Misty junction

A photo I took on a walk around Eckington just before Christmas.

Shortly before I took this photo, a day or so prior (it might even have been the evening before) one of my sons went to a birthday party held at a cricket club that is located about half a mile up the road on the left in this picture. It was extremely foggy on the evening – pretty much a wall of blankness in front of the car as soon as the streetlights were left behind. While I love fog as a weather condition where photography is concerned, I’m definitely less inclined towards it when it comes to night driving…

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

Not so distant dome

So, it’s another quick post today. I did have some stuff I was going to write about, but my eldest came round to visit and I now don’t have time. I shall endeavour to do it tomorrow instead.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

Architecture through winter branches

Another photo of the Derbyshire County Council complex at Matlock. There’s a very dark and moody look to the whole set, a combination, I think, of the metering on the XA3 trying to find the right exposure between scenes that consist of dark buildings and trees and much brighter foggy skies, and also my use of this roll of almost 20-years expired Tri-X Pan. Pushing the film a stop (while shooting at the 400asa box speed) to compensate for its age has also increased the contrast and grain. It’s a look I’m not unhappy with though.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

Rising dome

The dome in the background of this picture is part of the Derbyshire County Council buildings in Matlock. They stand on the hillside above the town centre and there is some interesting architecture present. The photos on the blog in the coming days will show more views of the place.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

In Matlock in December

The photo today shows a scene in the centre of Matlock that I snapped when we visited the Christmas market last month. I liked the way the far street rose up the hill into the distance, the wet road catching the dull light nicely. The building and the tree frame the shot, and the couple and the lamppost add some interest. At the upper left can be seen a clock tower. That was close to where we had parked our car and there will be more photos of that building to come over the next few days.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

Kinda random

I have to pick one of my sons up from college today, so I won’t have time to write the blog later (well, I will, but I’ll probably want to do other stuff instead :)). So today it’s a quick and somewhat random post with a picture of the back of the bowling green pavillion that featured in testerday’s post. It was the ripples on the water and the birds on the roof that caught my eye but it’s not much of a shot if I’m honest. Look at me, treating you all with such treasures! 😀

The truth is that I’ve still got most of this roll of film still to scan and am limited on shots to pick until I get on with that. The roll also seems to have some sort of marks on a lot of the frames. At first I thought they were drying marks, but they don’t really correspond to other drying marks I’ve seen. I’m now wondering if it’s something else – maybe I didn’t let the film defrost before loading it and caused condensation or something? Or perhaps it’s just an artefact of the film being almost twenty-years past it’s use-by date. Luckily I’ve been able to photoshop out the worst of it, including this photo.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 18 December 2021

Industry and entertainment

Beside the Don Valley Centertainment complex – which houses a multiplex, bowling alley & arcade, kid’s play area, and a selction of restaurants – are industrial streets. This is the east-end of the city where, in it’s industial heyday, the bulk of the steel industry resided. There are still steelworks in the area, and more as you head down river towards Tinsley and Templeborough, but much of it has now become history.

I’m not sure what the building in today’s picture used to house – I’m sure my dad would know, and I’ll ask him next time I see him – but it’s now the home of a scaffolding hire and sales business.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 15 December 2021

Little white house

This small white building is situated in the small town of Eckington. It’s opposite the road that leads to Chesterfield and often catches my eye when I’m driving back from there. In the right light, it’s white painted walls really light up.

I believe the building is a church – St. Luke’s Mission Church – although I think it is closed now – it certainly has a disused air about it, and the billboard beside the path has clearly seen no messages posted for some time. Looking at the Google StreetView historical photos it looks like it might have been disused for a decade or more, although it only looks like the grounds have become more overgrown over the past few years.

Olympus XA3 & Kodak Tri-X Pan (expired 2003 – shot at box speed and pushed a stop in development). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 25 October 2021

Chesterfield Market Hall

Today’s post will be much briefer than the ones I’ve been posting over tha past couple of weeks. It’s been one of those days where I’ve been busy at work, and then had to pick one of my sons up from college. Now, as I sit here typing this, it’s just after 7pm and I really want to sit down with a cup of tea and maybe watch some TV. So I’m just going to drop in a few pictures I made of Chesterfield Market Hall a few weeks ago to fill out the post.

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 25 October 2021

Nothing to see

Nothing to say today. Feeling a bit lost to be honest.

One, two, three, four, five
Six, seven, eight, nine, and ten
Counting a haiku

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 October 2021