Crappy Commie Camera Party 2025

Papa Shitty Cams is at it again with a fun packed summer encouraging the use of cameras that don't get much, if any love at all. This time it's the Crappy Commie Camera Party! To celebrate the Crappy Commie Camera Party we are using cameras made in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (CCCP in cyrillic, hence the name of the party), any of the post WW2 Eastern Bloc communist nations and China. 

Film photographers always laud the Japanese manufacturers for their excellent cameras. Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Olympus and Pentax cameras are in my collection, but few will laud cameras with names such as Zorki, Zenit, Praktica and Lomo. Fewer still will know the Soviet camera industry began with unashamed and blatant copies of the Leica II, made by FED in Kharkiv, Ukraine and KMZ under the Zorki brand at Krasnogorsk near Moscow. 

FED gained a reputation for producing quality cameras and, unless you know what you are looking at, you could be excused for thinking you had a Leica in your hands. Such was the exactness of the original FED, demand was high and manufacturing was also started at KMZ near Moscow. This led to the FED being renamed FED I and the KMZ manufactured camera was named Zorki I, but they were the same camera.

Post WW2, as the FED factory was rebuilt, the designers at FED had the opportunity to study Leica patents, which were surrendered as war reparations. They decided they could improve upon the Leica design and in the 1950's the FED 2 was born. Original FED and Zorki cameras command a high price, but for photographer like myself, the FED 2 is a very affordable option.

I also have a Zorki 4 made at KMZ that came with a Jupiter 8 50mm f/2 lens, a copy of a Zeiss Sonnar originally made for Kiev cameras made at the Kiev Arsenal, but re-manufactured with a Leica screw thread mount. I didn't care for the Industar 52mm f/2 lens that came with my FED, but as they are both Leica Thread Mount I swapped them over. For my contribution to the Crappy Commie Camera Party I loaded a roll of Rollei Retro 400S 35mm black and white film into my FED 2 and went for a wander. 

So, how does the FED 2 perform out in the wild? That depends if your FED 2 has been serviced and has no pin holes in the shutter curtain. Thankfully I got a good one, the shutter speeds are accurate, it has no light leaks, the lens is smooth to operate and it's free from fungus. That's all you ever need from a camera. I also used my trusted Gossen Trisix light meter to help my Mk.1 eyeballs guess the settings. 

I will never tire of the joy of using a mechanical camera that has no electronics. The necessity of using the skills I have built over the last few years is good therapy. I know what to expect from Rollei Retro 400s and after a check of my light meter, I took a couple of shots of the canal boats before heading to Wigan Pier to document the unwelcome change that has occurred there since my last visit. 

Some *insert insult here* has stolen the clock from the clock tower on the Pier 3 building. The clock has been there for decades, certainly since the building was renovated in the 1980's and has been a welcome sight for everyone walking along the towpath or driving into town.

When Pier 3 was The Orwell Pub, the clock was kept in working order, but in recent years it has been silent and still.  It wasn't neglected, it was always going to be integral in the refurbishment of the Pier Quarter. That refurbishment has been put on hold whilst investment is procured to restart the work to bring life to this once vibrant part of town. 

Sadly that didn't stop a few miscreants from posing as construction workers and removing the clock to either sell on the black market or for scrap. They did it in broad daylight too! Bold as brass with not a care for the fact that Wigan Pier is owned by our borough council and the people of Wigan. 

There's a bare, black circle covering the space where the clock was housed and it's a sad sight to behold.I got fixated upon the clock tower and shot several photos from various angles as blue holes were appearing in the clouds. With a little patience I managed to get the sunlight that had eluded me earlier on my walk. 

I headed back towards the town centre, photographing local landmarks along my route and hadn't finished my roll of film by the time I got to the Bus Station and my bus home. I had achieved a lot on this day so I saved the rest of my roll of film for another day. I enjoyed my wander with my FED 2. It's good to be out and about, enjoying some fresh air and exercise. My walk around Wigan Pier and then finishing my roll a few days later in my local countryside was just what I needed after the oppressive heatwave we had. 

I developed my roll of Rollei Retro 400S in HC110 1+31 dilution B for 10 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. Once dry, I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

Two things struck me immediately when I started to process my scans. Rollei Retro 400S is great with an orange filter in bright sunshine. I got my settings just about right as I didn't have to do much to my photos in post. If the clouds had stayed I would probably have switched to a yellow filter as my first few shots were a little dark, but once I got to the Pier, the clouds started to blow away and I was bathed in bright sunlight all the way back to the town centre.  

Here's a few favourites from my wander with my FED 2 and Rollei Retro 400S for the Crappy Commie Camera Party, hosted by Papa Shitty Cams. I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit via the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

FED 2 - Rollei Retro 400S 

Kodak Sterling II Rides Again

 I have been thinking about my Kodak Sterling II since #620Day when I got some photos that were described as having "character". When editing my photos I saw the effect I got was rather like the one you would get by using a spot filter or a smear of Vaseline around the edge of a UV filter and I wondered if the rear lens element had been removed and put back in the wrong way around.  

There are many folk who enjoy reversing lens elements to get that kind of effect as an artistic choice. After trying to live with it I have decided that I'm not one of them. I got my tools out and took a look at the lens assembly on the inside. As far as I could tell there was just one fixing ring that kept the rear lens element in place, I just had to unscrew it. This is where my walking stick is a godsend. 

 The rubber foot on my walking stick is exactly the right size for removing threaded fixing rings that don't have slots for the lens tool that I have. A little pressure and a twist was all it took to start unscrewing the ring and I soon had the rear lens element free. I was right, the rear lens element was in the wrong way as the convex side should have been facing towards the film. I gave the lens element a good clean, carefully replaced it the right way round and screwed the fixing ring back into place. 

With that simple task done it was testing time. I still have a roll or two of Shanghai GP3 100 iso 620 medium format film that I bought from Nik & Trick Photographiques here in the UK. I loaded one into my Kodak Sterling II and, on a dry Saturday afternoon, headed out into my local countryside. I did consider doing a re-shoot of my #620day effort, but I wanted to do something a little different. I hadn't been to visit the horses for a while and headed towards the farm.

The road to the farm has a few changes this year. Some of the trees have been felled to make it easier for horse boxes to get down the dirt road and it has opened up the view to the farmhouse. The corn has grown taller too and now towers over me, which to be fair isn't too difficult as I'm a shortarse! I photographed a few familiar compositions and headed onto the wash to visit the derelict car and my favourite tree.

The graffiti on the car hasn't got any better, but my favourite tree has reached full foliage and looks beautiful in the summer sunshine. With two shots remaining I headed to the Power lines to finish my film. The corn has grown so tall that from my usual vantage point I can only see one pylon. I made an effort to at least try to see two in my viewfinder and I was glad I took my tripod and cable release as they were both needed on this shoot. With the last frames done, I headed home for a well earned cuppa.

I developed my roll of Shanghai GP3 100 iso 620 medium format black and white film a few days later in Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B for 8 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi medium format film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2. 

Straight away I could see I had indeed cured the halo of blur, but had inadvertently made a slight pigs ear of my depth of field. Yep, Jim got his zone focus ever so slightly out. This is something I need to work at as I learn to use this camera. To be fair it's a minor adjustment and one I shall humbly take up and try this camera again. I still have some 620 film in my stash and it's an excuse to get out again, not that I need one.

Here are my photos from my afternoon out and about with my Kodak Sterling II and Shanghai GP3 100 620 medium format film. As the camera is a 6 x 9 I get 8 photos per roll and I have placed them all in an album on Flickr you can visit via the link below. There's also a link to Nik & Trick where you can buy Shanghai 620 film if you ever decide to try a 620 format camera. I hope you enjoy them.

Nik & Trick Shanghai GP3 100 620 film 

Kodak Sterling II - Shanghai GP3 100  

Olympus OM-1n - What a difference a service makes

 Back in November 2024 I used my ebay bargain Olympus OM-1n for the first time at the Mersey Meet Photo Walk in Liverpool organised by Stig Starr. I enjoyed it immensely and the camera worked, but it definitely needed a service. Then it jammed up on me just before christmas. I was gutted! I saved up my pocket money and booked it in with Pierro at PPP Cameras. I have had a couple of my cameras repaired and serviced by Pierro and I am very happy with the work he has done on them.

The last one he did for me was a Pentax K1000 that needed the prism replacing and, after shooting a couple of rolls with it, I gave it to my granddaughter. My OM-1n will probably be going her way too, but not until I have had a few years of fun with it. I want to enjoy it whilst I still can. When it came close to my allotted day, I packaged up my OM-1n and posted it to him, first class, of course! 

Servicing this camera wasn't entirely plain sailing, it fought back and gave both of us a surprise or two along the way. This is the peril we face when taking a chance and buying an almost 50 year old camera from ebay for a few quid. This camera was, externally at least, in good condition for it's age. Despite the niggles I had encountered with it, we were both determined to save it. Thanks to a little patience and a handy parts camera I purchased a couple of years back, Pierro sent the camera back to me in tip top condition. It makes us both feel good knowing there's another OM-1n back in use for many years to come. 

When it came to choosing which film I would use for the ceremonial recommissioning of my OM-1n, I went with Double-X, the fine Black & White cinema film from Kodak and a yellow filter. I enjoy using Double-X, it's a superb film and well worth it if you haven't tried it before. Having recently shot a couple of rolls of Plus-X, I was curious to see how they compared to one another. I took advantage of some fine summer weather and headed out for a wander to see what I could find. 

I didn't go too far, here in darkest Wigan we were having a heatwave that sapped all my energy, but I felt good enough to head out on a beautiful summer evening to see how much the corn had grown since my last visit to the local farms. Yes, I took a drink with me too. There's nothing worse than heat stroke, especially in the countryside away from the things we take for granted like running water and refrigerators. It didn't take me long to get through a roll of Double-X and I made my way home happy with my OM-1n that had performed beautifully thus far.

I developed my roll of Double-X the next day. I used Bellini Euro HC at 1+63 dilution H for 10 minutes and soon had my film hanging to dry in my bathroom. It's a time and dilution for Kodak HC110 that I got from Alex Luyckx whom has had a lot of success with them when shooting Double-X at 200 iso. I wanted to see if Bellini Euro HC is truly as good as Kodak's much lauded syrup. Spoiler alert: It is. I digitised my roll of Double-X with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

When I hung my film to dry I could see I had decently exposed negatives, but the proof is always in the processing. I needn't have worried as I didn't have to do much processing at all. Ye gods I love Olympus OM cameras and Zuiko lenses. My OM-1n is back in full working order again and will be in my regular rotation from now on. I'm not sure my other cameras will get a look in, so I will have to be brutal when reaching for my OM cameras in the future. I have a couple of cameras loaded and ready to go for future blogs, but the lure of Olympus is strong.

Here's a few of my favourite photos from my roll of Double-X shot with my OM-1n. Thank you to Pierro for his excellent service once more and ensuring I can hand this camera on to my granddaughter, but not before I have used it for a few more years, my preciousssss. 

You can visit PPP Cameras via the link below where Pierro has a selection of cameras, lenses and accessories for sale as well as being where you can book a repair or service. You can also check out Alex Luyckx' website where you will find a wealth of knowledge he has documented over the years about film, developing, and his favourite cameras. If you can't find a developing time for a particular film and developer combination, Alex might just have it. His blog is always well worth a read. As always I have placed my photos in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Olympus OM-1n - Kodak Double-X
PPP Cameras 
Alex Luyckx - Re-discovering Double-X 

Frugal Film Project 2025 - July

 I headed into the second half of 2025 feeling good about learning to use a basic 1950's 35mm camera and expired film for the Frugal Film Project 2025. My Kodak Retina 1a has proven to be reliable so far and adding a yellow filter to the lens has brought a new aspect to Type 517 cine film. I know how the current iteration of Ilford FP4+ 125 renders with the aid of a yellow filter and I discovered last month just how well Type 517 cine film responds to it, especially after spending a couple of decades in cold storage before being spooled and sold to the film photography community. 

For this July's roll of Type 517 cine film, I started off in the town centre and took a few photos as I made my way towards the Pier Quarter and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. I was getting my settings figured out and making sure I had them firmly in mind. I was also photographing a few commercial signs along the way. I was curious about how the various colours, mainly red, yellow and blue would render on Type 517 cine film.

I made my way to the canal behind Trencherfield Mill and was fortunate to see not one, but two narrowboats making their way through the lock, heading up the flight. I captured a couple of photos of both boats as they rose up and then exited the lock. I followed the first boat to exit this lock as it made its way up the canal to the next lock. The second boat moored up so a few shots of the first boat were my focus. 

I struggled to keep up with the narrowboat as it was travelling at 4 miles per hour, but the 50mm lens on my Kodak Retina 1a helped keep the boat large in my photos. The Narrowboat had slowed as it waited for the next lock to be prepared for it to enter and allowed me to catch up with it and take a couple more photos before I headed back down the canal. I saw the second narrowboat turning around, so grabbed a couple of shots of it, and lo! I had shot my final frame of this months film. 

The frame counter doesn't work on my Retina 1a, so the only warning I get is when the film starts to become difficult to wind on. It's something I have learned to live with as I have got used to my Retina 1a. I will get it mended in 2026 if I can, but it doesn't affect the rest of the camera working as it should. It's probably a simple fix too, but as with all but the newest cameras today, parts availability is declining and I will have to do some hunting for spares.

I developed my roll of Type 517 Cine Film later that day in Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 12 minutes at 22 celcius. The heatwave may have abated, but cooling my chems to a reasonable temperature level is still a pain. My time of 12 minutes was a shot in the dark a few months ago and I'm getting decent results so I stuck with it. I hung my film to dry in my bathroom over night. I digitised my film the next day with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

The joy of this film is that when you get the light metering right, you don't have to do much in post production. I inverted the negative to positive, made a couple of minor corrections and managed to get some pretty decent photos this month. Contrast is high, but that's what I expected and I am a self confessed contrast lover. The afternoon sky was very cloudy and I wasn't too bothered about blowing out the sky. I was hoping for a little cloud definition, but we can't win them all. Maybe next time. 

 I had a good time down by the canal and it's good to see narrowboats heading up the Wigan Flight. Sections of the UK Canal network have been closed for the summer as the spring and early summer heatwave has caused drought conditions in many areas. Without a good supply of water at the canal watersheds, the network is in danger of drying out. Good water management is the key and two narrowboats sharing a wide lock is often the best way.

Here's a few favourites from my July roll of Type 517 Cine Film for the Frugal Film Project 2025. As always I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2025 album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2025 - July 

 

Celebrating 127 day with my Kodak Brownie 127 and Rera Pan 100 127 film

 I have a confession to make, I didn't go out on the 12th of July for 127 day. It dropped right in the midst of a heatwave here in darkest Wigan, it was just too hot and my energy was sapped. I left it a day or two for the heat to abate and managed to get out on a sunny evening on the 14th of July. I was pulling double duty, as I often do, and had my newly serviced Olympus OM-1n with me, testing it. I was glad of it too, it helped me to choose my shots with my Kodak Brownie and calibrate my Mk.1 eyeballs against 2 light meters. The one in my OM-1n and my trusted Gossen Trisix. I had loaded a roll of Rera Pan 100 into my Kodak Brownie 127 and headed out.

I'm glad I went out in the evening as a stiff breeze had developed which brought the stifling temperatures of the last couple of weeks back to a more manageable level. I'm not built for tropical weather, I could do with it being around 20 celcius or so all summer long and I would be a happy man. However, Mother Nature does as she sees fit and gave us our third major heatwave of the year. I took care to take a drink with me on my walk and I was glad of it too. 

I didn't go far. I just had a quick wander around the local farms. Well, I say quick, I was out for a couple of hours and shot 2 rolls of film. I get 8 shots with my Kodak Brownie 127 and I kept my compositions simple and familiar, nothing really special, just stuff I have photographed a gazillion times. I didn't mind as I was just glad to be out and about getting some fresh air and exercise.

I paced myself as I made my way along the farm road and across the corn field. It was whilst navigating the path through the corn field that I came across a Pigeon with what looked like a busted wing. I wasn't going to disturb it as it was walking the path in front and didn't seem to bothered by my presence behind it at a sensible distance. 

When we got to the Stile that has been my nemesis, the Pigeon managed to fly onto the top rung of the stile, took a breather and then flew off over the other side. Maybe its wing wasn't broken after all and it just fancied a stroll in the shade provided by the corn? Whatever the reason, it had managed to fly over the fence into the field where the horses were enjoying the shade of the hedgerow. 

My walk took me to my favourite tree on The Wash and the derelict wreck that was once someones car. With those dutifully photographed I had one frame left and saved it for the summer house at the duck pond. The building was in bright sunlight and the pond was entirely in the shade which provided me with a great reflection to enjoy. As it turned out, that was the last shot on my OM-1n too and I headed for home, excited about how my photos would turn out.

I developed my roll of Rera Pan 100 127 film in Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 6 1/2 minutes and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised it with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Pixl-Latr with 127 mask and A5 size led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2. 

Here are all 8 photos shot on Rera pan 100 with my Kodak brownie 127 for a late entry into 127 day. Rera Pan 100 was the right film for the sunshine, but totally the wrong iso film for the shadows. The film for the shadows would have been a 400 iso film, but there's no way I could compensate for it with the camera only having one aperture, f/14 and one speed at 1/50th of a second. 

Overall I am happy with what I have achieved for the summer edition of 127 Day and will now have to find some more film for the December and January 127 days. As always I have placed them all in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. Also you can visit the 127 day blog where you find all the information you need to take part in this fun project if you fancy it. via the link below. It truly is a world wide project and it keeps 127 format film and cameras in the spotlight. I hope you enjoy them.

Kodak Brownie 127 - Rera Pan 100 

127 Day Film Photography

 

Eastman Kodak Plus-X - A bucket list film experience

 Ask any photographer old enough to have enjoyed film photography in the 20th century for an example of a film they loved and miss since it was discontinued. There's a fair chance of them saying Plus-X with little or no hesitation. I never got to enjoy the charm of Plus-X when it was in production, I wasn't really taking my photography seriously. I was content to be a happy snapper and annoy my family with a cheap plastic film camera and the cheapest colour film available until I eventually bought a cheap compact digital camera.

Since taking this hobby of mine seriously I have learned a lot about various films that were popular during the heyday of film. I learned the joys of black and white film and one name kept coming up in conversations of films to try before I die. Kodak Plus-X, a black and white 125 iso film that was so popular it was in production for over 50 years. 

Two versions were available, Eastman Kodak 5231 Plus-X Cinema Film and Kodak 125PX for stills photography. The version I bought from Analogue Revival here in the UK is Eastman Kodak Plus-X 5231, the cinema film, and I got three rolls. 5231 Plus-X cinema film was sold in bulk rolls and some folk immediately put them in cold storage, which is, I believe, where this batch came from. I will leave a link below if you want to experience Plus-X yourself.

My first roll was dutifully loaded into my Olympus OM-2 with my favourite Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 lens and I used an orange Cokin A filter to tame the harsh light on what was a bright sunny day. I set my film speed at 100 iso and went for a walk in my local countryside. My photos were nothing special, but I did try to photograph things you haven't seen before as well as some that you have. I was just interested in seeing how this film handled the varying light conditions I encountered on my walk, with and without a filter.

I shot a second roll a few days later with my Pentax SP500 and Meyer Optik Gorlitz 30mm f/3.5 Lydith, again with an orange filter. I took photos in town, in the park and along the route of my long and slow walk home. For this roll I chose compositions I haven't done for a year or three alongside a few that are regulars when I am out and about. There's a couple of changes I wanted to document as old buildings have come down and housing built in their place.  

As with my previous walk, it took me a few days to recover and it was a week later when I was able to develop my first two rolls of Plus-X. I chose to develop both rolls in Bellini Euro HC 1+63 dilution H for 10 minutes at 20 celcius. The heatwave hadn't abated, I took care to keep my chemical temperatures under control on developing day and I soon had them hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light source. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

I could see when I hung my film to dry that my exposures were pretty much on the money and it didn't take long to process my photos. Getting it right in camera saves a lot of messing about in processing and I didn't have to do too much to my photos. A little tweak here and there and removing a few dust spots and scratches was all they needed. I love the dark sky effect I got from my orange filter, next time I will use a yellow one to compare them. The photos I took deep into the woods and the tanker too if my memory serves me well, were all shot without a filter. I love the exposure latitude of Plus-X, it performed just as good using slow speeds and wide apertures as it did with my settings maxed out at 1/1000th f/16. 

Overall I am glad I was able tick Plus-X off my bucket list and I have enjoyed this wonderful film. Given the beautiful summer we are having, I may just have to buy a few more. Here's a few of my favourites from my first two rolls of Kodak Plus-X. The first 5 were shot with my OM-2 and the remainder shot with my SP500. I have placed them all and more in albums on Flickr you can visit using the links below. I hope you enjoy them. 

Olympus OM-2 - Kodak Plus-X
Pentax SP500 - Kodak Plus-X
Analogue Revival - Kodak Plus-X

Pentax SP500 - Fomapan 400 developed with FX-55

 After my recent switch to Bellini Euro HC, I had a chat with Richard, owner of Nik & Trick, who got in touch after reading my blog about it. He made a couple of suggestions of developing chemicals to try out and take my film developing education along another step. I have always said there's something new to learn every day and placed an order for some FX-55, a two part black and white film developer formulated by the late Geoff Crawley that first appeared in 2008. 

Geoff Crawley was a stalwart of the film photography world and contributed a lot to the community via his formulations of black and white film developers for us to try. Richard liked it enough to have a play about with the formula to try and make it more usable for the home developer in liquid form, extending it's shelf life and making it more eco friendly. Apparently Fomapan 400 shines when developed using FX-55, so I loaded a roll into my Pentax SP500, popped another into my bag and headed to Preston with my pal Keith who had come to visit.

Preston Dock was once one of the busiest ports in the world, but these days it's a sleepy Marina where leisure boats ranging from Yachts to Narrowboats are moored. It's also a nice place to sit and eat a sandwich or just while away and hour or so pointing a camera at stuff. We did both of those as we had nipped into a local supermarket for supplies before heading across the road to the dock to see what we could find.

It was good to be using my Pentax SP500 again and it always reminds me why I paid for it to have a CLA. It's just so blummen reliable and will be me for the rest of my days. I had fitted my Helios 44m-4 58mm f/2 lens and also took my Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 30mm f/3.5 Lydith for a wide angle option where needed. I used both lenses a lot on this day and had fitted a yellow filter and an orange filter to them to help with contrast and highlights. 

We soon finished a roll of film around the Dock and it was time to move on to our next location. We didn't have a plan, but I suggested we head to Lytham St Annes, near Blackpool, to see what we could find by the seaside. We headed back to the car to set off for Lytham and I loaded a second roll of Fomapan 400 into my Pentax SP500.

As It turned out, we found a lot of wildfowl and a Spitfire at Fairhaven Lake on the seafront at Lytham St Annes. Fairhaven Lake is popular with walkers, joggers, boaters and paddleboarders. It is also the home of a rather tenacious swan that I mentioned in a previous blog. I had to admire its fearlessness but to be honest, getting bitten by a big swan wasn't on my bucket list. The bugger was convinced I had food in my hand and I wasn't too chuffed when it found out I didn't by having a nibble of my hand.

I wont feed animals in the wild and certainly not at a popular boating lake. The birds wont turn down a free lunch, but are they getting the right stuff? Think before you go feeding the ducks at your local pond. There are plenty of places to look up what the birds eat and you can often buy the right food from a Pet Shop or Veterinary. No doubt it will cost a bit more than "tuppence a bag", but you will be giving the birds the right nutrition. You can find info on what's best for wildfowl on the the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds website based here in the UK. I will leave a link below.

I will never cease to be amazed at the beauty of an aircraft that was built for war. The Spitfire on display at Fairhaven Lake is an exact size replica made from Fibreglass and painted to commemorate Spitfire Mark Vb W3644. The actual WW2 aircraft was paid for with the help of money raised by the People of Lytham St Annes. Many towns across the UK raised money for the war effort in a similar way. The Aircraft was Piloted by Sgt. Alan Lever Ridings who was sadly shot down on June 23rd 1942 over the English Channel. 

Sgt Riding's mother, Edith, was born in the town and the link between the town, family and the aircraft didn't become apparent until 2009. The Spitfire Display Team based at Blackpool Airport commissioned the replica with the backing of the general public, local residents and the council. The memorial was officially unveiled in 2012. You can find more info on the Spitfire and Sgt Ridings at the Aircrew Remembered link below. 

With my 2nd roll of Fomapan 400 just about finished and our aching bones feeling rather tired, we headed back to the car and came home, thoroughly happy with what we had achieved on this unplanned "3rd star on the left and straight on until morning" kind of day. I like doing things off the cuff. It tends to be more fun when everything falls into place, and it certainly was for us on this day. 

I developed my film a few days later in FX-55 developer, a two part solution with Part A that is mixed with water at 1 part chemical to 9 parts water and the activator, Part B added to your Part A working solution. This was my first use of this developer and I'm glad I have a few years experience of developing film under my belt. It's not difficult to mix the working solution up, but the confidence I've built over the last 5 years helped me enormously. 

I used a time of 15 minutes and 30 seconds at 20 celcius to develop my 2 rolls of Fomapan 400. Richard published a data sheet for a variety of films and developing times that have been tested by himself and members of the film community. That time may seem a long time to be stood by a developing tank, but it soon passes. I completed the stop bath and fix stages then I hung my freshly developed Fomapan 400 to dry in my bathroom. Once dry I digitised it with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder and A5 sized led light pad. I processed my RAW files with Affinity Photo 2.

First impressions of FX-55 are it is very easy to use, both liquid parts are supplied in decent containers and it doesn't take long to mix. I mixed enough to develop 2 rolls of Fomapan 400 and it does the job nicely. Once I had digitised my film and got down to processing the RAW files, I didn't have to do much to them.  

Using a yellow filter was the way to go, but that's not to say my orange filter didn't produce the goods for me. Fomapan 400 is a contrasty film anyway and what I lost in the shadows, I gained in having definition in the highlights. The day we went for our walk was very bright sunshine with very high UV levels and I am very happy with what I was able to achieve. I haven't shot Fomapan 400 for a while and both rolls had been sat in my fridge for a couple of years before getting their time in my camera. I'm just glad I remembered what to do with it....

Here's a few favourites from our day out at Preston Dock and Lytham St Annes. I had fun experimenting with Fomapan 400 and filters and the chance to use a different developer was too good to pass up. Foma has a vintage look to it at the best of times, but the filters enhanced it and the FX-55 developer brought out the full tonal range with ease. It even tamed the famous "Fomapan Bloom" highlights which were not blown out at all. I have a couple of rolls in Medium Format that I hope to use before the summer is out and I will definitely be developing them in FX-55. As always I have placed these and more in an albums on Flickr you can visit using the links below. I hope you enjoy them.

Preston Dock 
Lytham St Annes
Nik & Trick - Geoff Crawley's FX-55 developer
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Aircrew Remembered - Sgt. Alan Lever Ridings - Spitfire W3644