Places I’ll Never Forget #6 (Part 2)

03-12-17

Isle of Eigg – Inner Hebrides – Scotland

On The Sgùrr

The views from the top of the Sgùrr are breathtaking, it’s worth the climb. In the distance is the island of Rum, it’s a nature reserve and quite wild. I could imagine from it’s shape the time 60 million years ago when it was an active volcano.

Looking Towards Laig Bay

Laig Bay

The beach on Laig Bay is also known as Singing Sands, when you walk on the beach you hear a high pitched noise, something to do with the quartz in the sand.

There are lots of rock pools to explore and because it is on the gulf stream you can find coconut seeds and other exotic things. When I was there a Portuguese man O war jelly fish had been washed up.

Ever Changing Light

Cottage – Cleadale

There are some lovely cottages and crofts on the island, quite a few are holiday lets.

Scottish Bluebells 

I hope one day to get back to Eigg for a holiday.

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Places I’ll Never Forget #6 (Part 1)

01-12-17

Isle of Eigg – Inner Hebrides – Scotland

I’ve visited this Island four times, it’s absolutely beautiful, and is way overdue another visit. It was one of the few places I have actually experienced silence, no traffic noise or background hum, just the natural sounds of nature.

The ferry for the Island leaves from Arisaig which is on the west coast of Scotland, north of Fort William, the road to Arisaig criss crosses under and alongside the railway used in the Harry Potter films, it’s a great road to drive. These images are from May 1991, Whitsuntide, from slides taken with my Olympus OM2n. 

Arisaig Harbour

This is very early in the morning, taken after attempting to sleeping in the car (VW Beetle) overnight !!!! Nice and calm, good job as I am not a good sailor.

On The Way To Eigg

The light can be amazing, and as a superb bonus often pilot whales will swim alongside the ferry.

An Sgùrr

The Sgùrr is probably the most notable landmark on the island, it was formed by the lava from the volcanic eruptions on the neighbouring island of Rùm about 60 million years ago.

An Sgùrr

Side view of the Sgùrr looking towards the Scottish mainland. The weather really picked up and it got hot, you can see the blue haze in the distance.

Infrared & Reminiscing

05-11-17

Looking through some old negatives I came across a Kodak Infrared film that I hadn’t scanned in. There were some problems with the negs, mainly underexposure, it was November, and it had snowed overnight, the previous day being bright and sunny. 1990 I think, when I took these images near Settle North Yorkshire. They were having a French week in the town with lots of French food and Cajun bands playing in the pubs. I was up there for a photo beer weekend with former work friends. It brought back some really good memories.

Up On The Moors

Even though Kodak HIE infrared could be difficult to use (you had to load/unload the film in total darkness and keep it in the film canister when not in the camera) I really liked some of the images it could produce.

Places I’ll Never Forget (Hopefully !) #3

10-04-17

These photographs are from my first visit to the island of Crete in 1990, can’t believe that’s 27 years ago !!!! All the images are from an Olympus OM2n film camera which I had just bought before the holiday. The film is Fujichrome 100.

Crete – Rethymnon Harbour

Church of Four Martyrs Rethymnon

One of the main reasons to visit Crete was to walk the Samaria Gorge (click the link if you would like to find out more)

On The Way to The Gorge

Approaching The Walk

Samaria Gorge

My ex waving at me, in other words Get a Move On !

It was quite rough going in some parts of the gorge.

End of The Line – Agia Roumeli

It was a scorching hot day, I was glad when we reached Agia Roumeli so we could have a drink and a bite to eat, not to mention resting my feet. We caught the ferry from here back to the transport. I’m not very good on boats especially the flat bottomed variety, the Mediterranean can get quite choppy and it did, but it was an experience not to be missed.  

It’s only a mile away #3

Here are a few shots on film from my visit to the Botanic Gardens a couple of weeks ago. I took the Olympus OM1n together with 50mm and 24mm Zuiko lenses. The film was  Rollei Superpan 200, first time I’ve used this emulsion, apparently it can have a near infrared look when the lighting permits (sunshine) so ever the optimist I used Red and Green filters on the lenses to see what they would give, of course the day was fairly dull ! I developed the film in Rodinal which due to it’s age has now acquired the colour of a mature burgundy wine, but it worked really well.

Main House (very grand)

50mm and Green filter

Take a Seat 

Definitely a touch of the infrared, 50mm and Green filter

Bare Branches

Got that infrared glow, 24mm with Red filter

Modern Sculpture

50mm and Green Filter

The Wave

24mm and Red filter

Arbor

24mm Red filter

Looking forward to better weather so I can use some more of this film.

February 2006

The old computer that sits in the spare bedroom has got to go,(it’s still on Win98) The room needs decorating and it’s where I dry and scan my films. Checking the hard drive to see what was on there I came across a lot of images taken in 2006, these two in February, seems like 5 minutes ago.

VW Camper #1

VW Camper #2

Both taken on my Olympus OM2n with Zuiko 24mm early on a Sunday morning. We still had a really good photo lab in 2006, and if you dropped a film off it would be ready in a couple of hours.

Last few from the Olympus OM1n and expired Kodacolor 200

Blue

Electricity Substation #1

Electricity Substation #2

Autumn – Vivitar 19mm with Polariser

Canopy

Spooky Door

Some of my favourite subject matter for the last few images, Old Garages, Electricity Sub Stations, Trees, and of course Doors. Really surprised how the kodacolor performed considering it was more than 10 years out of date. I have mainly used Kodak films for colour over the years, and really miss Ektachrome.

 

Dark Attraction

Olympus OM1n, Zuiko 24mm, Kodak Gold 200 asa, Expired 2006

Olympus OM40 re-scan #4

Lost Souls Forever

Olympus OM40 – Zuiko 24mm 2.8

Plastic Flowers

Olympus OM40 – Zuiko 24mm 2.8

I took a digital shot of this today while I was in town, will see what its like when I’ve downloaded the images.

Olympus OM40 re-scan #3

Last Rose of the season

Olympus OM40 – Zuiko 24mm 2.8 +2 Closeup filter

Rose Campion

Olympus OM40 – Zuiko 24mm 2.8 +2 Closeup filter