The public library at CS Lewis Square, on the Newtownards Road, in East Belfast.

Photographed with the Nikon FM3a on Ilford HP5, ISO400 film and developed in Fotospeed FD10.
Rarely is there anywhere to park a car in the vicinity of Queen’s University, – parking spaces are few and hotly contested, but on 27th December 2023, I was driving through the area on return from an appointment in South Belfast, when to my surprise, I found an empty space, right beside the Students’ Union. I quickly parked, and stepped out with the Fujifilm X-T30 fitted with an 18-135mm zoom lens.

Photographed with a Fujifilm X-T30, F=18mm, f/5.6 @1/125th sec on ISO250.
Because it was still student holidays, traffic around the university was light, and that helped quite a lot with the photography. I stood outside the Student’s Union to capture the main image, but it wasn’t long before some human interest occurred.
Continue reading Queen’s University, Belfast.The remaining three blocks of multi-storey apartments at Rathcoole, Newtownabbey. There were originally four blocks, built in 1965 by John Laing Construction, were 140 feet high, and contained 65 flats.

Lislea Mission Hall, in the townland of Lislea, between Portglenone and Kilrea. Now long abandoned and disused, it has been boarded up, and become overgrown and is slowly crumbling away. Once would have been a meeting place for worship to groups of local resident, farmers and their friends, and their children.

St Andrews Church (Church of Ireland) Balligan, near Ballywalter, Co.Down, on a bleak midwinter day.

Built in 1704, the church became famous for choral recitals and classical music, and was a popular venue. Choral Evensong was held on two Sundays each month until fairly recently.
Continue reading Balligan ChurchThere’s a common question asked, “Which camera is best for…” Add your own circumstances! Yesterday I was faced with a stark choice. I was at a country churchyard around dusk, and there was a magnificent sky behind the silhouetted church building and trees. I wanted that image! So here it is:-

So, what’s the answer to the conundrum? Which camera is best for a shot like this? The answer is…
Whatever camera you have with you!
In this case, just an iPhone 12!
Lough Erne, Co.Fermanagh
Photographed with the Nikon FM3a Film Camera, on Ilford HP5 ISO 400.

It could be Rotterdam, or anywhere, Liverpool or Rome – another bland stereotypical modern, soulless shopping mall.
