Just a short note, and some proper scans

I borrowed this camera a while ago. Don't have any more information about the snapper instrument here and now, but I'll come back to that some day soon.
It's an old bellow thing from some time in the fifties, made in england I think, and have most definitely served it's time up in the northern isles in the hands of the mother of a woman I know in Orkney. So, I borrowed it last christmas but has not come around to really try it before now. It was a pain to use as the shutter only has two settings. "Fast" and "B" that is. The switch between the settings did no longer work, but both settings did. By pushing lightly on the snapper it would go to "B". By pushing harder and more definite it would make a more normal snap. Shorter shutter time that is. 

So, while testing this out I pointed the thing in all kinds of directions, as you probably see by the results. During tests I managed to also make a few double and triple exposures. Japp... as you do with these things while testing. Well, at least it seems to be light tight-ish and everything. 6x9 negatives and all sorts of jolly stuff it makes. 

So, Melbas mothers camera still kind of lives on. Now it soon goes back into her hands, and I truly hope that she will hand it further on to another woman I know over at the islands. Ingrid Budge (now, click the link and like the page, please) really knows how to deal with thingies like these. She will most certain get something brilliant out of the old unpredictable thing, and I will most certain enjoy some of the results. 

How's that for a selfie done on this old-timer you think?

So... that's it for today I would think. 
Tomorrow is another day, and I will most likely find something to post at some point. 
So long!!

I kind of like this triple one. Another test, as it happens.

What a Day!

After a few days of seeing fresh snow on the mountain tops around us, and what else all, we are today having 19 deg. C here. Just by coincidence I'm located at our cottage by the sea, and can't get away... Oh... Botheration...!
I'm seated in the sofa indoors, only around 20 meters from the sea with the door open. The wind is fresh, but not howling as for yet. I just read the forecast, and found out that the first real autumn storm is playing around just south of us. Very close as a matter of fact. That's probably why the temperature is at this level then. Something weird in the air for a short period of time I guess. Local differences an all that sorts.
I can see strong winds coming in the fjord on the other side now, so I guess it will not stay like this for a long period of time. I think I'll actually go outside instead. Grab a cup of coffee and the computer and take it all in. We could be talking about the last few hours of nice weather for many, many months for all anyone knows, so I better enjoy them to the fullest!

Mamiya RZ67, 110mm Sekor lens on chineese Shanghai GP3 film. 

Ahh... now it's evening already. I have managed to waste another day somehow, but it was kind of worth it, mind you!
The weather I talked about up here, and everything. Heaven like!
Now it's getting worse as I type. Wind direction has changed a wee bit, which means the storm will come in before I can say "high waves" I guess. Wind picking up, temperature dropping significantly down. That's life out here in the north western parts of this long country.

Bicycle repair shop in the heart of old Bakklandet in Trondheim. There were other photographers around this day as well. Mamiya RZ67, Sekor 110mm and Shanghai GP3

Same place, same camera and film... photographers ran somewhere else all of a sudden.

A question dropped in as I posted a picture on Instagram earlier today. 
"Is the number of people mastering the art of using film decreasing"...? Blah... Yes and no I guess! And what did he mean by the phrase "mastering the art..."? I am certainly not one of them I guess, or maybe I am, in my own kind of way? At least there is a million ways to master this, as I have learned over the last 40 years or so. 
Truth is, of course, that there are a bunch of people still mastering this at least as good as I do. The only thing is that they gave it up and forgot all about it the minute they bought their first electronic device. You know... after all we are a lazy bunch of bastards or something like that. 

A bike not in need for repair, me thinks. Taken from inside a cafè as the weather was somewhat unpredictable, to say the least.

And here comes the rain!! Big time like!
Back to normal then, so nothing special anymore. As I said, it was probably just the fact that we were lingering so close to the real bad weather south of us that resulted in this fantastic day. Well, it's all done and dusted now. Thank heavens, we don't have to decide what to do with all the nice weather in the days to come. Just float around as usual, which we are great at I would say. 

Walking back to the center of town to pick up the car and the rest of the family. This is the "Old Town Bridge" of Trondheim. A nice piece. I think it actually burned down some years ago, but rebuilt again of course. 

The snaps for the day is from a roll of 120 film shot a few days ago in Trondheim, as I was up there walking the streets in some real bad rainy weather, drinking coffee and visiting Andrea the italian photographer who's dealing with a lot of the same stuff as I do, but in a different way obviously. He's got his own small but fantastic gallery and all. And he is a real master of the trade, even though he don't trade that much. He knows how to punch feelings and thoughts out though, and that's important! I just hope to be able to do something of the same one day, but in a different way of course. My own good and distinct style would be nice to find. But that's all for another day, I believe. It will grow on me, or I will grow into it. Maybe...

Taken from outside Andreas gallery, which is just behind me as I snapped this. A nice neighborhood for sure it is!

On the Right Side of the Road to Sumburgh Vol.3

It might seem to be a never ending journey. Well, I tell you it's not. If you hate them, look no further down. If you kind of like them, let me know. 

Another Chapter

I will not say a lot. I promise!
It's just that I wanted to post a few more from the series I started a few days ago. You can find the first few over here if you like.
I call them "On the Right Side of the Road to Sumburgh" for some odd reason...
They are all taken straight from the camera, only had a short trip through the scanner of course. 

Not to be taken for anything similar to my other series, the one of the telegraph poles on Ona, my small island. 
This is from Shetland, a somewhat bigger island far west. It's a great place though, mind you...

Ona, the essentials

As promised in yesterdays post I had a kind of vision and urge to try capture some of the essentials or typical stuff from the small island during the days of my last visit out there.
You may wonder what that's all about, and I'll put it as simple as I can. 

Don't know what to say about these actually. Good old masterpieces snapped using a worn out Mamiya RZ67, directly onto paper. And they are all part of a small project from last week around the theme of poles, cables and copper... And that's it, for now.

Power to the people, and good old fashion creosote impregnated poles totally randomly spread around all over the shop. That's it, to be honest. That's more or less at least the one thing that I recon is one of the most important stuff out here, at least from a photographers point of view. It is simply impossible to get any snap at all done if your intention is to leave all cables and poles out of the way. OK, maybe the electronic picturing people can manage after some time of heavy editing on their pooters. But me, not!

Double exposure. Planned, this time!

Since you ask, these are all snaps done directly onto good old Agfa Brovida paper, just as in my last post, in case you missed that one. All masterpieces, as you probably certainly will discover.

I have been working with film all day, as you might expect. Developing that is, or just duly washed them in good old Dodinal and D-76 as it happens. You will see some results around here some day if you keep coming back. They don't look to bad seen through my aging eyes putting the negatives towards a half clean window, but I guess they will get back to some kind of "normal" state as soon as I run the blueish scanner light around them at some point.

Just back from upstairs after loading what I thought was the last roll of film onto a spool to get it developed. Hah... as I was grabbing for my can opener inside the box hidden deep in the back of one of my shelves up there, out of the same very box came another 12 rolls of undeveloped film falling. It's the same never ending story to tell you the truth, as one does. 
So much for that proud feeling when I think I only got one more roll to get through. Worst thing was that these 12 rolls are in addition to the slowly increasing amount of color rolls, and the four rolls of Delta 3200 I have still to decide how to wash to get the best out of them.
Well... I threw them in again. All 12 of them! Need to take care of them some other day, as this is it for today. 
Six rolls of 120 film, and a single roll of 135 format HP5+ is hanging from the roof drying as I write. How's that for a good days work, I have to ask?!

Now over to the fun stuff, as I need to go out and climb a ladder to get things out of the drains from the roof. Leaves, moss and what have you all, stuck up and water flowing all over the property. Some great good old rain at the moment I can inform you. 
It will stop someday, though.

Paper negatives are quite fun actually!

Sorry folks, for the quietness around me. Not that you have missed much at all, I would say, but I had a hope that I could manage to post something small every now and then when I’m out here on this very small island. Well, that was not about to happen, to tell the truth! Extremely bad connection and what have we. 
We suddenly found out that we could get a few days out there on lovely Ona island, away from work and all. Did not take us long to make up our minds, to put it that way. Packed the car and vanished away for the week. How good was that, do you think?

The lighthouse. I seem to never be able to get out on this island with a camera in hand and at the same time miss a snap or two of it. Not to wonder too much about, I have to say. It's a nice little thing for sure.

What I’ve done the last couple of days?
Well… nothing much actually, but I have done some painting! Of furnitures that is. Not proper arts and stuff like that. And photography of course. That was more of the artsy stuff, as you might find out.
Decided to give paper negatives a real try, and some investigation around that area has been on the agenda. I like them, sort of, even though I realize more practice will be needed to get better... whatever that would mean?!

Found this one just outside the door I was using walking in and out from my darkroom located 3 meters to the right in this picture, in the house next door. Could probably have made more of it, but I feel this is good for now :))

I had this old Agfa paper from my fathers old stock. I guess it’s from the 70’s and I have tried it before on some pinhole shots. I like it because it’s nice paper, and it’s thin. I think that’s good for a paper negative, at least if I will try to make a print from the negative some day.
I also tried a few snaps on more modern, but still well expired, Ilford paper. More of the plasticky stuff you know. That went far out, and was terrible to look at to be honest. I think I'll stick to that old Agfa Brovira paper until it's all gone. 

Oh... sure! Here it is again snapped from just outside the darkroom. A double exposure, just to make sure I had it fastened to the paper... or probably by accident.

I post a few examples here, and are looking forward to any good advice from any of you experts out there. Let your voice be heared folks! Comments below, as usual.

OK! This went faraway off! Another double of course, but this time it happened by will. Not that it helped much, as you see... Or, maybe it's kind of a masterpiece? 

Oh, and I also did some film while I was out there. I have developed 3 rolls of 120 film, and think I got one more from this week to get done shortly. Then I got 3 or 4 rolls from my Trondheim trip last weekend as well... I'll see if I might be able to get them all done some time tomorrow. Do not have high hopes for that to happen! I might get distracted or something... teenagers and stuff, you know.

The last one for today. This is the only one posted here and now that indicates the theme I was trying to capture a bit of when I was walking around testing the paper negative stuff. More about that tomorrow!

Keep in mind; everything has just been snapped and processed on the fly. All is done on one or two of my Mamiya RZ cameras with different lenses attached. I only had two camera backs available, so had to run in and out switching between snapping and developing stuff. Everything is shot handheld, but some are done with the camera supported against some sort of object when the times was getting too long. Had to expose for 4 ASA, and in dim light you might be able to figure out that exposure times was everything from around 1 second up to a couple of minutes on a few of the shots. It was great fun though!!

More of the same sort to come, I’m afraid…

Away for the weekend

Will be away for a few days! 
A few hours drive northwards to see my parents and such. Will bring a camera, but probably not the pooter, the one with a few of my snaps hidden somewhere deep inside. 

I was visiting this area a few days ago. This guy had balls bigger than I...!

Mamiya RZ67 on Ilford Delta 100 film washed in Rodinal. I got a bunch of Delta 100 lying around in my drawer and need to get rid of some. This was snapped with that wide (or wilde) angle lens of 37mm length. I think that sheep was about 50cm in front of my camera or something. Quite close anyway, and he sounded not very friendly.

Strange things these electronic typewriter stuffs! I once had all my shots hidden into a pre historic relative to the one I'm writing on at the moment. One day they were lurking inside it, the next day not so. Or, maybe they were, but they were no longer reachable to me. Lost all my snaps of the kids from the important years. I say important years, even though all years are important when I speak about my kids. 
I think that was the day I started to dig out a few of my old Nikons from wherever they were hidden at the moment. You know the ones that has to be loaded with physical film to work. 
A few things inside of me truly died that day. The belief in electronic imaging devices was one of them for sure!
Not that this was any cameras fault, but nevertheless. I just don't trust anything electronic anymore. Period. 

Just a few meters away from the sheep I found this. Had changed film before this was snapped though. Some proper chinastuff, Shanghai GP3. Same developer as above. Mamiya with a 50mm wide angle attached.

Same place, same camera, same lens and same film. I'm that sort of simple guy you see.

I'm living on board a ship depending on the stuff as well, and I know how that floats along. No wonder we need at least three of each unit to be able to keep the thing running. There's only one hull though, because that's not computer based. Old steel is a bit more predictable, thank goodness!

A lighthouse on the same island as seen above. Høgstein lighthouse, to be more presise, on Godøya. That's the name of the island...

Well... it's just the view from the same place as above just pointed the big squary camera in the direction towards my home town. It's behind that mountain standing in the middle of in between me and the town... Can't get it all into a single frame you see! 

I got to run! 
I will probably be back if my father's not doing the cooking over the weekend... :)

I had this plan! (now updated with readable text)...

A plan for todays post, that is.

Just discovered I have to get up at four in the morning... and that's soon to be just a few hours away, which in turn should mean that I have to get myself to bed quite soon...ish.

Well. I don't have to run yet, I think. 

I just wanted to say a few words about some buildings that I care a lot for. 

Being a sailor you get to know them, and you get to a point where you like them. A lot.

They are very different, but they are still sort of the same. They were true life savers back in the days, but can still be today, so don't put their lights out you coming generations. 

I am talking about lighthouses, and their different forms but similar function.

A Lighthouse (def.):
"a tower or other structure displaying or flashing a very bright light for the guidance of ships in avoiding dangerous areas, in following certain routes, etc."

As usual, definitions does not quite reflect the real world in every sense. It says nothing about how many lives and ships they have saved. It says nothing about the total ammount of relief sailors must have felt through the years just by discovering the light through the fog or seaspray from the bow on a horrible night at sea. It says nothing about the men that built them, out there on a tiny little skerry or on a hardly visible sea stack in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but death and horror. It says nothing about the fact that they are all strong, wonderful buildings, masterpieces of architects, engineers and craftsmen. It says nothing about the men, and sometimes entire families living at the lighthouse premises to take care of, and protect, that fragile and important light, day and night for a lifetime. Neither does it tell any stories of all those heartbreaking and horrible scenes the lighthouse keepers must have witnessed at times when the weather and conditions has been so bad that no lighthouse in the world could save the ones out there. The lost souls, navigating the wrong part of the big blue at the wrong time.

I love lighthouses, both for the function and the more esthetic part. I love their presence, the bold way they present themselves, the stories told around them, and the fact that they are lifesavers more than anything. 

I got a few photos of them, and will probably take more in the years to come. The lighthouses snapped and showed here today is from different parts of Norway. Others are from Wales, Scotland and the northern isles over there... Way out West.

Finally some new stuff!

Been busy the last couple of days. Developed 8-10 films yesterday. I have been snapping more than I have had a chance to develop lately. Much because I have been at work for a month of course, but I had a few rolls from some time back as well. 
I also got four rolls of Delta 3200 still due for some developer, but I have not got that far down in the box yet. Don't know what to wash them in, to be honest, but I'll find something... some day. 

"The Right Side of the Road to Sumburgh" frame #1

I started this project last friday. Started and ended it within 40 minutes time, or something like that. 
As I left the ship on crew change day, I suddenly thought that a series called "The Right Side of the Road to Sumburgh" would make a great hit in the blog world! 
So I sat down in the Taxi and made sure I was sitting on the right side of the car, picked up an old M3 with a 35mm lens attached, and snapped away without looking to much in the viewfinder at all. 
OK, they don't look to good, to be honest, but there might be something. It's not to easy sitting in a car running 70 mph. or something, on these roads, to do a half decent snap. It's impossible, to tell you the truth. As you will find out.
Anyway, I have decided you have to see them all if you follow this blog-thing. From frame 1 all the way to the last one! 
I am a nice guy though, so I will spread them well over time just so you don't leave the place before I can say...

"The Right Side of the Road to Sumburgh" frame #2

I was out doing some partly decent photography a couple of days ago. Out on one of the nearby islands to try source out some new things to snap. Had a plan, for once, and sticked to it!! Came home with a couple of rolls of medium format film, but I was not to happy with the exposure of some of the frames. Brought a light meter, and used it as well, but should probably have listened to my inner voice a bit more. I could also have done a bit more work to get used to the light meter, as it is a great tool in some situations. 
I have had a plan for some time to try use the zone system a bit more, at least for medium format film, but have not got myself around to really get started. It will happen, some day, for sure.

"The Right Side of the Road to Sumburgh" frame #3

This post has been about nothing, I suddenly realize. It could be because it's getting late, and I have a life to live tomorrow as well. Hope to have a bit more to say then, and I actually have some kind of plan. It's about buildings. Of a certain type and function... 
See you then, so stay tuned!!

I'm awake now, finally!

Back home again! Have been sleeping well, thank you, and feel good and ready to start do something useful. Soon.
Developing films tomorrow, or that's the plan anyway. Got a good bunch to get done, and just have to start. 

At the airport, going home.

Been around a wee bit today, taken a few snaps and things. Also did a small series on my way home from Shetland, quite excited to see the result from that roll. We'll see some time tomorrow, I guess. 

Painting the ceiling some time ago. Or my wife painted, I snapped a picture with that old dodgy Voigtländer. You know the one with the lousy timings and all. 

No, nothing new to show tonight. Sorry! Or, they might be newish to you, but they are old shots anyway. 
A couple of days now, and I will start to clear out the dark room area down in the basement. Loads of stuff that needs to be moved or go for good, and then I might get started to do some building. Also need to make sure the electrical stuff is getting sorted out before I can start. 

Norway. The ski jump in Holmenkollen, Oslo.

My wife is on the internet, checking out where to travel next. She's looking at the british isles, of course. We always seem to end up over there anyway, and we like the place a lot. Western Hebrides, Isle of Skye... you know the deal. I need to buy some film, it seems. 

Another one. Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway.

Hope to have something more brand new, and maybe the time for some stories as well...
See you around!!

Busy day!

The last day before crew change. Always busy, always something coming up, always something you had not been aware of, or that you had been aware of but for some reason have not been able to get done before this day. Or not only this day, but you can't get the job started until the ship has left the field and is on it's way towards some port. Which means you only get the night time to get it done. It's because of the operation out here. It's kind of special stuff, and you can't just start do things on your own that could make the operation go... well, you know... in some direction we don't want it to. So, that means that after one full 12 hrs. shift I will have to start another 12 hrs. shift, before going on another 6 hrs. shift tomorrow morning at 06.00
That sounds great, huh? It's called "crew change day", and it's hell on earth. But then you're on your way back home, so you don't bother to much. 

I'm soon to be found around this area hunting for something to fasten on film or maybe some paper negative for a change. Looking forward to this kind of more wintery light now, I have to say. This was snapped at Godøya, a short drive from my home. A great place for some good snaps at times. Mamiya RZ67

I am more or less new to it... Paper negatives that is. I have made a few through pinhole cameras and such, but never by using a lense. I had one of my Mamiyas loaded with paper a little while ago, but the bugger would not acknowledge the paper as a film loaded, and therefore it was not possible to operate the shutter. I know there is a trick to get it done anyway, but did not have the time or will to find out there and then. Therefore I have to try again. Soon. I got a manual somewhere where the trick is shown, so I'll find out. No problem.

A small rural gravehyard at Harøya, Norway. I sort of like this place for some reason... Mamiya RZ67, 50mm Sekor lens.

What I don't know anything about is if it's possible to enlarge a paper negative as if it was film, or if I'm stuck with contact copies? Any insight on this is highly appreciated in the comments below, or by e-mail or whatever you may prefere. 
I am not the kind of guy who will use a whole lot of different films you see. I got a few I stick to, more or less no matter what. The Ilfords FP4+ and HP5+, Kodak Tri-X and some Shanghai GP3 just because it's cheap as chips and I never knows what comes out the other end. I am also careful with developers. Sticking to cheap and trusty ones called Rodinal or D-76... mainly. OK, I got other stuff hidden as well, but it seems to be well hidden, to put it that way.

You might start to think I'm a church spotter or something like that...? I like this snap of the old

St.Magnus cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney. Had to hold my RZ67 flat out over my head, seeing nothing in the viewfinder, and just grab the shot. Turned out to be way out of level, of course, but there still is something in it I like. It's about the trees and the light, I think. 

Well... I thought I would try to get an hour or so of sleep before I have to go down in the engine room to start some serious maintenance through the night. Maybe I'll bring a camera or two, because I got a couple of frames left on them. Would be great to finish them off before I leave the ship so I can have something to post for the next few weeks as well :)
Stay tuned friends!