alternative wavelength

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.

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Talla Reservoir  & Farm | 28mm 760nm Infrared.

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

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

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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.

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

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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!

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

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