Garlic Bulbs

From one of the food stalls at the Feira De Santa Iría in Faro:

FP4+, Fomabrom112 paper

I’m just back from visiting my daughter in Liverpool. Took a camera with me but not one shot was wasted…horrible weather, poor light and lots of Dad jobs to blame!

Mystery Solved

Continuing on from last week's teaser, here's a straight print of the same negative, again on Fomabrom112 but in regular Multigrade developer this time:

Here's the lith one again, for comparison:

Yep, makes no sense to me either!

So the shot was taken at a end-of-summer fair in Faro, southern Portugal, towards the end of October.  My wife had a 'significant birthday' last year - I'd promised her a trip away, and this was it.  We had a very pleasant few days eating and drinking our way around the town and just happened to catch the Feira de Santa Iría whilst there.  It was pretty darn good, with everyone in high spirits - lots of fairground rides (like the one above) and food stalls.  The fair started over 400 years ago, apparently, and lasts for 9 days.  In other words, a great big party - a great big long party.  And why not, eh?  

I have to say we do like Portugal - the weather, the food and the people.  And a big plus, we could fly direct from Belfast.  Perfect.

A right (Fomabrom) mess

I got a box of new-to-me paper just before Christmas - Fomabrom 112 fibre, matt finish.  I had read it is lith-able, so I thought I'd dive straight in and see what happens when it is dunked in some Moersch Easylith developer at around 30 degrees.  This happened:

FP4+ via a little Yashica T4 point n shoot.

Yup, I know - a right mess!  A nice mess, though.  Not exactly what I thought might happen - much colder than other Foma papers I've developed in lith.  Closer to Slavich papers in how cold it came out.  Interesting, for sure.

So what it is of?  Not telling just yet - there are clues if you look close enough and ignore all the cotton wool.  I will print a 'normal' version of this neg to compare, and then all will be revealed.  

Happy New Year!

Drummers

 Drummers as they pass Coleraine Town Hall on July 12th:

FP4+, Foma 313 paper

Yup, I know, I'm a bit behind with my printing.  I'll catch up eventually, but probably not during the next couple of weeks as we've a packed programme of eating and drinking to be getting on with.  Hopefully the odd beach walk as well, although it's dark, dank and miserable these days around The Liberties.  

Have a Merry Christmas wherever you find yourself on the Big Day.

Jersey cows

If you've never been lucky enough to see one up close, Jersey cows are rather cute wee animals. These two - and their handlers - were well presented, at the Limavady Show earlier this year:

Jersey cows at the Show.
FP4+ on Foma313 paper, via the 'Blad

I guess the ribs are meant to show, although the way those hind bones stick out make them do seem a tad undernourished to the untrained eye (i.e., me).  Although you can't see it here, obviously, Jerseys are the most lovely light truffle colour and they are about half the size of some of the larger breeds.  I snapped one a few years back (here) which, reading that post again, reminds me they shave the animals along the rib lines to make them more prominent for showing.  And why not, eh?  

  

King Billy

Back in July my local town of Coleraine hosted the regional '12th of July' parades.  Always a good opportunity for a photograph - see here and here for ones from previous years.   This shot shows one of the Banners which depict various scenes from Orange culture and history.  Images of King William III, William of Orange, or just plain King Billy are plentiful and here we have a typical scene of the man himself crossing the River Boyne on his white charger as his men inflicted defeat on the Catholic King James II back in 1690 or so:

FP4+ on Foma 313 paper. 

Above yer man we see the name of this particular Orange Lodge, Tullintrain Purple Star LOL 1969 and a quick search reveals this hails from Claudy, a small village some way away.  The LOL stands for Loyal Orange Lodge and 1969 is simply a unique number within the organisation and as far as I know nothing to do with the year 1969.  I have no idea of the significance of 'Purple Star' in the name.

Each year the bands from the area parade through the chosen town and then head towards 'The Field', where there are various speeches from Orange leaders and usually a few clergy as well.  The walkers/marchers/banner carriers and musicians get a well earned rest and no doubt a few sandwiches and lemonade before heading back through town and then home.  

It's not just Northern Ireland where these events take place - some in Donegal, others in Scotland then also, as far as I know, in Canada and Australia.  Everywhere there were settlers from these parts, I guess.

Up close and personal

Yup, that's a big beast of a Charolais bull coming right at you/me, at the Limavady Agricultural Show, of course:

On the 'Blad, 60mm, FP4+ on Foma 313 paper

At the Show they parade these particular animals around a 'ring' - which basically means a made-up portion of a field and there was naught separating yours truly from this magnificent beast except a bit of rope and a Hasselblad.  The camera, mind you, might have been a lot more use than the rope had Hardy come to Hardy should Dennis - or whatever they called him - decided to carry straight on rather than turn to his right as the script suggested.

Charolais are beautiful animals.  Muscular, with a lovely coat.  This one wasn't that big in the grand scale of things - some are really enormous.  The stockmen (and women) are brave souls that can handle them, as the weight ratio of bull-to-human means its a no-contest should things go awry.  I think you need to be born into this game - I was trusting that the handler knew what he was about and thankfully he did.