Category Archives: Black & White

Black & White, Photo-Essay, Travel

What’s Wrong With PUBLIC Transport?

I use public transport – a lot. What I most like about it of course, is that for senior citizens of my vintage it is free to use here in Ulster. So, being a skinflint, I use it extensively.

Now, I don’t want to be over critical, – after all, our public transport in Northern Ireland is vastly superior to that in some other jurisdictions. We have clean modern trains that run on time and can usually get you to your destination without the risk of getting mugged.  Buses that are punctual and clean and with reasonably polite and helpful drivers (speaking generally). But if there is one minor criticism that I hope I am allowed to offer on the subject of public transport it is this…

APOLOGIES TO THOSE WHO SPEAK PROPER ENGLISH. This post contains a lot of colloquial idiosyncratic diction. (Slang!) It’s just the way we spake over here, so it is…

It is PUBLIC. Too public for comfort.  I know there’s little that Translink can do about the public nature of its public transport, but at least allow me the comfort of having a decent rant about it.

Continue reading What’s Wrong With PUBLIC Transport? →
Beautiful Ulster, Belfast, Black & White, Photo-Essay, Streetscapes, Travel

Dockland Dandering…

A day spent around Belfast city centre can be quite boring for the dutiful husband who is required to take his ever patient wife to the city for a shopping trip – especially when that shopping trip involves what seems like endless browsing around the many clothing outlets!

The answer, of course is simple. Bring a camera, and leave her too it. That was my course of action a few weeks ago, when I left Janette in the care of the retailers, and wandered off on my own with the Fujifilm X-T50, and headed for Belfast’s touristy dockland, once the home of the coal boats, and the shady haunts of visiting seamen – now a venue for visiting cruise ship passengers and folk on city sightseeing bus tours. Safe access from the shopping area of the city to the docks is via an underground walkway, amply adorned with vivid graffiti.

Belfast Walkway
Musgrave Street
The Beacon of Hope
Continue reading Dockland Dandering… →
Black & White, Co. Antrim, Landscapes, Photo-Essay

What’s the Point of a Weed?

I’ve had quite a few conversations about weeds over the years. Not just the complaints at home about the weeds that grow in the lawn, and seem to be indestructible. A few weeks ago I was complaining about those garden weeds, and the persistent clover in particular, and the other party to the conversation implored, “Let the weeds alone… they’re part of nature…” Another joined in with the perceived wisdom that weeds are just flowers in the wrong place!
Anyway I’ve just discovered why weeds exist. To relieve boredom! On Saturday 6th June 2026, I was standing on the edge of Portglenone Forest in Co.Antrim, waiting for an athletics event to finish, and I was in a lull in the action, I was bored. Then I saw some WEEDS and I lifted the camera. Here’s one of the shots…

Common Nettles

So, I have been enlightened. Weeds exist to relieve the boredom of a photographer, in athletic action lulls.
This photograph was made using the Fujifilm X-T5 with a 70-300mm lens, and the aperture was open wide, because I was shooting athletics, so I needed a fast shutter speed and reasonably high ISO.

Belfast, Black & White, Documentary, Streetscapes, Uncategorized

Street Stories: A Book in the Chaos of Belfast

Caught a moment of calm, just off the hustle and bustle of Belfast’s busy Royal  Avenue, a homeless street person, lost in the pages of a book, challenges our perceptions, reminding us that not everyone  in those circumstances is there because of illiteracy or wasted opportunities, or substance addiction. For the photographer, such stories can be found everywhere, even in the most unexpected places.  

The Fujifilm X-T50 captured this seemingly contradictory slice of life.

Continue reading Street Stories: A Book in the Chaos of Belfast →
Beautiful Ulster, Belfast, Black & White, Documentary, Photo-Essay, Streetscapes, Travel

Exploring Belfast: A Day Trip Guide

July 29th 2005

It was a reasonably good day, meteorologically, warm and not raining for a change, so I suggested a trip to Belfast might be a good way to put in the day, – after all, I’m meant to be resting this week… And with me went Janette, my long suffering wife, and the Nikon FM3a.

So we caught a train at Antrim Station.  If you’ve visited here, and never used Northern Ireland Railways, you should put that right on your next visit. The trains are modern, clean, warm and safe, and best of all, they are mostly on time! Not bad from a state owned company! 

Antrim Railway Station
Continue reading Exploring Belfast: A Day Trip Guide →
Beautiful Ulster, Black & White, Co. Antrim

The Other Side.

Can you ever tire of photographing a river? I now have a whole folder of images from the Lower Bann, that majestic river that flows from Lough Neagh out into the Atlantic Ocean at Coleraine.

Many of them are made from the western side of the river, accessed by The Fisherman’s Walk, and on those occasions I have looked across the Bann to a small jetty, about half a mile or so upriver, on the other bank.

Lower Bann
Continue reading The Other Side. →
Athletics and Sports, Black & White, Fun Shots, Photo-Technique

Athletics – Have a go!

The popularity of running as a leisure activity is growing exponentially. And runners seem to actually like being photographed.

I’ve been photographing these athletes for around five years now, and I use the Fujifilm X-T5, with a 100-300mm lens. I open the lens aperture to its fullest extent, which at 300mm is around f5.6, which reduces the depth of field and give a nice bokeh effect in the background. I set the shutter speed to 1/500th sec to freeze the movement, and that usually means an ISO of 1600 or thereabouts, – depending on the light quality, of course.

Continue reading Athletics – Have a go! →
Beautiful Ulster, Black & White, Co. Antrim, Co.Londonderry, Photo-Essay, Photo-Technique, Travel

Kodak T-Max 100

Iv’e run my first roll of Kodak T-Max 100 film through my Nikon F100 camera, on a recent two night break on the North Coast of Northern Ireland – the world renowned ‘Causeway Coast.’ The scenery in this area is spectacular, but on a rainy November weekend, with a strong wind blowing in from the sea, cheesy tourism like images are scarce! But I managed a few black and white…

Atlantic Circle, Portstewart.
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Beautiful Ulster, Black & White, Co.Londonderry, Ireland, Travel

River Bann at Coleraine

Well, we’ve been having a November break at the Royal Court Hotel, in Portrush, Co.Antrim – if you’ve never stayed there, make it a bucket-list destination! Right on the North Coast of N.Ireland, across the road from the majestic White Rocks Beach and a short drive from the world famous Giant’s Causeway – and they do a fantastic buffet at reasonable prices… along with an a la carte menu for the foodies..

Needless to say I had a camera to hand – the Nikon F100. loaded with Kodak T-Max 100, a film I’ve never used before. I developed the road for 9 minutes at 20 degrees in FD10. More photos to follow, but for now, here’s a couple of shots from Coleraine (Janette likes to visit the nearby major town for the superb shopping).

R. Bann, Kodak T-Max 100, Nikon F100, f/11 @ 1/60th sec.
Continue reading River Bann at Coleraine →
Black & White, Fun Shots, Pets

Dougal…

Look! It’s Dougal the Old English Sheepdog from the Magic Roundabout, trotting along the forest path and getting himself all dirty. I shot him with a Fujifilm X-T5.

Old English Sheepdog

(Don’t worry – Florence and Mr Zebedee weren’t around, so they didn’t see it happening. I think I’ve got away with it.)

I realise most of you are too young to know what I’m on about! lol