Halfway up (or down)

A couple more pictures from Flamborough North Landing today, both showing the same building that sits above the lifeboat house about halfway down to the beach.

A few months back I remember being at the limit of my supply of new photos for the blog and thinking I’d need to dig into the archive. I’m now in the opposite position of having a glut of pictures that I’ve not even uploaded (or, in the case of about a roll-and-a-half, not even scanned yet) – approximately seven rolls of film’s worth of images. I’ll likely be shooting more stuff this weekend too, so the future stash of picture will grow further. At least it’s nice to know I have plenty of new photos to fuel the blog.

And maybe I can start to reduce the stash of film I have yet to shoot – I’ve decided to just dig in and get some of the film I have shot, rather than saving the nicer / rarer stuff for some unspecified special occasion that might never arrive.

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE & Lomography Color Negative 100 .

Taken on 14 March 2022

Flamborough Head lighthouse

There are two lighthouses at Flamborough Head. The original lighthouse was completed in 1674 but never lit. It stands at the edge of a golf course now with a Grade II listing.

The new lighthouse was first lit in December 1806 and remains in use today, although the last keepers left when the light was automated in the 1990s. As with its older sibling, it also has a Grade II listing.

Standing atop the promontory, the light can be seen from numerous places along the coast as well as, obviously, from the sea. Whenever I’ve visited places like Scarborough or, when I was younger, Filey, I would look for the light in the south as evening arrived. There is something evocative and even a little magical about catching that distant flash of illumination as the beam sweeps your position.

I took a number of pictures of the lighthouse on this trip, so don’t be surprised if they turn up here in the coming days. 🙂

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE & Lomography Color Negative 100 .

Taken on 14 March 2022

Boats at Flamborough North Landing

I visited the Yorkshire coast a few weeks ago, visiting Flamborough – specifically North Landing and then a walk along the clifftop path to Flamborough Head, where the lighthouse resides.

The two pictures in today’s post are from North Landing. This used to be the launch point for the Flamborough lifeboat and the steep concrete launch slide is a major feature of the walk down to the sand (it is just to the right of the decaying boat in the first photo). The lifeboat has now moved to South Landing and the ramp and boathouse are no longer in use – for their original purposes at least – although the boathouse now serves as a cafe and grille.

The walk down to the beach is quite steep and the sand is very soft, making progress across it away from the firmer ground of the water line quite an energy intensive process. The walk back to the top is pretty good exercise for thigh and calf too!

I’ll be posting a series of shots from this trip over the coming week or so.

This was the first roll of film that I converted with Negative Lab Pro and I’m pretty happy with the results.

Bronica ETRSi, Zenzanon 75mm f/2.8 PE & Lomography Color Negative 100 .

Taken on 14 March 2022

Seaside fire station

Living in a large city I’m used to large fire stations. All the ones that I’m aware of have facilities to support a number of appliances, as well as the usual accomodation and training areas. As a result, the fire station at Mablethorpe always seems small by comparison. There’s a full size fire engine parked in there – you can just see it peeping out of the doors, and there are certainly enough fire officers around as I saw a video recently where they were dealing with a collapsed wall on top of one of the local stores, and there were several people in attendance.

I bet it dosen’t have a pole to slide down though.

I’m not sure where I’m going with this to be honest, other than to pointlessly note that a small town has a smaller fire station than a large city. Look out for more exciting blog posts to come… 😀

Making pointless posts
On the size of fire stations
In small seaside towns

Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)

Taken on 16 September 2021

A house behind a hedge

And so the “photos of houses” (or a “guest” house in theis case) continues. I expect thwo or three more days of these to go – although a couple of them are not houses, so there’s that…

I did manage to finish and develop a roll of HP5+ yesterday though, so the future of the blog, insofar as having some fresh photos, is assured for another week or so if I can get my finger out and start scanning them. 🙂

White against blue sky
A guesthouse gable-end shines
In September sun

Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)

Taken on 16 September 2021

Eagle Hotel

The Eagle Hotel, with it’s eagle stood on a ledge on the side of the building, is a familiar landmark when I visit Mablethorpe, standing perhaps a quarter mile from the town’s main street. The hotel is currently up for sale – the pandemic not having been beneficial to such establisments no doubt a factor.

A grand bird of prey
Perched upon a hotel side
Looking for owners

Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)

Taken on 16 September 2021

Another well lit house (and the increasing cost of film)

This might be a bit of a theme over the next few days – photos of houses that is. I’m down to my last few frames of scanned, un-posted photos, and all of them are of houses (except for one of a fire station). I have finished a roll of HP5+ today that’s been in my XA3 for a while, so if I can get that developed tomorrow, then that should give me a bit more fuel in the tank before resorting to the archive.

It doesn’t seem that long that I was four or five rolls of un-scanned photos in front!

I was disappointed to see that Kodak have announced further price increases. Kodak’s films are already expensive, with things like Portra and Ektachrome pretty much off my shopping list already, but the proposed rise of “at least” 20% will blow my desire to buy them completely out of the water. This will put a 5-pack of something like Portra 400 at somewhere in the region of £60-80, and I expect that even stuff like Colorplus and Gold will be prohibitive – settling into the price ranges that the professional films were at a few years ago.

I’ve still got a decent stock of color film in the freezer, at least enough to keep me going for the next year or so based on the rate I shoot it at, and I tend to favour B&W photography anyway, and there are still a good number of reasonably priced black-and-white films available at present (here in the UK at least), and my preference is for Ilford’s films for B&W anyway. It’s a shame about these increases though – I want to support Kodak, but I’m not sure my wallet will allow it.

Running out of shots
I need some fuel for the blog
Best get to shooting!

Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)

Taken on 16 September 2021

Corner house

The light on this house was gorgeous as I passed by so I made a photograph (and similar pictures of a number of other buildings on the same street). Sometimes nice light is all you need and the photos just present themselves.

It’s a handsome looking house, although I’m unsure as to it’s age – I expect at least a hundred years have passed since it’s construction though. It’s a shame about it’s twin next door which is boarded up and an ashen grey colour. It’s been boarded up for several years as far as I can recall.

Old house in nice light
Better kept than it’s neigbour
Which needs TLC

Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)

Taken on 16 September 2021

A church in a coastal town

This pitures today show St. Joseph’s, a catholic church in the seaside resort of Mablethorpe. It’s a building I’ve photographed before (although, without looking, I can’t remember if I’ve posted photos of it on the blog previously).

Although I’m not a religious man, I like photographing (and looking at, and inside) churches. They are fascinating and impressive buildings regardless of faith and often make for interesting photographs.

The sunlight made for another nice picture on this occasion, I think, illuminating the warm browns of the brickwork against the blue of the sky. Similarly, the light on the statuette of Mary in one of the windows also made for a good picture, and I like the way the clouds are reflected in the glass.

I’ve passed by this way
On numerous occasions
Never been inside

Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)

Taken on 16 September 2021

Chinese takeaway

This boarded-up takeaway caught my attention the last time I was in Mablethorpe in 2020 and I made a picture of it then. It wasn’t a very good photograph though – the weather was dull and I think it needed some sunshine to get anything from the subject matter.

On my trip this year, the sun was out and I made the photo you see today. It’s most likely no award winner, but the jumble of tilted and broken letters, and the vibrant red, white, and blue colours attracted me and I like the slightly abstract feel.

Chinese takeaway
Closed for business now these days
No more egg fried rice

Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Lomography Xpro Chrome 100 (expired 2012)

Taken on 16 September 2021