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

 

Spending my birthday in Sheringham with my wife, the dog and of course my camera.

Thursday 27th February, my birthday, Laura and I took Ella to Sheringham, Norfolk for a walk in the sea air.

As always my camera was hanging round my neck.

We walked up a hill/cliff next to the golf course to where half a dozen benches are situated next to a look out post for the coast guard. Its a good view from which you can see for miles along the coastline on a clear day.

At one point as we were walking along the muddy and puddle strewn trail to the top of the hill the wind picked up and grey clouds rolled in, we were thinking we were about to get very wet, luckily the clouds blew past and out came the sun again. Laura would of well moaned about the rain if it did come down....phew! 2 minutes of peace!

The day was nice, followed by a curry on the way home, yum!

A world shot on black and white film.

Ive been shooting when I can using my Praktica MTL 50; a good strong metal based SLR mentioned in a previous post. Its a real beauty to use and look at.

Like any of my film cameras I load them up, take a few shots and put them back in drawer until next time, so the pictures on this post are from the past 4-5 months.

These shots were taken using BW400CN film that expired in 2006. I bought 8 rolls for about £15 last year and they are sitting in the freezer waiting to be used.

I don't know what it is but I love black and white, its a love that's really taken hold since late 2012 and now I find myself editing numerous digital images and converting them to black and white. I love the simplicity of a black and white shot with no colours to distract the eye, its also the timeless look of a monochrome shot that could of been taken anytime in the past.

Although I really like the camera sometimes im slightly disappointed with the shots its a combination of the grain of the film and processing and the softness of the lens that I use mostly; Im sure I can hold the camera steady, ive had plenty of practice these days and I take time to focus, yet shots im sure will be sharp often turn out soft.

The first day I loaded this film Laura and I were going shopping in Norwich.

A classic phone box.

Selfie taken in Bank in the Chapelfields Shopping Mall. Its got a great mirrored ceiling.

Someone moaned at me for taking a picture in the Castle Mall.....yawn!

 



Next the camera travelled to my Brothers at Bishops Stortford for his birthday weekend in November.

We had fun in the park

 

 

 

 

King of the castle.

 

What is it about benches that keeps me taking photo's of them?

 Family group shot outside the pub.

 

 Yeah....big dog!

 

 

Poser!

 

 Is that a funny walk Spen?

 

 

These self portraits turned out a lot darker than what i expected especially considering I used a light meter

 

 

The last 3 frames of the film were taken at the General Cemetery in Wisbech on a Saturday morning when I had taken Laura to work and I thought id take a look at this over grown old burial site.

 

2 more benches for the album!

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Ive already got a couple of future blog posts planned.

 

So please tune in next time.

 

Thanks

 

Ben