Equivalents

I'm not doing much new these days, hence the lack of posting on this place.  The weather over Christmas has been horrendous and we're all pretty much house bound.  What I am working on is a presentation to 'The Club' in just over a week's time...the first I've done for a couple of years, so I thought I'd post some shots I'm using just to keep things ticking over.

The working title of my talk is 'Looking for Inspiration' and the goal is to suggest some practical ways of overcoming the photographic doldrums that we find ourselves in from time to time.  

You may be familiar with the work of Arthur Stieglitz, who was a photographer back in the early part of last century.  He took a series of shots of clouds - about 350 in total.  In his own words, "Through clouds [I wanted] to put down my philosophy of life—to show that my photographs were not due to subject matter—not to special trees, or faces, or interiors, to special privileges, clouds were there for everyone—no tax as yet on them—free."  He called his series 'Equivalents' and you can see some of them here.

I like clouds and we get some great cloud formations in this part of the world.  And the best bit is that you don't have to go anywhere special to photograph them - just look up.

So here are a couple of my Equivalents, taken over the last few years and all from the skies above the North East Liberties of Coleraine in good ol' Ulster.  As you can see, not too many are of 'just clouds' - I've a lot more shots where aspects of the land are included, albeit with the cloud formations still a dominant feature. 

Compare and contrast

Another lith print for your amusement today, of a shot you might remember from a while back.  I'll put the two print scans on this page to make the comparison easier.  Here's the lith print:

And here's the original one developed in Multigrade, on the same Foma 133 paper:

I liked the original well enough at the time, but comparing the two prints side by side the lith definitely takes the prize, for me.  I like the warmth in it.  Both the stone and the ironwork have responded better to the lith developer. 

Back at it

Some lith, for a change.  The shot you might remember from a while back (click here to compare it to a straight print):

Somewhere in Oxford.  Foma 133 in Moersch Easylith

The difference between using lith developer and good ol' Multigrade isn't vast on this paper.  It's the first time I've tried lith on the Foma 133 and it's OK.  It's not as warm in the lith as Foma's sister paper 131 and the look isn't as striking. Development was pretty standard by lith standards - around the 10-12 minute mark, at 27-ish degree temperature, but the infectious development part wasn't very infectious, if you know what I mean.  It just kind of got there, pretty uniformly slowly and not much signs of development speeding up as it normally would in lith. Still, the result is acceptable and it's nice to have another paper option which works in lith.

You may recall I’ve been to the Rheumatics hospital in Bath. It was good, I enjoyed the course, although I was pretty bushed after two weeks of stretching and hydro work.  It is kind of a weird time, being away from home and cast into the midst of strangers for two weeks.  Sharing breakfast, lunch and dinner….as well as group based therapy. There’s good and bad, I suppose.

The journey back didn't help the fatigue. Bristol airport is undergoing major works and the place is chaos.  Plus, the only road into and out of the airport from the Bath/Bristol side is also being redesigned.  The tailbacks in all directions were severe - what should have taken about an hour from Bath ended up being nearly 2 and half hours.  Fortunately I had noticed the traffic backed up when I arrived, so I got an earlier coach than I would normally have picked.  Even so, there were a few minutes near the end when I was starting to think I wasn't going to make my flight. I did make it, just, but it was a closer call than I would have liked.  It felt very good to be home.

Taking the waters

I’m away from home for a little bit, in Bath, having treatment to help the aches and stiffness resulting from a lot of years of ankylosing spondylitis. I used to go every 3 or so years, but since everything stopped during Covid it’s been over six years since I was last here. In that time the old Mineral Water hospital in the centre of Bath has closed and the course has relocated to the bigger hospital on the outskirts of the city. The facilities are first rate, as is the accommodation, but it just ain’t the same not being in the centre of town.

Phone snap of the new 'Min'.  The hydro pool is on the right, behind the fancy windows.

Facilities in the Brownsword Therapies Centre. 
Right at the top is the Ankylosing Spondylitis Course.  Quite right, too!

Having called it ankylosing spondylitis (AS) for several decades we now have to get used to a new, umbrella term: Axial Spondyloarthropathy, or AxSpa for short (phew!)  Well, AS is still valid, but only where skeletal changes are present under X-ray.  With the advent of biologic drugs some years ago, there are fewer cases presenting with bone fusion, which is of course a good thing.  So with my fused spine and neck, I come under Radiographic AxSpa, whereas someone without the fusion (but still with inflammation and probably pain) would be labelled Non-radiographic AxSpa.  Got it?!

Ivy, in iron

 While standing around the square near the entrance to the Bodleian I noticed this rather lovely bit of railing at the base of one of the stone columns:

Spotmatic/28mm/FP4+/Foma133
I reckon this would lith well.  It's a while since I've done any lith printing - I'll rectify that soon.

I like the way it wends its way around the column, almost like an ivy.  Although the little spikes look like happy jesters (or sad, for the drooping ones).  Either way, it must have taken a bit of skill.  

My mum was listening to a radio programme the other day and it happened to offer a reason why the beautiful buildings in Oxford weren't obliterated during the Second World War.  It's an interesting reason.  Wanna take a guess?

Scroll down and I'll tell yah, then.

The reason?  A certain Mr Hitler rather fancied setting up home in Oxford after his successful invasion of England. Obviously he didn't want to live in a bombed out shell of a city.  I told you it was a good one!

Contrast to Bath, which was bombed a lot, especially around the Circus and Royal Crescent.  Amazingly both survived untouched, but most of the buildings around them were destroyed. 

The Temple on the cliff edge

It's challenging (for me, anyway) to get a good shot of Mussenden Temple from Downhill Beach.  If I walk down the beach and get closer to the Temple then it's just a big black blob against the sky.  Maybe I don't go at the right time of day.  I've photographed it manys-a-time from up top - like here, which you might recall.  Anyway, this is about the best I have managed from the beach recently:

Spotmatic/28mm/HP5+/Foma133

The Temple is as near as damn it right on the cliff edge - more so than it looks in this shot.  A few years back the National Trust drilled a number large steel bolts into the cliff in order, I guess, to underpin the foundations.  

On the Prom

 Portstewart Prom, of course:

Enjoying a catch-up, with a good view of Donegal.
Olympus OM-1, 50mm, HP5+, Foma133

Keep the noise down

I can't imagine that there's much work done during the summer in and around the Bodleian Library, in spite of the sign requesting quiet.  It's a very busy place - at any given moment there are usually 2 or 3 tours complete with guides as well as family groups and individuals wandering about the courtyard:

Spotmatic/28mm/HP5+/Foma133.

This was another of those shots when I parked myself against the wall and just observed the scene playing out in front of me for a while, hoping to trigger the shutter at an opportune moment.  Not sure if I succeeded or not in this case.  The two doorways left and right do provide a bit of an anchor to the chaos in the middle, I guess.

Manannan Mac Lir

 That boy again, Celtic god of the sea, up at Gortmore viewing point near Binevenagh Mountain, with company:

I think my horizon is off, ever so slightly. 
Plus there's a rogue planet in the sea (another 'crop circle' paper artefact). 
Spotmatic/28mm/HP5/Foma 133.

That be Inishowen peninsula, Donegal in the distance.  Just beyond that headland you can see lies Malin Head, the most northerly point in Ireland.  Just so you get your bearings and all that.

Big guy

I was doing some people watching when I noticed the big guy.  Well, it was hard not to, as he towered over the two people he was with.  He was very animated:

We're in the square between the Sheldonian Theater on the left and the entrance to the Bodleian on the right.
Spotmatic/28mm/HP5+/Foma133.
The dreaded crop circles are back.  I'll be glad when this box of paper is finished and I can get away from them.  Plus it looks like a bit of flare on the left of the print.

A few seconds later and he strode off, away to do something else, somewhere else.

Tourists, eh?

If you're a regular visitor to this place, you'll know where I am here:

Oxford, of course - the entrance to the Bodleian Library is just behind me.
Pentax Spotmatic/28mm/HP5+/Foma133.

Last time my wife and I were over visiting our daughter (about a month ago) the city was in full tourist mode.  It's interesting how the way I approach my photography has changed since I first visited the city almost two years ago.  The first few times I walked around a little in awe of the College buildings and their associated establishments (libraries, churches, theatres) - well, it's hard not to be as they are very impressive.  The last couple of times I've been over there I've found myself looking more at the people  and trying to capture what they do.  Like in the shot above - taken from exactly the same place as this one you might have seen earlier.  There's a set of three or four steps which lead down to the street and I stand at the top, lean against a stone pillar and try to make myself inconspicuous.  It seemed to work, as this gentleman stood almost directly in front of me to take his phone snap of the scene in front of us.  What else could I do, except photograph him? 

Busy at the beach

Back to the beach at Downhill - the one with all the rock formations, as seen the other day (here).  This is near the entrance to the beach, where a stream carries water from the cliffs behind to the Atlantic.  It's an ever-changing scene, presumably due to winds and whatever volume of water is being deposited into the ocean.  The width of the channel cut into the sand and the position and number of rocks is different every time I visit. 

Busy at the beach. 
Spotmatic/28mm; FP4+ on Foma 133, with a slight burn in of the corners under the enlarger.

St Mary the Virgin

The Church that was just out of shot on my last post, St Mary the Virgin, Witney, Oxfordshire:

St Mary the Virgin, Witney, Ox.  
The village of Witney was an important place back in medieval times - on account of the wool trade, apparently.
Spotmatic/28mm/FP4/Foma133.

It was challenging to make this anything other than a shot of a church, which can be pretty boring in spite of the obvious architectural interest in a building of 800+ years of age and with a 156ft spire.  I opted to include the 'yellow’ box in the foreground of the shot, as it looked freshly painted and oh-so-out-of-keeping with the rest of the place.  For car drivers in the UK, a yellow box means Do not enter unless your exit is clear.  I guess some inconsiderate drivers were blocking pedestrian access to the church on days of worship.  It seems a shame that it had to be introduced as it stuck out like a sore thumb among the greenery and muted tones of the local stonework. 

Too close for comfort?

Now I like my graveyards, and have photographed many around The Liberties over the years, but I'm not sure I'd want to live this close to one:

Graveyard at St Mary the Virgin, Witney, Oxfordshire.
Pentax Spotmatic/28mm Takumar/FP4/Foma133.

I assume these cottages were originally for the officials of the Church, which lies just off to the right of this shot.  The church itself dates back to the 11th Century, and while I can't be sure, I reckon these cottages are also a right age.  Can you imagine walking back home on a dark and godless November evening, with mist and fog swirling around these old tombstones?  You'd need a strong constitution to keep your imagination in check as you fumble for your front door keys, trying not to hear those unusual sounds and whispers coming from you know where.

Bicycles

There are a lot of bicycles in Oxford.  If I understand correctly, cars are no longer allowed through the main city centre route, except for taxis.  That seems to work well, but it still feels like a normal city street, since it is chock full of buses and taxis most of the time.  And cyclists, of course.  Here's a small selection of the pushbikes parked up at the Railway Station:

Spotmatic/28mm/FP4+/Foma 133.  

I'm still getting these weird circular artefacts from time to time, which you can along the left of the print.  It seems to be a problem with some of the paper from the Foma 133 box.  I can only guess that it's a problem of my own making - perhaps letting some light stray in when I was handling them.  I've too much technology around me in the darkroom - a smart watch thing which was a present from my wife, phone and now a cochlear implant processor.  All of which have lights which fire up from time to time - when I turn my wrist the watch illuminates, when a message comes in the phone lights up and if I've Bluetooth on then I get notifications to the cochlear processor, which again causes a small light to flash.  

As a result, I now have a memo stuck above the darkroom sink - "Turn all off".  Assuming I notice the memo, that should avoid problems in the future.  For now, though, I'm stuck with some dodgy sheets of paper.

 

Down the pub

Ah, the English public house.  What an wonderful institution it is.  Particularly when it's a Ye Olde English Pub, as in this example from the village of Witney near Oxford:

Spotmatic/28mm, FP4+ on Foma 133 paper

I tend to be a bit sceptical when I come happen upon a Ye Olde pub, but in this case, it's the real deal.  It was the original home of Robert Brakspear (of Brakspear bitter fame) who brewed here around 1769.  Now it's owned by Greene King (a chain) but it gets good reviews for it's ambience and food.  I didn't go in, but captured the moment as I passed by.  The couple walking along on the right were just in the perfect place to give that part of the shot some interest.

English country pubs are hard to beat.  When I lived in deepest darkest Somerset way back in the mid 1980s there were some absolute beauties.  Unspoilt by TVs and piped music, just good convivial surroundings, with beer and locally made cider and usually a skittles alley out the back.  In summer the beer gardens would be popular places, particularly on a weekend when you could get a great Ploughman's Lunch served with warm English beer.  I know - who wants warm flat beer on a hot day?  I must admit it took a lot of practice on my part before I caught on to it, but now, when I find myself in England and fancy a beer I'll always go for an English Real Ale, ideally direct from the cask in a straight glass.

Psychologist?

Oxford Brookes buses run back and forth across Oxford City, from Headington in the East to Botley in the West.  For students living in Uni Halls they're a good deal - transport into and out of town or between campuses - free, or as near as makes no difference.   This was the next shot in the roll after the Shark and it wasn't going to be a shot at all.  I was framing the bus and had just lowered the camera from my eye when I noticed the old guy on this tiny little scooter zooming up the middle of the main street.  Fortunately for him there were no cars at the time, though it looked like he wouldn't have cared if there were.  So I raised the camera and tripped the shutter as he passed under the banner headline on the bus.  I guess it begs the question, Does this guy need a psychologist?

FP4+ on Foma 133.

Downhill Beach

As I was about to take this shot I noticed the clouds above the rock formation.  A couple of steps to the left and they aligned perfectly:

FP4+ via Pentax Spotmatic/28mm.  On Foma 133.

The Headington Shark

Down an very ordinary side street in Headington, Oxford, resides what is perhaps the second most famous shark in the world:

Pentax Spotmatic, 28mm Takumar; FP4+ on Foma 133 paper.

The correct name for this protest art sculpture is Untitled 1986 and it was created in response to the bombing of Libya by American planes who took off from a nearby military airfield in Upper Heyford, the shark being used as a metaphor for falling bombs.  Originally Oxford City Council tried to have it taken down (firstly on grounds of safety and then as planning permission wasn't sought) but I read last year that now it wants to make the sculpture a heritage site for its 'special contribution' to the community. Quite right, too - although the house owner pointed out that 'using the planning apparatus to preserve a historical symbol of planning law defiance is absurd'.  

Sharks aside, summer is drawing to a close and our guests have all returned from whence they came, so I was actually able to get into the darkroom the other day.  I was rusty, but it was enjoyable to see the images appear on the paper again - the old magic is hard to beat.

From the Archives

Another one from the archives today, although there is a faint light at the end of the tunnel in terms of things on my to-do list.  We're just back from a planned trip to Oxford to see the wee one.  Well, she's 20 now so not that wee any more I guess.  She elected to stay there for the summer and to be honest I think she made the right decision.  I can't blame her - at 20 I didn't want to be here either.

Missy from a few years ago, probably doing homework or reading a book. 
I wish I'd taken more shots like this back then.

Still life and Triumph motorcycles

I've nothing new to show so am re-visiting some oldies that caught my eye as I looked through my prints from the last few years.  This was a still life you might recall - either on the Sinar or the 'Blad, though most likely the 'Blad as it's square.  Some old artefacts I discovered in the shed of our old house:

Natural light coming from the right of the shot. 
I think I had a reflector set up just out of shot on the left.

I recall working hard to the get a balanced composition, as well as trying to fill the frame.  If you look closely, you'll see the date on the calendar is 1943.  Who knows why the calendar was stuffed in a drawer and kept all those years, but I'm really glad it was.  The empty packet of Woodbine I rescued from an old fishing bag of my grandfathers - he was the Woodbine smoker, not my father.  I think he kept some fishing flies in it, same as the tin of tobacco.  The rest of the stuff on the table were bits and pieces my father had, presumably to service his motorbike.  He had a lovely old Triumph 500C with a coal-scuttle fairing.  I have a shot of it somewhere...hang on, I'll see if I can find it.

Here we go:

My father and his beloved Triumph, sometime in the 1970s
My Dawes bicycle in the background.

Bann Rowing Club, 1942

I'm snowed under with projects right now, so this place is getting ignored for the moment.  Aside from looking after my mum after her recent fall the garden is taking up a lot of my time right now.  We had a big clear-out last year, when a dozen or so old and diseased trees got felled.  That required a major clear-up and a large part of the garden had been neglected until recently, when I finally got round to sorting it out.  So for the last month or so I've been cutting, strimming, raking, bagging up weeds and dead grass and taking everything to the Council facility for recycling/composting, which fortunately isn't far away.  

The other thing requiring my attention right now is the pending visit of a relative from the East Coast of the US, which is happening in a couple of weeks.  She's a descendent of my grandfather's brother and I told the story of her father some time ago in this post. It took me quite a few years to find her, after many hours on genealogy websites and a lot of good fortune.  Her father spent his teenage years here in Coleraine and my relative is keen to see the area and learn more about his upbringing.  One of the things I did a while back is visit the microfiche records of the local paper in the library and I found his name mentioned in connection with the local Rowing Club.  The Bann Rowing Club is well-known across the UK and Ireland - although it's small, it has had phenomenal success over the years and has trained several Olympic rowers, including Alan Campbell who won bronze in the single sculls in London 2012.  

Anyway, I made contact with the current Club Captain and after a bit of searching he came across this photograph, taken in the Club's Centenary Year in 1942:

Unfortunately it sustained some water damage over the years but I was able to borrow it and after a high-res scan and a bit of Photoshopping it looks a little better:

The importance of this photograph is that my relative's father is in it - he's the Cox, seated front row centre.   He'd have been about 17 years old then. The year after (1943) he enlisted in the US Army and after the war returned to his native Philadelphia.  Mind you, given how slightly built he was I can't imagine him in full Army fatigues carrying heavy backpacks and military equipment but I guess in 1943 anyone who showed up was welcomed with open arms.

So the plan is to get this photograph printed, mounted and framed and then ask the Club Captain to present it to my relative on her visit.  I think that will be a memorable day for her.

Silage

 I walked about 100 yards down our road to take this shot the other day.  The farmer next door has just cut his grass, presumably for silage to feed his cows and sheep over the winter.  

FP4+ on MG Art paper.

I would have liked a bit of detail in the middle but I messed up me exposure.  Even judicious burning in at grade 0 followed by grade 5 failed to reveal anything.  Still, I like the way the heavier clouds were rendered on the Art 300 paper.

Blowy Day

It was quite blowy last week when my wife and I were out and about along the Antrim coast.  This was an old favourite - Magheracross, just outside Portrush, with it's funky new viewing platforms.  The lady in the shot and what looked like her husband spotted me composing on the 'Blad and were waiting for me to finish, but I shouted my thanks over the wind and waved them on.  The gentleman stayed out of shot so I snapped up the lady on her own.  I had been hoping someone would be kind enough to give the shot some human interest.

Blad, 150mm Sonnar.  FP4+ on Ilford Art 300 paper.
Looking west towards Portrush East Strand and beyond to the hills of Inishowen in Donegal.

I found a nearly empty box of Ilford's luscious Art paper lying around so endeavoured to use up the last few sheets.  It's the world's only black and white, silver gelatin coated, 100% Cotton Rag darkroom paper, according to the blurb, and it has a lovely heavy feel and texture to it.  Its warm image tone and eggshell finish gave a lovely subtle rendition of the sky in this print.   

Looking up

 I say looking up but I really mean pointing up, as in pointing the camera up to photograph the ceiling in the Chiesa di San Michele in Cagliari.  It was very much point and hope (hence the somewhat skewed orientation) but hopefully gives some idea of the ornate splendour on show in this lovely church:

HP5+ @ 1600; Foma 133, thiourea toned.

HP5+ at 1600 iso (I still want to write asa there but I'd be showing my age) and developed in Ilfotec HC 1:31 for 14mins is a great combination, by the way.  

Wall art

Trying to take photographs in the afternoon sun of Cagliari was challenging.  In sun, everything was bleached.  In shadow, well, it was just dull.  This shot of some wall art turned out OK, just.

OM4ti, probably 24mm Zuiko.  FP4+ on Foma 133 paper.

They want your money

Who wants your money?  Everyone, it seems, these days.  But especially the shops in and around Victoria Square in Belfast.  It wasn't my idea.  My daughter, on the other hand, had plans and that included a traipse around Belfast city centre a while back.  Oh well, it's not often her and I get a day out together so I shouldn't moan.  We had a lovely day even if I did get stung in a couple of shops for clothes which I'm 100% sure she didn't need.  

HP5+ on Foma 133.  Pentax Spotmatic, 28mm Takumar.

We had a bite of lunch in one of the eateries on the top floor.  I'd hesitate to agree with the sign in the photograph that labels them Restaurants.  Some fast-food chain I'd never heard of, selling various chickeny things and fries, milkshakes etc.  Better quality than the Golden Arches place but for the price I thought it was daylight robbery.  But then I don't eat out much so maybe I'm just behind the times.  

Stonework

This big lump of stone sits at the foot of the steps up to the Chiesa Collegiata di Sant'Anna in Cagliari:

OM4ti, 85mm Zuiko; FP4+ on Foma 133, toned in home-brew thiourea.

It's an impressive entrance to an impressive church, and if I ever get that film of HP5+ finished and developed then I shall endeavour to show you the inside.  

Not much else to report at the minute - I've not picked up a camera in a few weeks, due to the ongoing issue with mother.  She's making progress, which is good to see.  This week in Northern Ireland sees the culmination of the 'marching season', where hundreds of Protestant flute, pipe and accordion bands take to the streets to commemorate the Glorious Revolution of 1688, where the Catholic King James was deposed and the Protestant William of Orange and his wife Mary took the crown.  The marching is usually a good excuse for a bit of film-wasting and weather permitting I shall attempt to take a few snaps.  Today is a bit miserable here in the Liberties, with steady rain.  Hopefully Wednesday will be dry.  

Shabby chic

This old building was opposite our apartment in the middle of Cagliari so I snapped it up one evening while standing on our little balcony.  Unfortunately with high buildings and narrow streets it never really got the evening light as I would have liked though the old street lamp, when lit, was very pleasing.

OM4ti and most likely 85mm Zuiko.  FP4+ on Foma 133 paper, toned.

 

Back, just

Back, tentatively, after a busy month.   One from Oxford, when I did the old 'compose and wait' thing until something vaguely interesting appeared in front of me:

I think this is the famous Lamb and Flag pub on the left.  The ginnel takes you from St Giles towards Parks Rd. 
Spotmatic, FP4+ on Foma 133 paper.  There was a wide dynamic range in this scene - the sun was bouncing off the whitewashed wall on the left while the passageway itself was in deep shadow.   Tough to meter and tough to print - the detail has almost been lost in the shadows, as you can see.

It's a month since I was in Oxford, although it seems like six.  In that time mother had her fall and was hospitalised for just over a couple of weeks.  A few days after her fall I turned 60 and my brother turned up unexpectedly from the States.  That was good timing - he was a great help getting mother's house ready for her coming home.  I wrote last time there was some debate whether or not that would be feasible but true to form she decided to give it a try and so home again she is.  She's getting stronger, albeit very slowly - I guess the body doesn't heal too quickly when you are a nonagenarian.   For the moment she's accepting some help from a care team, who come in three times a day for help with personal care and meals.  The meal prep part is a 'heat and serve' service, so they don't actually prepare meals.  What they will do is make a cup of tea and microwave whatever food has been left out for them.  They are in and out in 15 minutes, max.  It is a good help, although obviously it could be a lot better.  The girls are all very pleasant but it's clear they are stretched to the limit - they don't have time to chat.  The worst aspect is the timing of their visits - there are no set times.  So they might come one day at 12 noon, two o'clock and then 4 o'clock.  The next day it might be 8am when they come.  Or noon again.  So there might be no help between 4pm and noon the following day - and that's a long time for someone who is virtually bed-bound.  Obviously I'm able to fill in the gaps but if I wasn't there, well, it would be worrying.  We'll see how things progress.

Ashmolean

The University of Oxford's museum of art and technology, founded in 1683:

Spotmatic/28mm; FP4+ on Foma 133, lightly toned in a home-brew thiourea mix.

It's an impressive big lump of a building (this is actually the side view, the front is hidden behind to the left).   You can read more about it, and the collections/exhibitions currently running by clicking here.

I'm all out of sorts at the minute and will probably take a break from posting new material for a while.  My mum had a bad fall a couple of weeks ago and is still in hospital recovering.  At 91, recovery is a slow process.  It's unclear at the minute whether or not she will return home - she's been living independently in the family home ever since my father died, over 40 years ago.  That's a long time and she's been doing well until this year, when I've noticed a sharp decline.  This is her third fall in a couple of months and although (miraculously) there were no fractures, clearly there is a lot of soft tissue damage.  We'll see how things pan out.  We have options here in Northern Ireland - from supported independent living facilities to full nursing care homes.  I've no doubt she would like to return to her own home but I think in her heart of hearts she knows that's a tall order.  But then again, she's a strong woman (mentally, not physically any more) and could surprise us all yet.  I guess you don't get to the age she is by being anything other than tough.  

Artist

 As I passed St Mary Magdalen's Church in Oxford I came across this lady doing a sketch of part of the graveyard.  I asked if she would mind me taking her photograph and she was fine with that.  I didn't want to disturb her longer than necessary so composed and tripped the shutter as quickly as I could and walked on by.

Spotmatic/28mm; FP4+ on Foma 133.

St Mary Magdalen's lies on the site of a wooden Saxon church which burnt down in 1074.  A stone church was built in its place and that formed the basis of the building as it is now.  It lies diagonally opposite the Ashmolean and it's a busy old place so I dandered on up the road away from the hustle and bustle. 

Street photography

I find street photography challenging.  What works for me is finding an interesting scene/backdrop and then waiting for the people to populate it, ideally (a) people doing something vaguely interesting and (b) me waiting until the main actors are separated.

For this shot I was standing on the steps leading up to the Bodleian.  The steps were wide enough so I wasn't blocking anyone, so I was able to wait as long as I wanted while various scenarios played out in front of me.  From the negatives I think this one was the best but I might print some others just to see.

Oxford, looking towards Hertford Bridge/New College Lane.
Spotmatic/28mm; FP4+ on Foma 133, thiourea toned. 

Oh, and I almost forgot.  I turned 60 a couple of days ago. I wonder what adventures lie ahead for me?

In the city

So there I was, wandering around the city of Oxford a couple of weeks ago with an old Pentax Spotmatic and a 28mm f/3.5 lens attached, FP4+ loaded.  Anywhere around the Bodleian is usually a good shout and I caught it lucky when I lifted the camera to frame this scene - the couple appeared in the doorway right on cue and I tripped the shutter as quickly as I could.  

On Foma 133 paper.

I had grand ideas of wandering around the city most of the week while Missy was at work or in Uni, but in the end I only had one good day out with the camera - the first full day I was there.  The rest of the week was very overcast and as I said somewhere else, quite cold at times.  I had checked the forecast before I left and was promised full sun and high temperatures, so I'd only packed short sleeved shirts.  Mistake!  I ended up having to buy a jacket thing to keep warm.  Between that and the exceedingly dull light I had no appetite for any more camera work.  Plus I was pretty wrecked after the travelling and helping my daughter to move into her new digs for the summer.  She has a lot of stuff.  Must be a girl thing. 

I'll get told off

Neither daughter nor wife like this shot ("I think you enjoy taking bad pictures of me") but I like it so here it is:

Pentax Spotmatic, 105mm preset Takumar; FP4+ on Foma 133, home brew thiourea tone.

Posed portraits are really not my thing, I know.  Not sure what my thing is, exactly, mind you.

Sounds of the sea (updated)

My friend A, studying the sea in Portrush.  A lives in London now but visits home whenever she can.  I think she records the sounds of the sea on her phone, presumably to listen to when she gets fed up of the sounds of London.

Pentax Spotmatic, 28mm Takumar; FP4+ on Foma 133, toned.

I made two prints of this, as I thought my friend might like one.  For the second one I diluted the toner and I think the print is better for it:

Home and away

I've not been in the darkroom this week, due to the fact I'm across the water (England, that means, in Northern Irish-speak). So I'm posting this to remind me that as nice as Oxford is, things aren’t too bad back home in Portstewart:

Portstewart Strand, looking towards Downhill.

Truth be told I’ve had enough of folk now - Oxford is a busy place. Heading for home tomorrow and an early morning walk on the Strand is looking very attractive right now. To make matters worse, I’m missing the best weather of the year back home while here in Oxford it’s decidedly cool. It’s usually the other way round. Typical. 

Dreaming Spires

I'm en route to the city of Dreaming Spires (as Matthew Arnold called Oxford in his poem Thyrsis) today, assuming the Belfast-Liverpool ferry did it's thing correctly.  Actually although they call it the Belfast-Liverpool ferry it doesn't actually port in Liverpool, but across the Mersey in Birkenhead.  Maybe that's splitting hairs (probably not to the locals, though).  Anyway, it's a daughter-dad only week, which will be a bit special.  It's her last week as a teenager and Missy is none too happy about that - she's not relishing the whole 'adult' thing at all, she says.  Responsibility, having to deal with 'stuff', sign official documents and so on.  I get it.  These days it seems there's more officialdom that ever to deal with.  I don't remember it being like that when I was 20, but perhaps it was and I just blocked it out, ignored it.   

This is a shot from a while back, when I was wandering around Derry.  It's not a great print at all, but I liked the wording on the election poster and the people underneath give it some interest, even if they are somewhat lost in the shadows of the murky winter light:

Aontú, (Unity) party poster in Derry, 2023.

Aontú are a small party across the whole island, but they must be well-funded, given the size (and number) of their election posters.  A quick online search indicates they stand for rather an odd mix of idealogy: anti-abortion, Irish republicanism, social conservatism and soft Euroscepticism.  They lost my vote on that first one alone.