Borrowdale Camping

  A month or so ago i went camping with a small group of friends up near Keswick in the lake District.  Despite the flies and the dodgy weather we had a great time (especially since Jess had taken it upon herself to buy more meat than any couple could ever require).  Camping in the Borrowdale Valley is very peaceful as its basically a massive cul-de-sac bounded on all sides by hills and mountains.

  I had decided to take my Bronica SQ-A kit with me as i love it and Jess had bought me a huge Tamrac bag to keep it all in for our anniversary and i wanted to put it through its paces.  I really wanted to get some good mountain shots using some black and white but i brought a few colour rolls too for some general shooting.  Saturday morning was spent relaxing at the (very midgie'd) campsite.  The sun was shining and the bacon was tasty so i decided to load up some Fuji 64T II which i haD won on Ebay some time ago but never shot.  I got 15 rolls for an absolute bargain price and now seemed like a good time to use one.

  Later on we decided to go on a nice walk up the mountains (i forget the name of the one we went up).  Let me tell you now, medium format kits are heavy.  Especially when on a long hike up a big hill.  But i persevered, stopping to take a few shots when the light was right and the composition seemed good.  It was nice to just stop and take my time setting up the shot, choose what settings i wanted to use and think about how i wanted the final print to look.  We stopped just short of the summit as some were getting tired.  On the way back down my friend Keir and i lagged behind to shoot some photos of the river we were passing.  We found a really interestingly-shaped tree and fallen log that we spent some time shooting (im still working on the tree print-it is proving to be difficult to get it to look how i want it to) before re-joining our group shortly thereafter.

  All in all it was a really nice weekend and i had great fun shooting these 2 rolls.  I find it very peaceful to be on my own sometimes, taking my time and just shooting photos.

  I havent finished printg all my landscapes yet but here's my cross processed 64T II photos for you to look at.  I'm pretty chuffed with how they came out as a little research before-hand showed they tend to go very green/blue indeed but i think the colour cast on these is quite nice.  What do you reckon?

The Shores of Mars

  Last weekend my wife and i went up to Maryport in Cumbria to stay with some friends who have recently moved up there.  There were about ten of us camping over in a field behind their house and bouncy castle had been hired to kill the small hours of each morning.

  The weather was glorious on Friday and Saturday, and at night you could see so many stars it was breathtaking.  I quite fancied doing some star trail photos but couldnt sum up the energy to set the gear up.  I regret that now as my plan to do it Saturday night was thwarted by clouds.  After an evening of bouncing and restless sleep we all decided to head to the nearby beach to pass some time and take in some sun.  Now im not one for lying in the sun all day, i get bored and restless so i decided to head for the shore with my friend and his dog.  Fortunately before leaving the campsite i had thought to grab my Diana F+ and a roll of Velvia so i loaded up and started shooting at anything that caught my eye.  After an hour or so we were back at the campsite ready for barbeque and frisbee.

  Instead of sticking around on Sunday i headed straight home as i was feeling rough and just wanted to lie down.  I thought about how my film would turn out.  I knew it would have an extreme colour shift because this is Velvia were talking about! The resulting photos were... red.  And thats an understatement!  Ive had purple Velvia before but never such an intense amount of red.  I must confess that i quite like it.  Who knows what colour my next roll of Velvia will go?

The Sun on the Beach

  After a grim day at work i decided to cheer my wife up by taking an impromptu trip to St Anne's Beach near Blackpool.  Quite conveniently i had just been delivered a box of film a few days earlier and decided to make the most of this opportunity to shoot a roll.  We loaded up the car and half an hour laer we were stood on the shore.

  Those who have been to this part of the coast will understand that sometimes its quite a walk before you actually get to the sea.  Off we set anyway and in twenty minutes or so we were within spitting distance of the waves.  We found a spot we liked and dropped our gear.  With forty-five minutes or so to kill before the sun truly set we spent some time spying out some angles to shoot from and playing 2-person tig.  Its amazing how entertaining jumping over puddles and running on the beach can be!

  Unfortunately the sunset wasnt as epic as we had hoped as some clouds set in, blocking a lot of the light.  Still, we shot what we could and then called it a night.  But thats the good thing about sunsets, each one is different; i anticipate a return soon to capture the next one.

Parklife

  I am very fortunate in that I live about ten minutes walk from a park bound by a large river which leads directly to the city centre.  This is my route to work (when its dry enough to walk) and a convenient shortcut to the town shops. But on the hot humid days we have been experiencing lately its also a great place to take an evening stroll with a mandolin, a wife, some cider and a camera...

  Now go find a park near you and get snapping...

Fairy Steps

  About a year ago i went to Fairy Steps which is just north of Lancaster in Northern England.  It is a strange and ethereal place, especially if you go in the height of spring.  It is often referred to as the Bluebell Woods as, in season, bluebells blanket the forest floor.  Numerous large boulders and outcrops of limestone are dotted throughout the widely spaced trees and on a sunny day light seeps through the canopy, spreading slithers of warm sunshine through the air.  In one area steps have been hewn into the rock to form a narrow passageway.  It is said that if you can pass down the steps without touching the side walls then your wishes will be granted.  It almost seems like a location from The Lord of the Rings.  You're half expecting fairies to fly out from behind a tree and take you by surprise!

 I originially went to Fairy Steps with some friends on a rock climbing trip and was instantly taken with the peaceful and serene atmosphere of the place.  I soon returned with my girlfriend (now wife) for a photography trip.  We decided to go in costume and take a picnic to make a day of it.  It seemed to go well and i got one of my favourite photos out of it.  She didnt fare to well as we couldnt work ot how to load the film into her recently acquired Zenit E.  But that didn't stop us both from having a great day out and taking some lovely pics.

  If you're ever in the area i recommend it is well worth the detour to visit.  Maybe the fairy magic will rub off on your camera.