A Playful Intermission | 35Chronicle Photography

black & white, close-up, fine art, full-spectrum, personal, photography, portraits

Paper, String & Tin-Foil…

A little break from castles and ruins, today. I mean, I would hate to be completely predictable!?

We had been talking about perhaps finding a moggie for a year or so, on and off, as it happens. For my part, I wasn’t as forthcoming in the locating of said moggie as was a certain Bumble and this was in very large part to the fact that, as a big guy – I am also very soft on cats. I’ve had many over the years, loved each and every one of them and I can’t remember more than one or two that I lost to natural causes and those heart-breaking memories have kept me from rushing in again; that really was the long and short of it. But in April, along came an eight week old Boomer, and a few weeks later, in May – a pair of absolutely beautiful sisters to keep him company, too. In all honesty, I am a firm believer of the fact that a cat (or three) absolutely makes a home, and it is wonderful to have them here in ours – and to enjoy the utter happiness (along with the obvious and frequent little trials, too) that they bring, every day. And most nights. Nonetheless – though they have only been in their new home for a short time, they have all settled in perfectly, and Summer, the cloud-fluffy, gorgeous one who would surely be the personification of, say, Audrey Hepburn – is laying on my legs even as I write. Boomer (the Ginger Ninja) and Penny-Pitstop (Beryl the Peril) are curled up together on their window cushion behind me – no doubt whispering outlines for new, devilish plots to each other. Or perhaps I have too much time to think, today.

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I | A Baby Ginger Ninja | Sigma DP3M LTFS

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II | Penny-Pitstop Upon Realising She’s Been Well & Truly Caught… | GXR A16 LTFS

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III | Boomer & Summer [Too Many Captions!] | GXR A16 LTFS

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I’ll get back to my usual posts soon enough but, in the meantime – I wish you all a very playful, cute and fluffy Sunday!

Memento Vivere…

R. *

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Breaking the Curse of Morton Castle: PT.I/V | 720nm Infrared | 35Chronicle Photography

black & white, fine art, infrared, landscape, nature, photography, ruins, rural, structures, summer, trees, waterscape

Light, Love & a Vision.

What I really wish for now is that I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew. It’s been a ridiculously chaotic, busy, unpredictable and yet fun past week or so and, after over three days of stealing odd hours here and there to finish editing two separate shoots, I can finally sit down and share a few more frames with you. Today, we’re heading back to the beautiful Morton Castle, just outside Thornhill in South West Scotland. It’s been a bit of a nemesis for me in the past and, with six previous posts from this amazing ruin, I have never felt like I got it quite right. Sometimes, I look back over those older posts and clench my teeth as I realise that on occasion, I actually got it quite wrong. You see, I’ve always had a vision of how I would have wanted my captures of Morton to come out and yes, naturally, given my love for alternative-wavelength photography and old ruins, good light and strong IR radiation were always going to be key for me, in achieving captures that I have always imagined from here. My most recent post from Morton was way back in March 2020 – I still can’t believe it was that long ago. But how time flies indeed! So, last week, because time was short and commitments were many (and I just had to get back there!) I literally had only around a half-hour to wander round the castle ruins to make a few more shots before having to race back home again. Forgivingly, the sun was shining in a cloudless blue sky and there was no excuse not to make a dash for it. The weather reports did not let us down and, as Bumble had the keys to the jalopy – ‘Lady Stig’ was born!

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I | Across Morton Loch | 720nm IR.

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Of course, knowing the layout so well by now does make it easier to plan just how I want to make my captures and where I need to be – it’s the same for any re-visit, I guess. Sometimes it’s possible to know almost exactly how many steps one needs to take from one spot to the next. On this, my fourth visit – though I do know Morton very well now, it still gives me that ‘wow‘ even before I’ve swung open the kissing-gate that leads me to the path along the loch. Very few people visit here at any one time and so it is easier to capture its peace and the solitude. Very few places have stolen my heart the way this one obviously has. I do wonder just how many more times I will make the trip here; I long to capture its reflection in still waters below – which means at least once more will I head this way. But in truth, I love this place so much that I would be completely happy if the answer was always, “once more”.

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II | The Light of Stone & Wood | 720nm IR.

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I do hope that you’ll forgive me from the off, though – that I intend to post up around five posts in total from this, my most recent visit to the castle. There are so many views and angles that I simply love and if I missed any of them out, well – they’d get posted eventually, anyway! Please feel free to post a ‘yaaawwwwwn’ emoji in the comments if you start drifting! Of course, I do hope that that won’t be the case and instead, that you’ll enjoy some beautiful views under alternative light of a truly stunning corner of Scotland. I call it – home. Thank you so much for reading my pages; as always, I am so grateful and, I wish you a fabulous week ahead.

Memento Vivere…

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III | To a Time | 720nm IR.

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[All frames: Ricoh GXR LTFS Full-Spectrum Conversion & Front Mounted 720nm IR Filter]

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The Mono-Archives | PT.III | 35Chronicle

black & white, full-spectrum, photography, ruins, structures

Jedburgh Abbey.

Caught last year during a very drizzly November day, where light was as best terribly poor – I decided that I would capture the beautiful Jedburgh Abbey using my LTFS / full-spectrum set-up (see my Light Waves page if this is a concept that you’re not too familiar with). In so doing, I was able to catch any potential extra light in the UV and IR ends of the spectrum (admittedly very little but any extra light on days like these is a bonus, I feel) and, just that little extra detail in the darker shadows. Though a completely un-ideal day for dramatic light, instead, I hope that I have managed to capture a few frames that might just about portray just how stunning a structure Jedburgh Abbey is. I do hope you’ll enjoy these few frames from the archives.

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I | GXR A16 LTFS Conversion: 1/140th | f6 | ISO:200 | Spot Metered.

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II | GXR A16 LTFS Conversion: 1/125th | f6.7 | ISO:766 | Spot Metered.

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III | GXR A16 LTFS Conversion: 1/125th | f6.3 | ISO:872 | Spot Metered.

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[All images in this series – snagged with a Ricoh GXR A16 LTFS (from ~280nm to ~1300nm) internal conversion, unfiltered.]

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Thank you for visiting.

R.

New Lanark | PT.IV – The Ties That Bind | 35Chronicle

black & white, full-spectrum, Indoor, photography

Only Our Methods Have Changed.

This is to be the final part in my New Lanark photo-series – from this beautifully preserved cotton mill, once alive with workers and currently, one of the six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Scotland. As I alluded to in PT.II – I decided to shoot around the entire site with my Ricoh GXR A16 LTFS conversion which, on gloomy days such as these lets in a lot more light and conserves detail in appreciably more dynamic range than a standard set-up. The only true trade-off (far moreso outdoors) is a little contrast (mostly due to available infrared light pollution) but in post, this is never actually a problem.

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As I wandered around New Lanark, taking in the old, cobbled walkways, living-quarter museums, restored façades and the breathtaking, surrounding scenery, it occurred to me that even though so many years have passed since the days of industry here at the mill, we really don’t do anything all that differently to the ways in which they were always done. Everything is linked in just the same ways – only the tools or the methods have changed. From wall-ties, to marriage ties, the daily bread we break together, the comforts and necessities of home and, even the bell that calls us from slumber and to our workplaces. No, not much has changed, at all.

I am reminded here of a line which Douglas Adams once wrote (in reference to L.P Hartley’s opening of ‘The Go-Between’): “The past, they say, is now truly like a foreign country. They do things exactly the same, there”.

-R-

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XI | Comforts of Home | GXR A16 LTFS 1/75th – f4.2 – ISO:1600 – 35mm.

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XII | Ties – Two Different Kinds | GXR A16 LTFS 1/290th – f5.5 – ISO:200 – 85mm.

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XIII | Necessities of Home | GXR A16 LTFS 1/125th – f4.0 – ISO:1600 – 24mm.

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XIV | Alarm Bells | GXR A16 LTFS 1/200th – f8.0 – ISO:200 – 85mm.

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New Lanark | PT.II – Outside the Machines | 35Chronicle

black & white, full-spectrum, night / low-light, photography, rural, structures

I am Automation.

From PT.I – a little more mono / full-spectrum fun in a few frames from inside a couple of the workshops. The ISO and Tv values might suggest use of a standard VIS light camera, however, the lack of natural light was a real issue, though reasonably easily overcome by LTFS and a steady hand, despite the distinct lack of UVIR infiltration. Despite a higher ISO in combination with what is essentially, technologically speaking, an ancient camera – I am delighted with the level of detail and contrast in these frames. I do hope you’ll also enjoy them, for what they are.

– R –

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IV | The Donkey Engine | LTFS 1/45th – f4.8 – ISO:1600 – 35mm.

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V | Back-End of a Donkey [Engine] | LTFS 1/75th – f5.5 – ISO:1600 – 85mm.

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VI | Spinning & Reeling | LTFS 1/30th – f7.5 – ISO:1600 – 35mm.

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[All images in this New Lanark series – snagged with a Ricoh GXR A16 LTFS (from ~280nm to ~1300nm) internal conversion, unfiltered.]

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New Lanark | PT.I – Overview(s) | 35Chronicle

black & white, full-spectrum, photography, rural, structures, waterscape

1786 [& the Legacies of Dale & Arkwright].

One of six UNESCO World Heritage sites in Scotland, New Lanark is situated approximately twenty-five miles south-east of Glasgow, on the River Clyde. Once a thriving cotton mill (using water powered spinning machinery) and now a tourist attraction, many of the old workers’ homes are now tenanted apartments however, the old mill buildings are beautifully maintained with much of the old machinery and the whole village makes for a truly fascinating visit.

More info. can be found here.

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I | Boxing Hares in the Roof Garden | LTFS 1/500th – f5.6 – ISO:200 – 35mm.

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Because the overhead conditions were unfavourable, extremely overcast and damp, I took along my LTFS camera outfit to make the most of any and all available light (UV, VIS & IR). Being able to take advantage of the availability of those extra wavelengths is a real bonus under such conditions and keeps the ISO down too, which I prefer, of course. What I hope to show over the coming posts from New Lanark is just how versatile a good true full-spectrum set-up is, for black and white work specifically and, how there really isn’t a photo-scenario where its benefits can’t be exploited. I’ll move outside and inside and aim to show you another world, not that far removed from our own, but with subtle nuances not always instantly apparent or appreciated, still, that I hope will either please, or inspire; or both, perhaps. If I fail in both regards, then I need to work a little harder, methinks.

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II | Little Touches (Roof Garden to the Church) | LTFS 1/500th – f5.3 – ISO:200 – 70mm.

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I’ll shortly be preparing my 2019 Review for posting during the next couple of days, but in the meantime, I hope you are all enjoying yourselves over this festive season and, as always, thank you so much for reading my pages. I hope you’ll enjoy these first few frames from what is a very special place.

– R –

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III | The Clyde – from the Water-Wheel to the Caul | LTFS 1/290th – f5.3 – ISO:200 – 70mm.

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[All images in this New Lanark series – snagged with a Ricoh GXR A16 LTFS (from ~280nm to ~1300nm) internal conversion, unfiltered.]

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Edinburgh Nightscapes | PT.II – LTFS Series | 35Chronicle

black & white, full-spectrum, night / low-light, photography

In the Black.

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IV | Scott Monument | 1/18th – f5.6 – ISO1600

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Following on from my previous post, I cannot resist sharing a few more frames from Edinburgh, shot from the Christmas Market on Princes Street and, a last night shot from the castle. All of the shots in this post and PT.I were made with my LTFS (Luminous Tone Full Spectrum) converted GXR A16 unit, without any external filtering and, handheld. Shooting in full spectrum for night-time black and white is a real treat, largely due to the fact that even artificial lighting can emit strong UV and IR wavelengths, adding to the amount of light that the camera is able to capture, thus, reducing Tv values and making for steadier shots without a tripod. Not only this, but the level of detail in the blacks, when compared to making the same shots on my standard, unconverted units, is – to be frank – completely wonderful. A little IR softening and a slight increase in grain is inevitable but, for me, these aspects please my eye to the point where I run out of words. I do hope you’ll enjoy these few frames as much as I do.

– R –

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V | Scott Monument | 1/45th – f5.6 – ISO1600

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VI | From Edinburgh Castle | 1/7th – f8.0 – ISO1600

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Views from a Ridge | Infrared | PT.I | 35:Chronicle

28mm, black & white, faux-colour, infrared, landscape, photography, waterscape

Talla & Megget.

We’ve all been there; you get all keyed up as a result of some half-awake, impossible-to-ignore inspiration to go out and make photographs for the entire day and, even before you have wiped the sleep from your eyes and headed for the shower, (even though the BBC Weather app has predicted sun and very little cover that day) the clouds roll in, and before you know it, they’ve also unloaded their picnic baskets and laid down their blankets, for a day of it. Bugger. (When you’re intending on shooting for infrared, this is not the best of conditions). Still, you get ready, pack your gear in the car and, head off in salubrious hope that conditions will in fact improve. (They don’t.) Before you know it, you are over 30 miles from home, more than 15 miles along a single-track road, dodging sheep at 15 mph (if you’re lucky) and because you’re still full of that waking, resolute determination to find something, anything to shoot before you head home again, you’re a long way past the point of no return both on the road and, in your head. Then, out of the grey (that should be blue, but you can’t always have everything, can you?) you find yourself approaching scenes like these. Scenes that inspire, no matter what the elements deliver.

After I had cussed the clouds, I realised that I had simply decided to get inspired on a less than perfect day for my intentions. But we revolve around the elements; it’s never the other way around. Best to understand that and, get on with it. Or not. I chose the former.

It wasn’t such an imperfect day after all.

Talla Reservoir & Farm | 28mm 760nm Infrared.

Megget Water (To the East, from the Dam, towards St.Mary’s Loch) | 28mm 760nm Infrared.

Megget Water | Looking West, from the Dam | 28mm 760nm Faux-Colour Infrared.

07th August 2018: See Take: 2 for the re-shoot under near-perfect weather conditions.

All Images & Posts © 35:Chronicle (2018, 2019) except where specified. No Copying or Redistribution of any kind is permitted without prior consent from the author, unless links to original work is clearly provided. 35chronicle@gmx.com Thank you for visiting & if you would like updates, please click Follow. All images are resized for publishing.

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I Was Just Rummaging in my Drawers! | 35:Chronicle

35mm, black & white, close-up, infrared, nature, photography, ug-11

Experiment: UG-11 – UV = ∼650-1250nm IR.

For well over ten years, I have enjoyed playing around with different wavelengths in my personal photography, most notably, with infrared wavelengths between around 700 and 850nm. These two frames were captured with the only equipment I have currently, that is able to record IR wavelengths, but it’s not ideal for the job as such. They were captured using a UG-11 conversion.

I. | 35mm • ISO 1600 • Infrared w/UG-11

UG-11 blocks visible light from reaching the image sensor, allowing over 99% UV light transmission from around 235-410nm however, much less IR transmission from around 650-1250nm peaking at around only 30% transmission at close to 715nm. This makes UG-11 ideal for UV photography (think: flowers or forensic applications) but less ideal for IR shooting. Though there is no need for an IR filter to be mounted on to the front of the lens (because visible light is already being blocked) a simple UV filter is adequate in order to allow only IR wavelengths to pass. However, because the peak light-transmittance of IR wavelengths is only around 30% of a dedicated IR conversion, it does mean that unless one is happy to record their images at higher ISOs in order to shoot handheld, a tripod will still be required. (Shooting this configuration with a tripod at base ISO would render some fabulous cloud or water movement due to longer Tv necessities for accurate exposures, I would imagine.) Furthermore, good strong sunlight is a must if shooting (handheld) infrared in this way and, as I have discovered, duller daylight is far less forgiving when capturing IR with a UG-11 than it would be with a dedicated IR converted unit.

I’m sure, not least because of my passion for alternative-wavelength photography, that I will be coming back to discuss this topic in a lot more depth in the future, but thought I’d share a couple of handheld frames captured recently with a 35mm UG-11 conversion that I rediscovered at the back of a drawer. I’m not sure I have a specific use for UV photography yet, but it’s fun to play around with possibilities, nonetheless.

This is just a little frippery so please, don’t judge me on composition.

Enjoy!

II. | 35mm • ISO 800 • Infrared w/UG-11

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All Images & Posts © 35:Chronicle (2018, 2019) except where specified. No Copying or Redistribution of any kind is permitted without prior consent from the author, unless links to original work is clearly provided. 35chronicle@gmx.com