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| The good old days, when you could stand closer than 2m to someone else (last week). HP5+ via FM3a on Ilford Cooltone paper. |
The tide was well in the other day when I snapped up these two ladies contemplating the view over to Donegal. They didn't look dressed for the water - I presume they were just out taking the air. Normally this bit of the Strand is not under water, so you can walk down the steps on the beach proper. Not this day, of course - unless you wanted to get your feet wet.
I looked up the origins of the use of the word 'strand' to mean beach. It's widely used in this part of the world but I never heard it used when I lived in England. My two minutes of desktop research indicated that it comes from old Norse or Germanic (Norse strönd, meaning border, edge or shore).
Oh yes... the word "Strand" is well enough known to me anyway, as it's both pronounced, written and means just the same in my native tongue as it obviously does for to you folks over there. A bit strange it is anyway, the fact that we seem to have borrowed "a million" of the new words from your language, but the good old stuff is a mix from both sides of the North Sea. You see it a lot around the northern isles of course, like Orkney and Shetland.
ReplyDeleteA lovely print by the way, both the scene itself and the nice paper you chose to print it on. I like the cooltone paper when used for the right negs. I have not found too many of the right negatives in my own archive yet, but I will get there some day hopefully.
I rather like the word Strand...much richer than 'beach'. In Irish it's trá, by the way. Lots of our local place names are derived from the Gaelic Irish, unsurprisingly.
DeleteCheers - you are correct, Roy - Cooltone can be a bit harsh at times and only suits certain negatives. Although I've just remembered I did get a nice tone out of it a while ago. Must try that again, when the opportunity presents itself.
Great print, as always. Do you just trust the FM3a's meter, or do you use a separate light meter?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was at uni there was a bar called The Strand in the mall. It seems to have disappeared. Or it's just not showing up in an Internet search, which seems unlikely.
Thanks Marcus. The FM3a is one meter I trust in almost all situations - it's absolutely superb. Perhaps if there's strong backlight or something then a compensate might be required, but otherwise it can be used as a rather expensive point and shoot, as you probably know (Do you still have yours?)
DeleteThe Strand is a very famous street in London, of course - running East from Trafalgar Square. It follows the Thames and I guess that accounts for the name (border, edge, shore). My father and his brother used to stay in the Strand Palace Hotel back when they were both bachelors. And then there's Roxy Music's 'Do the strand'...a classic track.
Ah, the bar was probably named after the street, then.
DeleteI still have the FM3a and I got some film the other day. Ferrania P30 and HP5+. I also got some Portra 400, but I think I'll leave that for the F6 so I can do spot metering. I'm trying to think of a place where I can use the black and white film. Maybe downtown early in the morning when there aren't many people about.
You are spoilt for choice, Marcus - FM3a, F6 lol. Go for it - but take my advice and forget about that Portra stuff ;)
DeleteAnd F80 and Zeiss Ikon ZM, oh ho ho. But sometimes all that choice is a paralysing thing . . . .
DeleteI sent off some film for developing today and when I get the results back I'll remember how terrible I am at film photography and forget about the Portra and every other roll of film I have.
We have a 'Trebarwith Strand' down here in deepest darkest Cornwall, a beach on the north coast,its the only example I can think of off hand.
ReplyDeleteAh, could be a Celtic Connection then, Simon. In Sussex where I lived for a time there were just beaches, no strands. When I say beach I mean mostly shingle stones & rocks...so not proper beaches at all ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting.