Back To Basics

 There comes a time in everyone's life when we have to take a step back and think about how we got to that point in our lives. Mine happened recently with the passing of my Mum on May 2nd aged 86 and I wasn't sure if I wanted to write about it. Then I looked back at my humble beginning as a Photographer and it was all thanks to my Mum.

I would not have my love of photography if Mum hadn't let me take one photo in the disgracefully early 1970's, of my brothers and sister, with her Kodak Instamatic that had a cube flash on top. Mum loved to take photos of us as we grew up, all proud parents are the same. We love to capture special memories like birthdays, christmas, summer in the garden and so on. 

We had moved into our home in Skelmersdale and Mum wanted a photo of us all together. I asked mum if I could take a photo and she was reluctant at first, but I persisted and she let me take the photo. Mum really wanted a special photo of all of us, but I remember saying to Mum "it's special because you let me take it." I still have that photo as I was entrusted with looking after our family photo archive when my Dad passed away. Now they are together again and I miss them both dearly.

Looking back, I didn't like being opposite the camera, but little did I know at that time that I would be very comfortable behind the viewfinder. In 2017 when I came back to film I bought a cheap Pentax SP500 with Helios 44m-4 58mm f/2 lens and I haven't regretted it. It was with my Mum in mind when I went for a walk a week after her passing and I loaded a roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 into my Pentax SP500, fitted my Industar 50-2 lens, which to be fair I haven't used for a long time, and went for a wander along the farm roads and nature trails.

It turned out to be a very cloudy day and I knew I had picked the wrong film and made an even worse decision by fitting a yellow filter, but I didn't care. I was thinking about my Mum as I walked and wasn't expecting to take any photos at all. I had also taken my Agfa Isolette as I hadn't finished my #FolderWeek film in it. I didn't get far when I saw the first mahoosive Tractor towing a big trailer loaded with freshly cut grass. I had to get to the fields and see if I could get some photos after all.

Every year I miss the harvest in Autumn, be it cereal crops or corn. This is the first time I have seen a silage harvest as it happened and I really enjoyed photographing the Tractors as they whizzed around the fields. Silage is grass that is cut and used to feed livestock. As we have seen over the last few years, a drought will stop grass from growing and grass is a much needed resource. 

I got through two thirds of my roll of FP4 in my Pentax before getting past the fields and headed on my way. It has been working beautifully since I invested in having it cleaned, lubricated and adjusted a couple of years ago. It had one test left and it came when it started to rain as I got to the paths that were resurfaced in 2024. 

I haven't used this camera in the rain and I was able to give the light meter a good work out as the sky darkened and I got under cover of the trees. I took the yellow filter off and was shooting with the lens at f/5.6 and the shutter speed as low as I dared to go hand held during the last part of my walk. It was a lesson in breathing like a sniper as I held still before releasing the shutter each time. 

I soon finished my roll of film and was able to put my camera in my hoodie pocket and zip up my leather jacket before the rain really started to come down harder and headed home. I needed this walk as it helped me gather my thoughts and think about my Mum. I also swear the rain made my jacket 10 pounds heavier.

I developed my roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 in Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B for 6 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 sized led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

First impressions of my efforts on the day were better than expected. Yes, the yellow filter boosted the contrast when I really didn't need it, but I managed to get some half decent photos. I really didn't expect a slow film to produce the goods on a grotty day, but I underestimated the performance of my Pentax SP500 and Ilford's finest FP4+ 125. For the last half of my walk the setting I used was f/5.6 at 1/60th of a second and it worked! 

The lesson from this walk is have faith and trust in your skills. A few years ago I would have made a right mess of this roll of film. Now I am almost a decade more experienced and wiser, I had the confidence to go with it and just see what I could get. Here's a few favourites from my wander with a roll of Ilford FP4 in my Pentax SP500 on a grotty day in early May. I have placed them and more in a album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them

Ilford FP4 - Pentax SP500 

 

Folder Week 2026

Tom Northenscold put out a call on social media to see if anyone was interested in participating in #FolderWeek, a celebration of vintage folding cameras and an excuse for film photographers to dust off their bellows, load a roll of their favourite film and take some photos to share with like minded photographers. Of course I jumped on board. I loaded a roll of Kodak TMax 400 into Baldy The Baldax, a roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 into my Agfa Isolette and went for a walk.

I used Baldy first as I seem to always reach for it out of habit these days. Not that my Agfa Isolette is inferior, far from it, it is a superb, simple to use camera, as is Baldy. I don't use Kodak TMax 400 often, I'm an Ilford guy and had decided to get a pack of TMax 400 in medium format to continue my exploration of the various black and white film available. (read this as Analogue Wonderland had it on a sale at a decent discount.) The last week of April was great for dry sunny weather and I was able to get out with Baldy whilst pulling double duty with my Frugal Film Project commitment. 

I have to make the most of the good weather here in Wigan before the inevitable return to overcast skies and rain showers. I wandered around town, happy snapping in the sunshine and generally having a wonderful time. Baldy The Baldax was, as ever, a joy to use and I soon got through my roll of Kodak TMax 400 and continued with my Frugal Film Project before heading home.

A couple of days later I set about using my Agfa Isolette and again doubled up with my Frugal Film Project commitment. I had a wander in the Park and tried to get photos for another project that my friends and I have on the go at the Photozine Collective. The chosen film for the next Zine is Ilford FP4+ 125 and I figured if my photos didn't fit the theme, I would have a dozen to choose from for #FolderWeek. At least, that was my plan. 

Sadly I didn't get my roll of FP4+ 125 finished before the end of #FolderWeek for deeply personal reasons. My Mum passed away and I was in no condition to concentrate on anything but fond memories and bawling my eyes out. My Mum gave me my start in photography way back in the early 1970's by letting me take a photo of my brothers and sister with her Kodak Instamatic. The excitement of waiting for the developed film and prints to come back from the lab has never left me. Thank you, Mum xxx

I took my final four photos and finished my roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 during the second weekend of May. I hope nobody minds me being late to the show and tell part of #FolderWeek, I am an advocate of these wonderful vintage cameras and wanted to get  my film finished in my Agfa Isolette before developing both rolls and seeing how my shots turned out.

I developed  my roll of TMax 400 and my roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 in separate tanks using Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B for 6 minutes each at 20 celcius and soon had them hanging to dry. If I had a bigger tank I could have done both in the same one. It gives me something to think about for the future. Once dry 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 sized led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

The photos I took with Baldy are up to Baldy's usual standard. There was a couple with light leaks, but I got quite a few decent photos from this roll of TMax 400 as I wandered in my local countryside. I still have a few rolls left and summer is still young, so you can expect a few more blogs about Kodak TMax 400 medium format film.

My photos with my Agfa Isolette started ok, but then a mistake I made on the day I started this film reared it's head and basically mullered half the roll of FP4. I had forgotten my lens hood. It was a glorious sunny afternoon when I took my Agfa Isolette out and, on such occasions, I would normally use my lens hood. Sadly, it wasn't in my bag, I had left it at home. 

I did try to mitigate this mistake on the day, but, as I discovered upon developing and scanning the film, no matter how much I used a hand to shield the front of the lens from the bright sunlight, I still got horrendous hot spots. Arse! Lesson learned for next time, but I know I'm going to make the same mistake again at some point. C'est la vie!

Here's a few favourites from my two rolls of film shot for #FolderWeek with Baldy the Baldax and my Agfa Isolette. I have placed them and a few more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

#FolderWeek - Spring 2026 

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Donkey - May

 Having had a good walk with my compact camera I needed to rest for a day or three which gave me a chance to recover some energy and maybe find my mojo again. As it turned out it was the final day of May 2026 when I went for a walk along the nature trails and farm tracks to shoot my May roll of Kentmere 400 for the SLR section of my Frugal Film Project 2026 contribution. 

To be honest, I'm glad I waited as it has been oppressively hot here in not so darkest Wigan. The UK and Europe got hit by a heatwave in the second half of May and, besides one thunderstorm, it has been drier than a dry thing in a tumble dryer. It's also grass pollen season.... 

I wasn't looking for anything special on my walk on a cloudy Sunday afternoon, just seeing what I could find just to get this month over and done with. The Hawthorne blossom has fallen and berries are now growing, ready to feed the local wildlife come autumn. 

The Horses at the farm are enjoying being outdoors with plenty of grass to munch on and one of my favourite trees is providing some respite for them from the sun on the odd occasions it actually peeked from behind the clouds. All the living trees are in full foliage and gathering as much energy by day and releasing oxygen once they store the carbon they need to grow.

This year is definitely fallow year at the arable farm. The silage harvest I spotted early in the month made room for fresh grass to grow and it wouldn't surprise me if the farm gets one or two more crops of Silage before the year is over. It is used to feed livestock. What seems like a field of grass that wont make money is actually quite a useful crop. 

I only did a short loop of the farm roads and footpaths this time around as I am still not feeling too clever after the events of the month. The sight of berries staring to show and another crop of grass growing for silage reminds me that the cycle of life continues, the sun will rise tomorrow and my grandchildren will always make me smile. With my roll of Kentmere 400 finished, I headed home for a cuppa.

I developed my film later that evening in Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry. I digitised it 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 Studio.

I'm happy with my May roll of Kentmere 400 as I was able to get through it on the last day of the month without melting or getting soaked. May was a strange one, personal grief accompanied by either rain or a heatwave mirrored my state of mind. I was a little bit all over the place and I'm just glad I got through the month. Onwards to the next one!

Here's a few favourites from my May roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey, my Minolta Dynax 4 with AF 28-80mm lens and a yellow filter. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR album that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR 

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact - May

I left my May roll of Kentmere 400, shot with my Hanimex 35RAS, to the end of May bank holiday weekend when I hoped the weather would be a bit nicer. April was better, but mother nature perked up for the last week of May and I was able to wander around Wigan and get some snapshots for the Frugal Film Project 2026. A bright, sunny, Saturday afternoon had people out and about, shopping, having a drink at one of the bars or coffee shops and generally enjoying the nice weather. 

I took a wander past the new development rising up steadily where The Galleries once stood. The new Market Hall is on schedule for opening at Christmas time. The roof and sides are done and the work is mainly on the interior now. I hope there are no delays as we get closer to the grand opening. I also took a wander down to Trencherfield Mill and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal for a few snaps and to see if there were any narrowboats at Wigan Pier. There wasn't much happening there so I headed back into the town centre to finish my film. 

Wigan Town Centre was pretty busy with folk doing their shopping and generally enjoying the sunshine. There was a couple of buskers, one guy with a guitar doing pop covers and my favourite busker, the Pan Pipe player from Ecuador. It's always a pleasure to hear music from the Andes Mountains of South America in Wigan. Wigan might be an old mining town, but the place is quite cosmopolitan at times. I said hello, had a chat with the lady looking after their stall and dropped a couple of quid in the hat. 

I headed up to Believe Square to finish my film. I grabbed a couple of snaps of the Face Of Wigan and finished my roll with a photo of the new Star recently installed on the Walk Of Fame to recognise Sir Billy Boston's status as a Knight of the Realm. He's not done bad for a chap who came north from Tiger Bay in Cardiff to play Rugby League for Wigan. He won every trophy the sport had to offer during his playing days and earned the love and respect of the townsfolk. With that last photo, my roll of Kentmere 400 was done and I headed home.

It was a few days later when I developed my May roll of Kentmere 400 in Bellini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry. I digitised it 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 Studio.

My photos this month are nothing special, but they aren't going to be with this camera. It's a happy snapper and that is its strength. It performed flawlessly again and, frankly, it's making me feel stupid for doubting it back in January. It's still on the same batteries too. This is what I love about trying old cameras, they can surprise you if you persevere with them. My Hanimex 35RAS really comes alive in the sunshine, which is exactly what this camera was designed for. Holiday Snaps on long summer days Maybe I should head to the beach in the summer?

Here's a few favourites from my May roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS compact 35mm film camera. I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Compact - May 

Sakura Hanami - It Never Gets Old

 Sakura season 2026 hit Wigan right around Easter and, despite Storm Dave trying its best to ruin it, the local cherry trees here in Wigan were magnificent this year. When the world is going to hell in a handbasket and we need something positive in our lives, nature brings the goods every single time. Here in darkest Wigan we have just come out of the wettest winter for many a year, so the sight of the Sakura in full bloom really does lift my spirits.

I introduced my pal Keith to the display and he was smiling from ear to ear at the sight of all that pink blossom that greeted us as we drove around the corner. I got stuck into my first roll with my Nikon F801s and 35-70mm zoom lens. I had chosen to shoot Kodak Gold first and managed half a roll before we headed off to another location to find some bluebells. However, It would not be my last encounter with the cherry blossom. 

I had a couple of rolls of Kodak ColorPlus to use in my Olympus OM-10 and had put fresh batteries in it to ensure I could make the most of any sunshine whilst the Sakura Season was in full swing. Thankfully the weather held for a few days and I headed back to the local display to finish half a roll off. Well, that turned into more than half a roll as I made the most of the sunshine and loaded another roll of ColorPlus. 

I knew it wasn't going to be the last of the sunshine and headed into town to see if the cherry trees in the Park and at Wigan Parish Church were blessed with sunshine. I did get a couple of minutes of sunshine at the park, but mother nature saved the best of the days sunshine for the trees in the Church Gardens. 

I wasn't alone in enjoying the display there as a few people were also taking photos and appreciating nature at her finest. I always say Sakura Season is nature's "Hold My Saké" moment every year. The Sakura was glorious this year and it never fails to impress me. All I had left to do was send my film to Analogue Wonderland for processing.

When I received my scans a few days later I was blown away by the colour rendition of the Cherry Blossom on Kodak Gold. I managed to get several nice photos and to be fair, the difference between Kodak Gold and Colorplus made for a nice comparison of Kodak's consumer grade 200 iso colour films. I love ColorPlus, but Gold makes the blossom come alive just a touch more. I am of the opinion that photographing Spring on Kodak Gold should be enshrined in Law.

Here's a few favourites from my 2026 Sakura Hanami in the glorious sunshine here in Wigan. The first three are on Gold, the rest are ColorPlus and I think you will agree that ColorPlus is good, but Gold is just a little bit more lush. As always I have placed them and more in albums on Flickr that you can visit using the links below. I hope you enjoy them.

Sakura Hanami - Kodak Gold
Sakura Hanami - Kodak ColorPlus

Kodak Gold

Kodak Gold

Kodak Gold 

A Grand Day Out

 Our friend Keith came to stay with us for a couple of days after Easter and, as has become customary when he comes to visit, we had an afternoon out and about with our cameras. We headed back to a location we visited at the start of Autumn 2025, Worthington Lakes. On our previous visit we had only explored the lower lake. This time we headed straight for the upper lake and set about enjoying finding some colour in the pools of light shining through the trees. 

We enjoyed finding bluebells and dandelion flowers. We also saw what looked like a few hardy snowdrops in the shade that were still in bloom months after their variety had showed up and left when the daffodils appeared. Further investigation suggests they may be Whitebells. Whatever they are, the spring flowers grabbed my full attention. I soon finished my roll of Kodak Gold in my Nikon F801s and switched to Ilford HP5 whilst continuing with colour film and Kodak ColorPlus in my OM10. 

On our journey around the upper lake it soon became clear we would have a problem. Keith was using his faithful mobility scooter, Nedward and we began to encounter sections that Nedward wasn't quite powerful enough to conquer. Steep slopes on the path and more than a few protruding roots had us both using our limited mobility to literally drag Nedward past the obstacles in our way. 

I'm not saying it was easy, but to a couple of Lancashire lads with a stubborn streak a mile wide, It was a challenge that had to be answered. We refused to be beaten. Off Roading with a mobility scooter is not something we ever thought we would do, but it was a lot of fun, despite using up all our energy and having to rest a few times along the way. As we say here in Lancashire, It were a grand day out.

I posted my colour film to Analogue Wonderland for processing and I developed my roll of Ilford HP5 at home using Bellini Euro HC 1+31 dilution B for 5 minutes at 20 celcius. Once dry I digitised it 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 Studio.

I am happy with the photos from our grand day out. I enjoyed photographing the colour of spring and the wildfowl busy feeding on the grass or begging from the humans as one enterprising Hissing Cobra Chicken tried on me without success. I don't feed the wildlife I encounter, they do perfectly ok without me spoiling their diet. My black and white photos are ok and properly reflect the day going from sunny to overcast about half way around the reservoir. It was a bit gloomy on the path, but we managed it despite the challenges put before us.

Here's a few favourites from our grand day out. As always I have placed them and more in albums on Flickr you can visit using the links below. There's also some Cherry Blossom photos there too, which I will talk about next week for my annual Sakura Hanami. I hope you enjoy them. 

Grand Day Out - Ilford HP5+ 400
Grand Day Out - Kodak Gold 
Grand Day Out - Kodak ColorPlus

Frugal Film Project 2026 - SLR - April

 After finishing my roll of Kentmere 400 with my Hanimex, I decided to take a walk around my local woodland with my Minolta Dynax 4, again loaded with Kentmere 400. I had to make the most of a sunny Monday afternoon and to mitigate the harshest light and heat of the day, a walk in the woods was definitely welcome. I grabbed my bag, hung my Dynax 4 around my neck and headed to the woods. 

I enjoy a good wander along the nature trails through my local woodland. It's literally across the road and the difference between being on a housing estate to being in the woods so quickly is quite profound. It's like turning a page and starting a fresh chapter in a book. It was also a couple of degrees cooler and soft lad here had his leather jacket on. Fonzi would approve as leather jackets are cool. As are baseball caps with flames up the side. Yep, my Summer Hat came out to play too.

I love to see the changes of light and shade during a wander around the woods, the sun light through the trees makes for interesting shadows. There was also a lot of late Hawthorne blossoming and a lone Lilac too. One place I like is the glade where the Bluebells are. I was using Black and White, but it didn't stop me photographing the clumps of Whitebells next to the farm road as I made my way through the woods. Dapples of light were isolating a few flowers from the rest and I thought it made for a good composition. 

This is why I enjoy using a zoom lens. I can get closer to my subject without having to struggle with bending down or getting to my knees to take the photo. I have to say that Minolta made exceedingly good kit lenses for their Dynax/Maxxum series of cameras. Do I have better lenses? Yep, but I am sticking with the kit lens for the year as it came with the camera when I bought it from my friend. It's the best £10 I have spent in a long time. I soon finished my April roll of Kentmere 400 and headed for home for a well earned cuppa.

I developed my April roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Minolta Dynax 4 using Belini Euro HC, 1+31 dilution B, for 6 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 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

Once again, Donkey has not let me down. My Minolta Dynax 4 with 28-80mm kit lens has given me a lot of joy since I bought it for £10. My compositions may not be the best, but I know they are well exposed. I even got most of them in focus. There are plenty of changes that have happened since my last wander there in Autumn 2025. 

More trees have fallen, the campfire site has been altered by some enterprising youth with a saw and the sapling growing from the base of the dead tree is still alive and a fair bit bigger. This makes me happy as the dead tree is slowly, but surely collapsing. It will probably rot away before the decade is out and I hope it doesn't fall onto the sapling that is taking nourishment from it's host.

Here's a few favourites from my April roll of Kentmere 400 shot with Donkey for the Frugal Film Project 2026. As always I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project - SLR album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2026 - Donkey - April