It's summer, as it happens, and the weather has been quite nice the last couple of weeks. Decent weather is nothing we take for granted over here, and one has to really grab the opportunity and make some good old use of it should the sun decide to shine through them clouds for more than a few minutes in a row.
And that's what I have done, actually. Been at home, and on my small island of Ona for a bit more than a week, and generally here and there and all over the parishes more or less close to my home.
I know, I know... this one has been posted before around this place. It's from the island of Smøla, as you might remember if you have been reading my old stuff at some point. We took a trip out here to this island this weekend, as we like this kind of terrain and quiet areas.
This weekend I went over to Smøla, to the island where my mother grew up. The forecast for my hometown were not the best, but looked quite a lot brighter a bit further north. So we packed some stuff into the car, and went off. The original plan was to hire somewhere to stay a couple of nights, but as the island has only a very limited number of beds for hire, and a lot was going on this weekend, we found it wise to bring our small tent instead.
We ended up camping out on a very small holm, where the land meets the North Sea. Just the way we like things to be, to be honest.
And a fine weekend it was. Dry, and with sunshine and around 20 deg. Very nice, and not the every day experience out here on this side of the country I can tell you.
Another old snap from around the same places we walked this weekend. This time the weather was quite a bit better, I have to say. Sunshine from a blue sky, and what have we all. A little bit windy, but that's just the way it is out here on the very edge of where man can still live.
Now I'm back home, just in time to get my clothes washed and made ready for a month at sea again. Work to be done, you know.
Oh, and in between all this I have been able to get into the darkroom on a few occasions. Developed a bunch of films and made a few half decent prints on some nice paper I did. No scanning has been done, but I hope I can get some done tomorrow just to have something to show around this place in the month to come. Not that I've got a lot of great stuff or anything, as you know, but maybe there's still one or two of interest.
And I also ordered and got some fresh film from over in England. A bunch of 135 and 120 rolls of Ilford HP5+ and FP4+, and also 20 rolls of Kentmere 400 and 100 ASA films. Never tried them before, so that's what's inside a couple of my cameras right now.
As there's chance of crew change with helicopter this time I need to think twice before I pack my stuff. That would mean only one camera, and a limited number of lenses to go with it. Sounds like the perfect trip for one of the german rangefinders to be honest. I might even only bring one lens, as that's a bit more exiting in many ways. We will see... as I will keep you updated.
This old M3 kind of thing should be a good enough choice of camera to bring for this next trip to sea, I would think. Either with the 35mm lens, or maybe the great 50mm one I really like a lot. Those who survive will see what the final decision will be.
Good to have you back sir. A welcome R&R you had by all accounts - and well needed from your post about the last few days you were working.
SvarSlettJust the two of you, a tent, in the middle of nowhere beside the sea, good weather sounds just about perfect.
I'm a big believer in one camera one lens. Apart from the fact that I hate to carry stuff around I think it me really makes me look hard to get a half-decent shot with whatever lens I have with me. And what better camera than an M3 - a great choice I would think.
Thank you lots, mate, for the comment!
SlettI have been back at work for a few days now, and it started off about ten times worse than the last period ended. And it did not get any better until last night, when we finally managed to fix the problem. A nightmare, to tell the truth, but that's life on board an old ship... or lady, as some prefere to call these things.
I have to admit I could not choose just one of them cameras, so I brought the whole series... the two rangefinders, that is. Of german origin, you know.
I have not been able to put any of them into any good use as for yet, as there's been too much work and too little time for pleasure going on. I will give them something to see quite soon, though, so stay tuned my friend :))
The couple of nights in the tent were brilliant, as it happens. Great weather, great place, great company. What more could one wish, actually?