MorseBlog

Last September I made a couple of posts about using my Fuji G617 panoramic camera for intimate landscapes. Part of this was to try and defeat the summer photography blues. I got some rather good results.  Now I am facing another photography drought and Spring has arrived, and I have never really known what to do with Spring photography. Indeed, Spring and Summer are the worst seasons for me. Fall has color, Winter has forms, and both have frost and fog. Right now, we are at peak bluebell season. I find photographing flowers generally unsatisfying, and bluebells are a bit of a cliche even though they are amazing to walk amongst this time of year. Don't get me wrong they really are spectacular, but I really haven't gotten an image of them that makes me say 'wow'.  And so, I find myself out on a brilliant and cool spring morning that quickly warmed as the sun rose. The bluebells are spectacular right now in Monk's wood and are accompanied by Wood Anemones, Celandines, ...

My wife got me a Lomograflok film back for my birthday. It took a while to arrive but it got here today. My first impression is it is a quality product. Once you find the online manual (through a QOR code) getting it working is quick and simple. (Loading AA batteries for the ejection mechanism and a film pack.) I made a few test prints in my living room with my dog Mollie as the subject.  For those not familiar with this system it is a large format 4x5 film back that takes Instax Wide instant film that works much like old Polaroids but this film is from FujiFilm. Instax film and cameras are popular so fresh film is readily available. The Wide format gives roughly a 6x9cm image. The film is available in both color and black and white. The packs are 10 sheets per pack and sell for about £14 per pack. LomoGraflok Filmback Instax film (both types) is nominally ISO 800 film. The Lomograflok system comes in two parts. The first is a simple plastic frame for composing and focusing the im...

Out again this morning with more fog in the forecast. It was clear as we drove down it was light to non-existent. Mollie and I carried on as we love walking there especially on crisp frosty morning. We parked in our usual place but instead of heading into the forest I opted to head south and scout the southern edge of the western coverts. Often overlooked and parts of which I have never walked. I was determined not to shoot as many bad images as in the first (and perhaps the second as I don't have that film back yet) frost session. I am feeling my way into this different situation.  The sun came up as we walked down this southern edges across the open fields casting warm light across the fields and into the forest grazing the tops of the canal-side reeds. Lots of lovely views but nothing I could build an image around.  I ran into my second photographer and we acknowledged each other as I turned southward again. I rounded the first turn back into th...

Last night the forecast was for the possibility of fog and with that in mind I got my film holders out of the freezer and pulled my large format kit together. I did not have expectations for much fog however but there would be some frost as well.  Last time I was at Holme Fen I arrived before sunrise. This turned out to be a mistake. As I went about shooting those frosty scenes I became worried that there was not enough frost on its own to make a good image. When the sun did come up the forest got a lot more interesting. The warm morning light combined with the vapor the sun's rays were driving off the forest floor added misty sunbeams. By this time I was out of film and decided to go home however. I did linger and watch in wonder the beauty around me. Something one can regret while photographing is not taking time to be in the surroundings and absorb and appreciate the mood. I often stop and have some coffee and a snack just for this purpose (Moll...

(Note: This has the black and white photos I processed today while I wait for the color film to be processed. The color should be here in about 10 days. Placeholders for color photos marked <<>>)  With the forecast for frost at -7C, Mollie and I got up early and got the car defrosted, extra warm clothes for me. Hot coffee and energy bars for me, Steaklets for Mollie. I had brought the film out of the freezer the night before. A real mix of Hp5+, 1 sheet of Ektachrome EPN, some Astia, 2 sheets of Portra 160, and some Ektar.  We loaded up the car and got going. One would hope for some hoar frost but the weather was blowing in from the west so a long way from moisture here in East Anglia. We slipped down the dark salt-wetted roads against the prevailing commuter traffic. High beams flicking up and down in acknowledgement. As we got closer to Holme Fen the sky lightened in the east and was mostly cloud free but for a gossamer of thin patches.  I had an idea of whe...

I ventured out today with Mollie after a hectic week of drinking, eating, and celebrating with friends and family over the holidays. It was all very enjoyable but I think both of us needed to get out in the woods for a while. For her part Mollie had a great time in Holme Fen. It rained so hard this morning when we got up she declined our daily morning walk and so by noon was ready for a romp. She quickly got up to her old tricks of jumping, spyhopping, exploring and chasing about the bracken and fallen logs.   Blog Post Cover Image For me this was more about some experimentation which I will get to shortly. The day was not really made for photography and the light incredibly variable with almost clear skies when we arrived to overcast to some clearing and intermittent clouds during the 3 hours or so we were out.  I wanted to have a good demonstration of what box speed on a film means and how this may not always be the best way to shoot film. This came up as a question on ...

Day 1 Well the forecast said fog and so I set the alarm. Mollie got up early with me and we gathered the Intrepid and jumped in the car for the drive down to Holme Fen. It was a little depressing driving to Holme Fen in the pre-dawn light. There were thin patches of fog on parts of the road and a thin haze generally but not what I would call proper fog. Still, I said to Mollie, a good day to be out and Holme Fen is her favorite woodland.  We arrived and parked up and I assembled the camera with 150mm lens and put it on the tripod. This is my usual routine of having it mostly setup and slung over my should as it makes it easy to decide to compose and make an image without unpacking everything. I packed a mish mash of different film including HP5+ B&W, Portra 160, Ektar, and Velvia 50 for color. Today would be about trying to shoot a little softer f-stop and concentrate on 'ma'.  We headed out and I have to say it was a lovely morning but in the ascending pre-dawn light I wa...