documentary 35mm

Shooting colour? then shoot Ektar..

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If you’re a lover of colour stock to shoot with, then look no further than Kodaks Ektar. Its an epic film and handles colour so, so well. The more vivid colours you can find, the better. It mops it up. On a recent 48 hour trip to Faro my film choice for me was simple. Marry that up with one of Nikons most solid rigs, ie the F2, then what a partnership. Portugal is full of those solid mediterranean colours alongside great light and those beautiful blue skies.

The skies whilst I was there were just as you’d expect, bright and blue. Again, Ektar just loves this. Ive yet to find a colour stock that delivers for me in so many ways. I have in the past been a lover of Portra but that stock has a very netural and clinical look to it. I still love shooting it though.

Throughout Faro there are pockets of really decent street art along side some not so nice amateur juvenile tagging which spoils the towns good looks. It wasn’t long though before I came some sweet examples of quality street art. I was surprised though by their location, in the old town.

Film photography is all about what suits you best. There no such thing as the best film, just the best film that suits your needs. Enclosed below are a few more shots I took during that 48 hour trip.

As always, no PS, LR, presets or filters were used in any of my work. Something I stand by and will never change.

I thank you. RD

its auction time.....

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I was really grateful recently to be given access to document an area that the general public don’t often see. Im referring to Truro’s main livestock market. One of only two now remaining in Cornwall. I was under the impression that such markets might be a private space for bidders and buyers but with the help from Andrew, Lodge & Thomas’s main auctioneer, that was far from the truth. Ive wanted to shoot and document the behind the scenes look at one of these markets for some time now this what I saw and documented in black and white of course and on film. Timeless look you might say.

Truro livestock market is held on a Wednesday just outside of Truro. The sales are a mixture of cattle, sheep, pigs of all types brought in from the local areas and being sold throughout the UK. Prior to the sale getting underway, farmers, buyers etc get the opportunity to preview the livestock. Bidding gets under way at 10am and the bidding ring begins to fill up just prior. Andrew stands in what I guess is called the bidding box overlooking the buyers/sellers and the cattle sale gets underway.

If you’ve ever had the chance to listen to an auctioneers voice once bidding gets underway, then you’ll know they make no sense to you whatsoever. The buyers, they understand it all as does Andrews admin assistant that sits next to him writing down all of the winning bids. Andrews decades of knowledge and experience see’s all that goes on. The nod of the head, the roll of the eyes, the slight raise of the finger, all of these signals he picks up which adds to the vocal bidding process.

In an others area of the market which is vast, some of Andrews colleagues are fronting the sale of other livestock auctions to include sheep and calves. These follow the same format but my apologies here Andrew, I understood them to some degree in terms of the price and how the bidding was progressing. I was very difficult to understand your auction banter. You knew what was going so no issues there.

It was really interesting to watch and to document and shoot the whole process of the auction from the delivery of the livestock, their care, the movement of all of the cattle/livestock on the day and their well being. It was helped along the way by the professionalism of all of the staff involved alongside side Andrew. A big thank you to all concerned… RD

Out in the Bay, fishing away....

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There are a number of things that Cornwall is renowned for, the surf, the cream tea, the pasty, our glorious beaches and Sardines, yes, Sardines. Historically, the Cornish Sardines industry was once regarded as the global leaders during 18th and 19th centuries. Cornish sardines today are still considered among the best in the world.

Today, the Cornish Sardine industry still thrives and comes out of the port of Newlyn but clearly not in the same volumes that use to be landed. There are a handful of commercial fisherman such as Danny, the skipper of the Golden Harvest, which continue to fish for sardines as his family has done over the generations.

I got the opportunity again recently to join Danny and the crew fishing out the Mounts Bay area one evening. I guess you’d expect that you can fish any time but there’s a reason behind why you’d fish that time. “Its the light” Im told. The evening light is that time of the day when the sardines tend to sit closer to the surface making it easier to catch. When I say easier to catch, Danny still has to hunt for them via his radar/fish finder for help.

If not not aware, commercial fishing is widely recognised as one of the most dangerous professions due to the high risk of injury. Having said that, Its very obvious to see that Danny’s and his crew are very experienced and professional throughout the whole trip. Each and every time they fish, they have to be. The slighest mistake and god only knows what might happen.

So how does this work then? Bear with me here Danny, I think I remember what you told me. If not then I should of paid more attention.
How does one set out to catch these little beauties then? Well, its called ring netting. Danny searches for the fish, once he spots a shoal of size, he shouts to the crew and they sling the net. Then its all about Andy’s skill as a skipper to position his boat and en circle the area as such forming a ring like structure, hence the term, “ring netting. I think I got that right. The crew then start to haul in the net alongside the boats winching gear.

Once the full net is alongside the boat, it’s time to get the tons, yes tons of Sardines on board. That done with a huge vacunm type set up which is dropped into the net and the suction begins and then fills the tanks below. Now when I say tons, that varies on the size of the catch. Danny will casts his nets several times an evening with the aim to catch as many fish as he can. The evening ins’t over then. They”ll return to port and then the off loading of the catch begins. Long hours indeed. The skipper and crew are paid on the basis of what they land. The guys do this six days a week for approximately eight months of the year. Cornish sardines still remain the best in the world. Thanks again Danny and the guys for your time and allowing me once again to come aboard. RD