Category Archives: Travel

Beautiful Ulster, Belfast, Black & White, Photo-Essay, Travel

Queen’s University, Belfast.

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.

The Queen’s University, Belfast.

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.

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Beautiful Ulster, Co. Antrim, Photo-Essay, Photo-Technique, Streetscapes, Travel

Feehogue Terrace, Randalstown

In September, 2023 I visited the Belfast Book Fair, held this year in Methodist College (Methody) at Stranmillis. There was little in interest this year, by way of books, (mostly Irish history etc), but there were a couple of dealers selling antique postcards, and I spent quite a time trawling through them – with no intention of buying, of course, (some of these antique postcards can be rather expensive), despite the enthusiastic sales techniques of one of the vendors, who mistook my prolonged browsing for a potential sale. I was looking for photographic inspiration! Actually, I was sorry I hadn’t taken a notebook and pen! 

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Beautiful Ulster, Belfast, Photo-Technique, Travel

CAVE HILL, BELFAST

CAVE HILL, BELFAST, from Hightown Road.

Image made with a Nikon FG20 using Ilford Delta 3200, pulled to ISO1600. f=34mm, f/16 @ 1/500th sec.

A good film choice for a wintery day, although this image was made during weak sunshine.

This is a fast (by film standards) film, which accounts for its grainy appearance. In the developing tank, I split the processing time between 1600ISO and 3200ISO, giving it 10 mins 30 secs in Fotospeed FD10, mixed at 1/9 at 20deg, then 1 minute stop bath in 20 deg. water, 2 mins in hypo-clear and 10 mins wash.

It’s the first time I’ve used this film, and I must admit I expected more contrast in the scanned image, but, there’s another film loaded, and I’ll try again.

Beautiful Ulster, Black & White, Co. Antrim, Streetscapes, Travel

Randalstown Churches

The Old Congregation Presbyterian Church

This historic building dates back to 1655, when a presbyterian congregation was founded on the site on the Portglenone Road; that building replaced in 1790, at a cost of £600. On the hill behind the OC Church is the St Brigid’s Church of Ireland Church, Drumaul Parish.

I’ve been trying for years (literally!) to get a photograph of this building – and I’ve been thwarted in the past by parked cars in the lay-by in front of the church, so when I was passingly a few days ago, and saw it carless, I did a quick u-turn and got the camera out before someone parked!

Photographed with the Nikon F100, on Ilford FP4 ISO125.

#RandalstownPresbyterian #ChurchPhotography #NikonF100Captures #IlfordFilmMagic #NorthernIrelandChurches #IrishPresbyterians #VintageNikonF100 #BlackandWhiteChurch #FilmPhotographyNI #RandalstownLandmarks #CoAntrim #Blasckandwhite  #pureblackandwhite #NikonF100

Co. Antrim, Commercial Photography, Documentary, Reportage, Travel

Bob and Bert’s North Coast 5K and 10K

I was pleased to be invited to do the start and finish line photos for the Bob and Bert’s North Coast 5K and 10K charity run this year again, The finished images, all 671 of them are in an on-line gallery, for free download for the participants, and can be accessed at this LINK. You’ll need a PASSWORD to access the gallery and that password will be available from the event organisers.

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