November was almost over when I headed out with my Pentax SP500 loaded with Ilford HP5 for the Frugal Film Project. I left this one late and paid for it with possibly the dullest, flattest light of the year thus far and to be fair it totally matched my mood. I had long been contemplating my first bust since joining the Frugal Film Project back in January 2021. I keep thinking of my Dad and decided I had to keep going and headed out on the last afternoon in November with probably 2 hours of daylight remaining.
I was feeling really melancholy and I decided to have a wander over to the cemetery near my home. I know there's a lot of people who think photography in a cemetery is a bit of a taboo thing, but when done with care it can be a therapeutic experience. I really needed some photographic therapy and the conditions were the most challenging I have encountered in quite a while.
One thing I was having bother with in the really dull light was focusing. My Lydith lens has a widest aperture of f/3.5 which doesn't quite let enough light in on dull days and my eyes are getting old and knackered. I decided to use the zone focus method of setting the aperture on the lens at f/8 and using the markings on the lens to allow me to have decent depth of field between 4-5 feet and infinity The only thing I had to worry about was my shutter speed.
There's
a small pond on route that has Moorhens living there. It's been nice
seeing them raise their chicks this year and the family was out and
about foraging when I came by. The lack of wind made the pond good for a
reflection, despite the lousy light, which I dutifully took advantage
of.
There was a few people at the cemetery paying their resects to loved ones and I was no different. My friend Tony passed away earlier in the year and I wasn't able to attend his funeral. I found his resting place and spent some time thinking about the good times over the years. He was a damn good bloke. I said my goodbye to Tony and headed home, capturing a few shots along the way and I finished my roll of film.
I developed my film in HC-110 dilution B later that evening and soon had it hanging to dry. I scanned it with my Ion Slides2PC 35mm scanner and made the shots look presentable with Affinity Photo. It was during that post production where Ilford HP5 yet again showed me how well it copes with crappy light. I was able to tweak some life into the photos with just a couple of adjustments with Affinity Photo. In hindsight I should have pushed it 2 stops, but I wasn't thinking straight when I left the house. Hurrah for HP5 and it's dynamic range.
Here's a few of my photos from my November roll of Ilford HP5. It was without doubt the most challenging of the year, but I'm glad I persevered. I have put them and a few more in my Frugal Film Project 2022 album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. My melancholy mood definitely comes across in them, I have no doubt about that. I will try to go out on a better day to shoot my December roll and bring my second year of taking part in this project to an end.
I have already decided I am coming back for a third year. The Frugal Film Project has been a great education and there's always something new to learn. I have a camera and film in mind for the Frugal Film Project 2023 and will reveal all when I share my December photos. Until then, I hope you enjoy my November photos.
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