, Ballymoney 2019.  

I do like the younger one's attire - the monogrammed white coat complete with shirt and tie.  Although it does make him look older than his years.  I guess that's what he wants - I think when you're young it's natural to want to look older.  Then at some point that all changes and you start to want to look younger than your years.  Funny old game, innit.

The Hole Man

That's what he calls himself, this artist, for reasons that will become abundantly clear.  Now I'm sure I'm not surprising anyone who reads this drivel by divulging the fact that I'm not a 16 year old girl - and therefore have little idea what thoughts and dreams run through the mind of such a person.  That aside, I'm more than a little surprised Missy let this guy anywhere near her, let alone when he's armed with a sharp implement.

But that's what she wanted - another piercing in her ear - so that's what she got.  I had the rangefinder with me to document the occasion but the battery has died so I had to guess the exposure and hope for the best.  Anyway, it was printable:

Missy about to be attacked, 2019.  HP5+ on Adox MCC paper

An interesting character, the Hole Man.  He looks the part with more ink and piercings than your average dude in this part of the world.  Perhaps surprisingly, the walls of his studio are covered with Christian symbols and passages from the bible - you can probably make out the Ten Commandments on the wall there.  I think it's fairly safe to say he's not your average Church-goer in this neck of the woods either...

Cave

From a visit to Ballintoy Harbour a while back.  There are a quite a few interesting caves along the coast here but not all are accessible on foot.  This one is easily accessible, although it's not particularly large or interesting but the chalk cliffs always come out well on B&W film.  I can't ever bring myself to go inside, though.  I don't consider myself claustrophobic but I find there's something a bit scary about caves.  Probably it's the knowledge that there's several hundred tons of rock pressing down just a few feet above my head...

Anyway, here you go - a print from a wee darkroom sesh yesterday morning.  This one on FP4+ developed in RO9 (1:25, 9 mins) on Adox MCC fibre paper in Multigrade.  Snapped up in an OM-1 with the standard OM 50mm f/1.8 lens - a cracking wee lens and as good a 50mm as you'll ever need, I reckon.  As you can probably detect, I burnt in the foreground slightly.

Cave at Ballintoy, FP4+ in RO9, Adox MCC paper.

I was using a new (to me) enlarging lens that I acquired recently - a Nikkor 50mm f/2.8.  It looks pretty contrasty in comparison to the older Rodenstock Rodagon lens I have been using for 35mm work but then the Rodagon came with the enlarger and had donkey's years of abuse at the hands of a wedding pro - the optics do look a bit tired.  So unless I deliberately want a softer look I think it might be time to retire the Rodagon and from now on use the Nikkor.  The only downside is that the aperture ring on the Nikkor moves in the opposite way to the Rodagon, which will take a bit of getting used to.  At first I couldn't figure out why the image was so dim when I had just opened the lens up fully to compose and focus...