The sea

Another lith print from Castlerock beach

I know it's a bit wonky.  These things happen from time to time in the darkroom :)

Barmouth at Castlerock

A couple more from the walk up Castlerock beach a while ago...just scans this time.

Had a busy couple of days in The Liberties - an old friend and his wife flew in for the weekend.  It was great to catch up - we had some decent weather so made it out and about a bit.  Martin is into his photography too - usually digital although he did have one of these on pre-order and just got it delivered a few weeks ago.  The company, I understand, was started by a couple of his ex-students...not the usual enterprise for electronics/computer scientist people, but there you go.  Unfortunately he didn't bring it over with him, so had no chance to compare it to the Sinar.  

Some old 'chromes

On the Archive today I bring you some old Kodachromes, from 1987.  Taken when I was visiting Lancashire, near Lytham if memory serves me correctly.

Don't ask me what was going on here - I have no idea, beyond the fact we were on The Flyde coast, taking the air or what have you.

Makes me want to shoot some colour slide film when I look at these.  I did buy a few Provia last year and they've sat in my fridge since then.  Perhaps it's time to get one out and have a play...

Castlerock beach, Lith

A good bracing walk along Castlerock beach it was.  Actually a bit too bracing, so I took to the dunes to shelter me from the worst of the wind.

Here's what things looked like after a dunk in Moersch EasyLith developer (Foma 131 paper):

I'm enjoying this process, I have to say.  I was using 15ml A + 15ml B and then a good slosh of water to bring it up to about a litre in volume.  Temperature was slightly higher than normal - around 25 degrees. Nothing much happened for the first 5mins and then things started to appear bit by bit.  By about 10 mins I pulled the print.  As time went on and the temperature dropped the dev times got a bit longer.  By the end of the session the temperature was down to about 20 degrees and times were up to about 13mins.

Hound Tales

Sometimes I do feel a bit sorry for the Hound, as he tends to get shouted at to get out of the way when the camera is raised to me eyes.  But this time I didn't and here he is, spoiling another masterpiece on Portstewart Strand:

He's got that look about him - waiting for me to throw the ball, y'know.  He thinks he's working when we're on the beach (him being a working dog breed and all) - that's my take on it anyway.  The ball is his sheep.  He's very antisocial - can't bear another dog coming close to him and gives them 'the look' if they encroach his personal space.  If that doesn't work then a bit of a snap usually gets the message across.  It's most unlike him - he really is a big softie, it's just when there's a ball and play/work involved.  If you're a dog just don't get in his way, that would be my advice.

Ah go on, then, here's another of him:

That wee sideways glance there, that's a 'Did you notice? - I got the ball' sort of glance.  And yes, you are correct, he is in some state when we get back from the beach most mornings - wet and full of sand.  The sand gets deposited around our house in various piles as his coat dries off.  It's not as bad as it sounds, as we have tiled floors, so it's easy enough to sweep up.

He'll be 11 this year.  Getting on then.  Like us all, eh?

A double first

I had a good Sunday in the darkroom - first time using fibre paper and first time using Lith developer.  And here is my very first Lith print, on Fomatone Warmtone Classic131 glossy paper via Moersch Easylith.

It's a bit dark but still I like it.  Snapped up on FP4+ in Ballintoy - a nice old cave with the limestone rock providing a nice contrast and gritty texture.

Ballintoy Harbour

One of my favourite places to go, just round the coast past the Giant's Thingmy and then down a very winding road - a 'not suitable for coaches' type road. This is GameOfThrones territory and in the summer it's hard to get a parking space. At this time of year though it is rather nice:

You can rent those cottages there...nice idea, but due to the tourists tramping past your front window it would only be good early morning and late evening.  You'd have to take yourself somewhere else during the day, I think.

Now there's an interesting wee cottage, hidden away it is.  Not much of a view from the back windows - if there are any - what with that big brick wall there.  But the view from the front ain't bad at all:

You could do worse than wake up to that every morning.  On a good day you'd have Bonny Scotland in the distance, but it wasn't there today, being all misty and what have you.