Bushmills, Co.Antrim – our annual visit to the small Northern Irish town famous worldwide for its whiskey…
Situated in an entry and behind some houses off the Main Street of Bushmills, this derelict building is currently owned by a community group, who intend to restore it for community events.
Continue reading Black (& White) Bush!Our seemingly annual trip to Derry/Londonderry (So good they named it twice?) or ‘Stroke City as it became known during the era of the late Gerry Anderson, the legendary (should that be ‘legend-derry?) famous BBC Radio Ulster broadcaster and entertainer. Where was I… Oh yes, our annual trip to Northern Ireland’s second city saw me taking a wander, with the Fujifilm X-T5, around the city centre, namely Guildhall Square and Waterloo Place, and then later round by the Craft Village. I’d walked the famous walls many times, and somehow that day I just didn’t have the energy to struggle up all those hilly ramparts. So, – city centre it was, while my so-much better half went to explore the big shops to be found in the city.
Lots of towns have festival weeks during the summer months, but I don’t know of anywhere that can put on a week long event like Portstewart, Co.Londonderry. The Red Sails Festival is named after the songwriter Jimmy Kennedy’s classic ‘Red Sails in the Sunset’ which he wrote after seeing a yacht sailing across Portstewart Bay, during one of those spectacular North Coast sunsets.
Thousands must flock to the seaside town for these events, many of which take place outside, around the town, and particularly at the Band Stand – right by the sea. Here’s a section of the crowd at this popular venue, undeterred by the rather inclement weather…
I’d a roll of Rollei RPX25 in the Nikon F100, so when (at last) a sunny day unfolded over Northern Ireland, I decided the light might be just bright enough for some ISO25 photography. It was Thursday, 1st August 2024, and nothing much was happening that was photo-worthy, so Janette and myself, and Lottie the wiry dachshund made our way to Murlough Bay, a Nature Reserve sandy dunes area on the east cost, owned and managed by The National Trust, situated between Newcastle (the Co.Down one – ‘Where the Mountains of Mourn Sweep Down to the Sea’) and Dundrum.
Isn’t it great when you shoot them and they have both feet off the ground. Incidentally, this image was made at a distance of around 150 yards from camera position.
For those who like to know these things, the image was shot at F=290mm, f/5.6 @ 1/500th second on ISO500. The aperture was wide open to allow a shallow depth of field, hence the bokeh (the fall-off in focus) visible on the ground, while the faster shutter speed froze the feet in a fraction of a second – a moment in time. The ISO was set at 500 to achieve a 1/3rd stop over-exposure, and CLICK.
It was bonfire season in East Belfast, – early July, so an opportunity to make an image of kids building a pyre, with the famous Belfast cranes in the background.
This image was made with the Nikon F100 camera on Rollei RPX25 film, processed in FD10 for 5 minutes, and scanned for digital viewing. Digital processing in Lightroom using one of my favourite presets.
On Tuesday 23rd July 2024 Janette and I visited (for the first time) the small island of Rathlin, just off the north coast of County Antrim. Rathlin is the only inhabited island on the coast of Northern Ireland, with a population of around 150, although it is reported that the population is steadily growing. I can understand why. We were quite taken with its tranquility, and its peacefulness. The island is very community focused, and a graphic near the Co-op lists the values that mark the community, – seeking to make Rathlin a welcoming place for everyone.
On Thursday, 25th July 2024, Janette and I were travelling along the road between Bushmills and Portrush, in Co.Antrim – the fabulous Causeway Coast, that makes our wee country one of the most scenic destinations in the world. As we approached the ruins of Dunluce Castle, – perched on top of a rocky outcrop, – I saw the possibility of a silhouette, and pulled over, parking the car on the white lines, and walked over to the side of the road,
The sun was setting over the Atlantic Ocean, away to my right, but the sky was red, and the castle mostly in shadow. I set the Fujifilm X-T5 to f/5 @ 1/100th second on ISO 250. I usually shoot on Acros Film Simulation, and RAW simultaneously, so I had the RAW file to colour process in Lightroom.
Kilmood is a small hamlet, a few miles from Comber, Co.Down. This picturesque little settlement consists basically of one single street, – Kilmmod Church Road, with rows of cute cottages.
I visited in July 2024, with the Nikon F100 Camera, and a roll of Fujifilm Neon Acros 100ISO film, which I later developed for 7 minutes in Fotospeed FD10
Continue reading Kilmood, Co.DownI’ve been trying out a new-to-me Nikkor lens on the Nikon D100, using Fujifilm Neopan Acros Black and White film, – old stock dated July 2013. I’ve never developed Acros myself before, (although Acros Film Simulation is one of my favourite shooting modes on the Fujifilm digital cameras).
I have to say, I really like this film. It has a beautifully soft grain, and gives great depths of contrast on the digital scanner.
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