Steaming pinholes!

One day back in September I treated myself to a day out and a spot of slow photography at the Nene Valley Railway. Sadly there were no steam trains running that day, but I did get a ride on an old Intercity 125 and there were some nail-biting moments watching a newly engine and tender being unloaded from a truck so I had plenty of photographic opportunities!

A slow self portrait as the Intercity 125 took us back to where we started.

Scenes from around Wansford Station

After we arrived in Peterborough I took a stroll along the by the River Nene in search of some lunch in the city,

My other photographic companion that day was my trusty Olympus Trip 35 so I took some lensed photos too.

Photos taken 1 September 2023

Weekend motoring

Over the years my collection of old cameras has grown and, with the best will in the world, I can’t use them all simultaneously. Every so often I dig one of them out and take it for a spin and it either reminds me why I’d put it away in the cupboard or I remember why I love it so much. Back in September it was the turn of my Olympus Trip 35 and this camera definitely fell into the latter category!

The Trip is a camera with limitations - a fixed 40mm f2.8 lens and only two shutter speeds - 1/40 or 1/200 of a second. However, I love having restrictions on my photography as that forces me to be more creative so it’s really the perfect camera for me. Pair it with a 400 speed film and you’ve got a compact and light camera which can shoot pretty much anywhere - on this occasion it was a weekend of car shows.

We started off at the JD Classics showroom near Chelmsford where they had a gathering for anyone who wanted to come and nose around their workshop. I wasn’t sure how well my little Trip would cope indoors, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got my developed negatives back.

The following day we were up early for another classic car show - this time at Tewin in Hertfordshire. The sun was out and we had an amazing array of vehicles to admire - what more could I ask for?!

Click on any image to see it enlarged.

Photos taken 23 & 24 September 2023

In search of slow photography

Every so often I feel the need for some slow photography - my cue to get a pinhole camera out and find a suitable location for some low-tech imagery. Back in August I decided to follow my nose and ended up at Debden Church.

I had a few frames to finish off with my 6x9 camera so I used these in and around the churchyard, before heading inside to take some square format photos with my 6x6 camera.

A ghostly self portrait in the church porch.

The view of the chancel

Click on any image to see it enlarged.

A final glimpse of the porch before I set off for home.

Photos taken 4 August 2023

Bridging the Humber

I’ve stopped and taken photos of the Humber Bridge on my to Yorkshire before, but this time I went with a different intention - to capture this amazing structure and the local area with a pinhole camera. Although it was low tide, the local boatyard offered some interesting possibilities, with acres of wrinkled mud as a backdrop, while the wide focal length of my camera created a very dramatic shape when placed directly beneath the bridge’s span.

Photos taken 6 August 2023