boss_kitty

Needles and Pin(hole)s

So these were taken around Leicester's cultural quarter with Sammy and EricaAmerica on World pinhole day (25-04-21, and let's not get into the ridiculousness of a council designating an area a 'cultural quarter', I think it's well meant if artificial). More pleased with them than I was these pics taken a few days later. The light was better (sunny, cold and windy on this day as opposed to cloudy, wet and cold on the others) and they just look more like I was envisioning them looking. Unsure what I'm going to do with them, though will probably offer the lens flare one to the world pinhole day website (and it has been accepted here). As usual click individual pictures for larger views, then use back to return to the preview sizes.

Inauspicious start there

Graffiti opposite the Phoenix (roughly)

Garage (working) opposite the Phoenix

Churchyard near the Curve

Nightclub building opposite Curve

Churchyard again (we did a few laps)

Sammy and EricaAmerica

Building opposite the Hindu temple up from Curve etc

Like this one. Hindu temple (I think) with lens flare near Curve

The old Odeon building (now Athena) and Curve

25 second exposure inside the gents' toilets at The Exchange bar (what phrasing there). Not what I wanted but worth a go (again with the phrasing)

Pinned Note

Pinhole cameras. Like the first cameras, eh? So the Diana I have at my house converts to a pinhole, so have been using it as one for a while. These were taken last Monday (3rd). It was dull and rainy. Not ideal in retrospect but they came out even if all the ones that were not stabilised are pisspoor. The first and last ones were on solid surfaces rather than handheld (first one on a bridge, last on the table at home to finish the film off). Have another pinhole film from pinhole day a week or so before which I haven't developed yet (plus a colour one that'll have to wait), hopefully more light will give more interest. Click individual pics for full horror.

This was a very long exposure (1 minute). Needed way more... But blur would've been worse...

See what I mean? How disappointing.

This is my next post

Struggling for inspiration in this lockdown^ ? Boredom is the wallpaper I've got used to lately. Going for walks with people has been something that has punctuated this and really made things way more bearable. So not sure why I decided to take my camera on these 2 as I was enjoying the company anyway, this just interrupted a good thing. Maybe I was thinking of filling the evenings to come (and this afternoon as I'm typing this). Anyway sorry, Rhian, Bryan and Jess for me cutting away to take these, frankly poor, photographs. All that said I do enjoy the magic of home development, more so when using caffenol (homemade devloper made from cheap instant coffee, washing soda, vitamin c and salt). So this has been nice.

There used to be a cement storage depot here that I've photographed before (here for example). Rhian used to play around here (it's at the back of where we used to live) and used to call it "the rocket factory". We started this walk taking this bit in to pay our respects. Anyway it's going to be housing. I'm going to miss it and this part of my neighbourhood being a small green bleb along the canal.

Evans' weir. River was high on this day. Just imagine the sound.

Go on, imagine.

Building work going on elsewhere in the canal basin. Lots of student accomodation (I think). Shame it dwarfs the original canalside buildings, but at least some of them (the thread storage building with the golden goat weathervane for example) have been preserved.

The Demostaph. Pointless and whimsical. I really liked it. It was demolished 2 days after this picture was taken (I didn't know this at the time of taking). Nice to see the Leicester wormy guys getting to it just before it expired, local legends.

This used to be all factories, it's just fields now. I've just realised I'm the reverse of most people in this, bemoaning concrete loss. Anyway Rhian's friend Holly from primary school used to live over there overshadowed by factories.

Lovely quiet offshoot of the canal. A bridge photographed from a bridge.

Rhian and Bryan, my companions on this walk (there are 2 walks on this film, not sure I said that). They have been a lifeline to me company wise this last year or so. Much loved.

I like this shot. It's how the walk felt to be on (if that makes sense).

Trees on a flooded patch of grass. We had to divert because the floodwater had got very deep at this point, nice reflections being a pleasant side effect.

More reflection porn.

Bridge on the way to Watermead Park. Have no recollection of this view (as in exactly where it is). Nice though.

OK the 2 above ^ were an attempt to show a weird confluence of the river and a side tributary, one being coloured like builder's tea ther other kind of grey. Doesn't really show as well as I'd hoped in black and white .

This was meant to be a nice, candid, contemplative picture of Rhian and Bryan, but a) Bryan has his phone out and b) I've focussed on the trees 20 feet behind. Shame.

The entry to Watermead Park. Destination for the day.

Graffiti opposite the previous picture.

Swan gracefully swimming on normally dry land (although the walkway suggests flooding is not a shock here) as we headed home.

Rhian and Bryan brave the floods.

And we move on to walk number 2, with the slightly less desirable destination, namely, Poundland. Jess putting her purchases away.

Graffo near the King Power Stadium. Sums it up eh? I'm hopefully getting the vaccine on Thursday, have an appointment anyway.

Security fence. No idea why I took this. Was keen to use up the film, so selectivity (always an issue for me) becomes a bit incidental.

Structural feature of the King Power. Very shaky cam here (generally my focus is disappointing in these pictures [and always], maybe due to low light).

Jess on her phone. I'm a fascinating conversationalist.Nice shot though (if unfocussed), makes me smile.

The Evil Tower of Mordor (or DMU student accomodation, take your pick). Other universities have identical towers (Southampton for one). It's really... stark.

Two pictures of a bridge over the canal. Somehow managed to not see the couple walking over it in the first one so... sorry. I like the ironwork and the tramline effect. Industrial. Prince Charles hates me.

I mean words fail me, but not the writer, obviously.

Water birds. David Attenborough I'm not. Jess fed them crackers.

Blurry non-specific shot. The light was going.

View back to the Evil Tower of Mordor (or DMU student accomodation, take your pick).

The light was amazing here, doesn't really show up in the pic, but the small piece of emulsion having dropped off leaving a mark bottom centre spoils it more.

More from Leicester legends the wormies. I really do love them.

The light was really going here, but I love the grainyness and haze it creates here.

Ivy growing over some graffiti. I was really struck by it being hard to think of graffiti being subsumed by time and decay, and not being the new thing.

Sinister face graffiti.

Finishing the film off as there was zero light.

Mixed bag of results, but lovely as a memory jogger of 2 really fun walks with people who mean so much to me.

Back in the Saddle

Got fed up of not doing much creative stuff, so took my Praktica TL1 out to Asda for a shop and walked the canal to take some photos updating shots I'd done while on the Russian camera lofi walk. They've built on the derelict land by the Wolsey factory so it's very different there now. That used just over half the film, and to finish it off took it along on my weekly walk with Jess, who has been an amazing friend during this last few months. Developed in caffenol at home (cheap coffee, vitamin c powder, washing soda and salt), which worked very well. Thanks to Matt for advice re this. Click for larger images.

2 images of discarded/ripped away piece of advertising billboard poster. There's an eye there, the image in my head was more impressive than this. 2 copies of most of these as I was very unsure of light (it being December and grey).

Old water storage tower at former Wolsey factory (and pictured in derelict state in the camera walk pictures above). It's now a four story apartment, which somewhat does my head in re practicality, would love to see inside to see if it works, but suspect it can't.

Wolsey factory chimney, preserved as centrepiece on the new estate (a nice touch IMO) and also pictured in derelict state in the photowalk images linked above.

Space Centre looming between the water tower and new builds.

^ Abbey Park showing river and weir

Canal concrete and graffiti

Dead magpie on way home.

New day, new housing going up (canal where warehouses used to be near Graffwerk/Bitsy's)

Canal dereliction

Jess, got focus wrong second time, was probably laughing, because we laugh a lot.

I made a selfie!!! I look so gorm because I'm concentrating hard here...

Rectal exam for the Watermead mammoth

These look a bit washed out as the light was going

And that's your lot. That was nice wasn't it? Yes, it was.

Lockdown Schmockdown

Ran a roll of Kentmere 400 through the Practika TL1. Started pre-lockdown on a walk out with friend Viraaj to Abbey Park, finished it on a walk out to the cemetary during lockdown. Developed at home with ID11 at stock. Click pictures for bigger versions and be well.

Starting at Abbey Park

Now a short interlude of Sean in the garden

^ That's cherry blossom over from the garden (no Sean there)

A couple here of my set up for another photo project which I will reveal at some later date...

...and finally a Boriswalk to the cemetary

^ Abbey Lane (by English Martyrs' School) 4.30 on a Friday afternoon

The last 2 there are Groby Road by the entrance to Gilroes Cemetary at 4.55pm on a Friday afternoon. Surreal...

Lake Turbid

Took my Practika TL super to the lakes for to walk with some lovely friends. Shot half a roll of (near expiration Ilford HP5+) film while there (had a vague intention to show Fordy how to self develop film at home with Caffenol brewed in situ which time cheated us of), finished it off on an evening out for a drink and some food with Viraaj. Pressed on with my first Caffenol experiment (using Caffenol Delta, the simplest formula which uses only water, washing soda, vitamin C powder and coffee granules). It was developed for 11 minutes in water that should have been 20 degrees Celsius but in actuality was probably colder than this. The film is a little underexposed but this is probably more down to my "by eye" aperture and shutter setting which failed to take into account that sunny weather in February/March is not the same as sunny weather in summer. Anyway it bloody worked (used standard stop and fix btw)!! Very cool and inexpensive process which I'll use much more I think. Click for larger pictures, some nice ones in here I think even though they were largely spontaneous. Lesson there I feel.

Starts in the Lakes (Hawkshead was our base, pictures are taken around Hawkshead, Tarn Hows and looking over towards Coniston and the Old Man of Coniston[?]). Weather was better than it looks, but not Bermuda.

Leaving the Lakes, used the film up on a nice Tuesday in Leicester. (First ever use of that phrase?)

(Below) playing with the long exposure on pretty lights in Mowgli restaurant (I had a really nice vegan (maybe veggie) dish called Holy Chow there)

Used film up with traffic headlight/brakelight trail shots and long exp shop lights/signs.

Aye. Nice.

Positive Vibes

These really are the last of my holiday pictures. Again my feeling is that the ones of people are pretty good and have something whereas the landscapes are... meh. Colour a little washed out as it was very sunny and the film was 13 years expired. It is also positive film, Fuji Velvia given to me by Mark Hardy (may make slides out of some of these), and that fades with time anyway, so not all me. Taken with the Practika TL1 so soft focus. Hmm might have to look at that at some point. Click individual pictures for larger versions. Mainly a memoire for what was probably my favourite day of the holiday (on the rocks there).

^ image was v washed out so much scanner work here

^ Those 2 are hardly there really, very overexposed

^Shame about the mark (or missing emulsion spot) on the lip. Also a bit over.

^ Hehe. Cold.

Nice landscape shot to end. Shame on me. The one photo I remember taking. I refer the reader to M Naylor's frequent life coaching comment to me.

A Day in Space

Been thinking about Ballboy (the band) today, because had a bit of post holiday blues now the workoad becomes pretty much solid to Christmas and they (he) do melancholy better than anyone. These are the last pics from my break. 1 from France, some from Viraaj and my trip to Liverpool, some from a coffee date with mates from the college I work at very occasionally and finally some of Sean. I enjoyed my two weeks. Click individual pictures for larger versions.

Starts off with last picture from France from our last full day there. None. More. French. Also such a great holiday and again means more to me than I can say.

So once back and I'd unpacked, Viraaj and I went to the Keith Haring exhibition at Tate Liverpool. not many pics, and all shot with the Diana fisheye, but it was a lovely day in a lovely city

Then to finish the break off, coffee meet up with top people. How and why do they put up with my shit? Anyway I appreciate them and owe them so much, but above all love being with them.

And then to finish the film off, some pics of my main squeeze DaSean. Meow meow meow

Thanks for the snuggles, less so for the claws.

Cheesecake Truck

^ My favourite King Missile track. So have been ruminating on these. Firstly I'm saying these pictures document one of the best holidays I have had in a very long time, with three friends sitting on rocks, in the sea, on the beach, in the car, in the house (thanks Eugene and Madeleine [and Thierry and Koryn]), walking and sheltering, chatting, climbing, exploring. Secondly, two of us were in swimming costumes. We both got photographed. There are some pictures of Emma here. They will be taken down if any discomfort is expressed by the subjects (despite my "I post everything on this blog" rule, friends supercede that). It is also Ok to say how amazing everyone looks. I am very positive about my own body, but find it less than comfortable appreciating a friend's beauty, and photographing that on merit (the reason for the jokey title), celebrating it. My own feelings of creepyness are a legacy of a weird childhood and some adulthood stuff too that I don't want to go into here, but might share if you buy me a drink and I trust you. It also follows that my persistent nudeness is a reaction to this and a challenge to it. Click individual pictures for bigger versions.

White Vannes Man

^ Yeah, some of these pictures were taken in Vannes. Humour. These pictures were taken before the previous post, and are very jumbled up. I've reordered them from memory, but their order on the negatives don't match that. Not sure what's going on, but bear with me. They were shot on the Practika TL1 again using Kentmere 400 film. Usually I'm fine with cheap and cheerful Kentmere but these images have some fearsome drop out where the emulsion has just come away, and it's a bit intrusive here I think. Still, memories eh? Maybe I'm becoming a film snob. Anyway, click individual images for bigger versions.

Starting on our drizzly first morning in Damgan.

^ Really like that font, reminds me of the font used in The Prisoner

^ Vacant hotel property. Hmm.

Anyway as the weather didn't look too promising we decided to head to the largest nearby town of Vannes. Where obviously the weather improved hugely, and we had a lovely meal and a nice gentle wander around the beautiful walled town centre and harbour.

^ Really cute yarn-bombing

^ Spectacularly repurposed old warehouse, now an art gallery/cafe, with the guy below guarding the entrance

^ Really hoped this would've come out sharper as was pleased to catch Emma when she was distracted. S'ok though.

^ You can tell this is France as the mime guy is treated as unremarkable. If this was Nottingham someone would be throwing a burning envelope full of human shit at him.

^ Nice flying buttresses

So the next day was beautifully sunny so we found (after Emma and my failure to find it last year) the shrine/pilgramage site/statue to St Gildas de Rhuys. It was superb.

^ This was our beach for the day (along with about 10-15 other folk)

Statue of St Gildas. I mean how did they get it there? Was it carved on site or transported? Mind boggling...

^ The statue is hidden down and to the left of Emma and Sammy here. I mean pretty inaccessible...

That cross up on the headland is the one from a few photos ago.

^ Think this is Sammy and Matt? I have history for getting it very wrong though...

^ Old guy perving over young bathers sanctimoneously snapped by me. Given some of the photos I took during the week, I'm not really on solid ground here.

The next day was a little breezy and cloudy so we went to La Tour des Anglaises, more pictures of this are on the previous post.

And that's shallot for this roll. More tomorrow probably...