Hidden troubles in Spalding

As I've said previously, don't let your images collect virtual dust.

Don't let things become stale. Push yourself. I really am sitting here right now, MacBook on my lap, headphones on, trying to think of a long term project that can keep me interested and push me to do something different.

I've got one idea. I've now just got to put my hand up in the class room that is social media and say "ummm, would anyone be interested in.........." and hope that I get at least one "yes" back. Although it wouldn't be much of long term project with just one sitting or session.

Anyway, something that always seems to interest me is the beauty in the decay; the things that people don't see or more like don't want to see.

A homeless persons home

I come across a lot of shelters and beds in derelict buildings but this one was a real surprise. Its in a tiny little space down the side of a building with no shelter over head. 

Life can hit you hard.

I do however draw the line there. I will not photograph a homeless person as an easy street photography target. I wonder which is worse though? Photographing the easy still target in the gutter or invading someone's space whilst maybe they're away from their shelter?

This photowalk was a cold jaunt around Spalding, early 2017, I'm sure after a hospital appointment. Looking for alley ways and detritus, thankfully in the market towns around me both are plentiful, the latter the local councils may not be so thankful for.

What I do remember from the start of the year was reading an article about Stephen Shore; a pioneer in 1970's colour photography. Being someone who has always had a liking for all things black and white, vivid colour images of all things that would now been seen as retro were fresh in mind as I walked past this empty Royal Mail building with serious........red!

Spalding

Time is precious.

Any chance to use a camera and shoot some pics i want to take it.

Any excuse.

Ive purchased a 6D to replace my back up body as it was becoming a bit long in the tooth for me. The 6D is supposed to be a low light monster. Let me tell you it certainly focuses well in a dark room. I need to compare my 5d and 6d and see which really does perform better.

So 2 full frame camera's and 2 Fujifilm cameras for weddings. Its a good job I've got a big bag.

Im still not ready to leave Canon fully. Every time i put a big camera in my hand it feels so right. Big camera, big lens, big smile. Quit those dirty thoughts!!!

T
he fuji's are great for the candid moments, where you want to capture people having fun, when you don't want them to notice you. With Fuji's you can blend in. They're less intimidating.

But throw on a 70-200 on a full frame body and the images just have... something.

So. It turned up the other morning and in the constant challenge mode that I'm in, instead of throwing on one of my nice lenses, i chose to put on an old lens that i realistically paid about £2 for with a film body attached. 

The Helios 44-2 58mm, has a good write up by people who use it for swirly bokeh portraits and other images. 

'Swirly Bokeh' google it.

I just put it on because its small and i can use the depth of field scale on barrel to estimate focus for street photography. Ive not really shot street photography with a 'big' camera before, its always with a small Fuji. A new challenge.

Image quality from the 6D is nothing to worry about.

The 44-2 however suffers terribly from soft corners, so don't go putting the subject in the corner of the frame as you may/will be disappointed.

Spalding was the location for this Street photography outing. Not my favourite place in the world, though i have a great fondness for a night out there.

Much like my local jaunt of Wisbech, Saplding also has a huge eastern european population. Beer cans a plenty then.

There's alleys and claustrophobic streets, empty shop fronts and a general grey feeling to the place. Perfect for me then.

Look closely at your surroundings and you might find interest

Just a walk in the park

I was dog sitting Ella again and just fancied grabbing shots.

We took a walk over too and round the Memorial Park in Sutton Bridge.

I'm liking the way I've started to shoot faces of both people and animals. I'm filling the frame with natural poses.......don't smile!!! So I needed to capture my borrowed mans best friend in this way.

And for once she wasn't the obedient dog she usually is. She just would not look at the camera.
Luckily I caught her eye for at least a quarter of a second before shed look over my shoulder again, she really liked my shoulder; every time I moved to try and get in her eye line she would then alter it again.

And to top it off.....that tongue!

She's a beaut.

ISO640, 157mm, f/4, 1/400



My favourite subject when on a photo walk seems to be benches. Why I photograph benches I don't know. I just love a good bench.

This once a good'un too as it sits right at the back of the back in the trees. Light is diffused in between the branches. Its a very quiet place and the bench is very simple. Simply peaceful.

ISO640, 147mm, f/3.5, 1/200

 Just behind the bench lives a tree with vines growing up the side of it. Very photographic.

ISO2000, 70mm, f/5.6, 1/125

Finally behind the tree above in a section called 'Devils Circle'; I don't know why its got this name, it was just known as this when I was a kid so that the name has stuck with me. I'm not sure who named it this, why or when, is a 'zebra' tree.

 

I'm sure its one of a kind.

ISO2000, 70mm, f/3.5, 1/125

 

(Sunny) Sutton Bridge at Night

Its been a couple of weeks since my last post and since then i've got  new lens; a Fish Eye.

I've wanted a fish eye for years but, like a lot of things in life, have never treated myself.

Now i've got a new camera I need to get some new glass. The fish eye was an impulse buy that i've finally made and so far it's as cool as I thought it would be.

I had used one before on my old 450D and was amazed at how close to things I had to get to things in order to get things distorted in the stereotypical fish eye way. Now i've had one for a week im now used to getting close.

My fisheye; a Zenitar 16mm, is an old school Russian lens made originally for 35mm film cameras, now im shooting with a full frame camera I can make use of the old beaut. Its a manual aperture, manual focus lens,  for optimum quality I shoot at f/8 and focusing isn't highly critical with such a massive depth of field due to the ultra wide focal length of 16mm.

On to the photos on this post.

I was biking home from work yesterday, Thursday 30/01/14 and passing under the Cross Keys bridge at Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire I thought it would be a good idea to come back later and make use of the fish eye while the tide was high, not as high as my previous post though http://benchapmanphotos.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-night-river-nene-almost-flooded-in.html.

I had my tea, grabbed my coat, camera, tripod and headphones and took a walk to the bridge.

All shots were taken at ISO 100 and F/8.

I love a good starburst on lights. Star bursts can be achieved by using small apertures.

20 Seconds

 

 I don't know what it is but I find myself photographing benches quite often.

War memorial in the background.

 20 Seconds

 

I've been told that there's a ghost haunting the bridge.

20 Seconds

 

The lights under the bridge are really bright, I had to capture the balance of light and darkness.

3.2 Seconds

 

It's been a long time since i've used a phone box.

 13 Seconds

 

I haven't played with light like this since I first got a camera a good 5 years ago. I've been thinking about standing in this spot for a few years now and i've finally done it....yay!

 

Im going to go back for another go at this.

8 Seconds

 

Thanks for looking.

Tune in again.

Ben