M6 "man fizz"

I said goodbye to some loyal friends last week only to be replaced by a new one. I refer to my new second hand Leica M6 TTL. It was only a question of time before I bought myself a real quality 35mm film camera and for me, Leica had to be the only choice. Ive been using a host of average 35mm units for the last few years with good results but now with the arrival of my M6 its time to step up the game.

Well, it arrived this morning and all I can say was that it was a "man fizz" moment. Blokes know what I mean. Even opening the box does it for me. I already have a Q and a X2 but there's something very different and special about the M6. Clearly its a film unit but just picking it up says it all. Its solid, well build and very very evocative.

In addition to my M6 I grabbed myself a Leica Cooph rope strap The strap is a collaboration between Leica and Cooph. Two quality products now unite. Finally. A big thanks you to Ben over at the Leica store in Manchester for sorting all of this out. Cheers Ben....
 

I met a man called Pedro

Nice guy. We chatted for a while. He spent 12 years living in Spain, fell in Love with a jewish girl for a year then moved to Blackpool where I met him. He told me a few stories and I enjoyed our chat. Darts is his given game. Thanks Pedro.....

something so simple

There are times when a subject matter is so simple that it can deliver decent image. Here's a few examples of what I mean.

goodbye my loyal friends

Its time to say goodbye to a number of loyal friends. Goodbye Nikon and the excellent glass we've used together over the years. You've provided me with some reasonable images and have never failed when called on you to deliver what Ive asked for.

I made the choice to shoot Nikon all those years ago as they provided me with what I believed was the best choice for my budget and represented good value for the money. My D800 went everywhere with me. Always by my side. My favourite lens had to be the Nikkor's 85mm. Sharp as a pin. One of Nikons sharpest ever lenses and a killer choice for anyones arsenal. I'll miss you

Whats next then? We'll, it will be back to film. Im shooting more and more on 35mm these days so the choice is simple. A Leica M6. She'll sit nicely along side my other Leica's.

Believe in film. Its the future.....

Im no landscape photographer

I find landscape photography a little less challenging than the other stuff I shoot but there are times when the light grabs me and I end up with a pretty ok image or two. Here's a few examples of what I refer to. No filters or Photoshop. Just how it should be...

Newlyns forgotten music and verse....

Entry was not forced and the contents are as I found them. Respect for a former place of worship was shown

Cadgwith, Cadgwith, hidden away

Cadgwith, Cadgwith, hidden away
stoney cove where the waves roll in,
fishing boats line up in order,
birds chat away on thatched read rooftops.
 

colourful cottages but please be aware,
signage instructions are everywhere,
footpaths lead you in all directions,
providing view points for your camera's lenses.
 

respect our parking, we're a working village,
a fisherman's job is the toughest on this planet,
donations help and support their cause,
don't forget the losses & needed family support.

Cadgwith, Cadgwith there's so much to see,
those little seaside touches that makes us unique,
stained glass windows, names on our doors,
 fingerless glove makes an adapted exhaust port.

Cadgwith, Cadgwith, hidden away,
Cadgwith Cadgwith is a Cornish gem....
 

St Micheals Mount - A different view from the norm....

St Micheals Mount is one of the most photographed Cornish landmarks. We see numerous images on line and in local gallery's of the Mount but they all look the same. Here's now I see it....

We all start somewhere

At 15 years old, I had no concept of composition, subject matter, depth of field or any other aspects of photography. I just had this overwhelming urge to capture an image. I had on line manuals to refer to, tutorials or someone to speak to offer advice. I picked up my camera and released the shutter. The result of that in the first photograph I ever took. Armed with a basic Zenit E that cost me £20, a roll of ilford FP4, this is what I saw and captured.

On reflection, when I look back at the image I got the lighting and speed right. The lovely contrast that ilford films give is all there but clearly I had no conception of the art of composition. It would be decades on that I got round to picking up a camera again and ended up where I am today, making a living out of it.

There's a real positive to all this, I now spend a large proportion of my time shooting film again.

Kelenföld Art Deco Power Station

Kelenfold power station has been photographed numerous times in recent years. Just do a search on google it and you'll see just how much. What hasn't been seen though is an area of the station that I managed to gain access too. Below are a few of those shots plus a few other shots you might not of seen from different angles etc. Every photographer has their own view on how they see a shot. A big thank you to the guys at Kelenföld for my private viewing

                                                                          my guide

expired Impossible project

I bought a multiple pack of assorted film from those lovely peeps at Impossible the other day which included a pack of expired black and white SX 70 film. Production date was 12/16 so it had only expired super recently. You can get some great results from expired film and if Im honest I did get one or two with it. All of the images below were shot during the day with clear cornish skies and the lighten/darken control on the camera ramped up to its darkest setting.

Lithuania street art

Whichever city or country you visit these days, you'll always come across "Street art" in some way or form. Some good, some bad but they all have one thing in common, expressing and displaying their work where ever they can. On a recent visit to Lithuania, I came across some of the Eastern Europeans artists work. I only captured the best.