Lomo lovers film swap... the second set

A couple of weeks ago I posted some photos from the first film that got developed as part of my contribution to the Lomo Lovers film swap.

As I mentioned before, I was partnered with Davide and yesterday he shared the photos from the second roll of film. The film this time was Kodak Elitechrome 100 (which Davide cross processed) that I orginally exposed with my La Sardina and sent to Davide in Italy(!) which he then put through his LC-A+.


These photos in particular I exposed at Kirkstall Abbey. I thought that at least one of the films I took should have some photos of there on it and I was really excited to see what Davide would expose over the top and I was not disappointed with the results. I particularly love the coffee sign!

Thank you so much to the Lomo Lovers - Nicola and Sam - for organising this swap...
and thank you, of course, to Davide too!
Hurray for film swaps!!!

Cameras: LC-A+ and La Sardina
Film: Kodak Elitechrome 100
Location: England and Italy(!)

A year later...

 I took these photos about a year ago when Adele came to visit and I thought it would be interesting to share a comparison shot to how they were and how they look now.

I'm not really surprised by the comparison as I knew that the Impossible Project film at the time was much more unstable than it is now (they've come a long way in a year but I still think they have a way to go...) and I've been fascinated with the differences, particularly the patterns. I can't decide whether to be sad that they've changed so much or not though.

It will interesting to see if the photos that I took earlier this year will have changed much in a years time too I think.

Have a great weekend! 

12 for 2012 - Camera 4

As part of my 'take more photos' goal for this year - I decided that I wanted to use more of the cameras that I haven't actually used before in my collection.

Yes, I might have missed a camera in April... we'll ignore that :) I can do two next month perhaps?
 Also, it's ok because this camera (and its results) are exciting!!!



I've actually had this camera - a polaroid automatic 340 land camera - for a while now (perhaps a year, maybe more) and I'm now feeling like I've wasted the time that I've had with it as I love it so much already!

I've really struggled with polaroids in the past and I've never been able to find that micarulous balance with the Impossible Project film that others seem to find so beautifully. But finally I've found a polaroid that works for me and it works incredibly well!!


Apart from when I haven't checked that the battery is properly plugged in... oops. I was a little upset with this first picture but luckily, it was just the battery that was the problem and...


Ta da! A photo is born!
{Please ignore our crazy long grass, annoyingly our landlord mowed it that afternoon after I'd taken this photo. I still love our garden though. And our washing line!}



I'm so impressed with the focus on this camera - it has a rangefinder focus, which I've never used before but I loved. I also love the contrast that comes with the Fuji FB-3000B film, I was a little wary of the 3000 ISO but this film is blowing my mind! I've ordered some colour film too (I'm weak, I have a film problem) and I can't wait to see how those look when I use it now too.



 I even attempted a double exposure with this camera but I seriously underestimated how sunny it actually was at the weekend and it came out very overexposed, I am thrilled that it worked though and now I know what to do for next time...

Camera: Polaroid Automatic 340 Land Camera
Film: Fujifilm FP-3000B
Location: Leeds

You can see the other cameras that I've used this year here.

A little after work walk...

The week before I went home for the wedding, the weather was horrendous! (I sulked here lol) but luckily one evening on the way home there was a short break of sunshine and I took full opportunity of it by getting off the bus a few stops early and going for a little photo walk around Kirkstall Abbey with a camera for a film swap and my phone.

It started to rain again after a while (you can see splodges of rain on the last two photos) but I was so thrilled with the sunshine that I had managed to capture that I didn't care...

Luckily this week is glorious (I mean, Summer glorius too, woo), I have a replacement LC-A and I now have two rolls of film to develop. I am enjoying combining both my film and instagram photos on here though - it gives me the opportunity to share more and thats never a bad thing right.

This weekend I'm hoping to take even more film photos (I think my mojo is back, huzzah!), experiment with my polaroid land camera and soak up some sunshine!

Have a great weekend!!

Around where I live...

Camera: Diana Mini 
Film: Ilford XP2
Location: Leeds

12 for 2012 - Camera 3

As part of my 'take more photos' goal for this year - I decided that I wanted to use more of the cameras that I haven't actually used before in my collection.

I'll admit that March's camera nearly didn't happen... I had an idea to use one of my unused 35mm cameras, but the month flew by and it got to last weekend and I realised... oops, it's 31st of March.
Luckily for me, earlier in March the Impossible Project film and polaroid camera that I won from One Pearl Button arrived (Thank you so much again Alli!) and I decided that March was the month to try it!

Rather than using the camera that arrived with the film (I think I'll pop the B&W film in there) I decided to try out the first polaroid camera that Thomas found for me in 2009, I remember being so excited about it at the time so it seems unbelievable to me that I still haven't used it...

Overall, I'm undecided on these photos... I love polaroids but I think that I love other photographers polaroid results more than I ever like my own. How do they do it?! These results to me look really green (and I'm not a fan of green in photos) and I am still disappointed by the undeveloped patches (apparently a known problem to The Impossible Project but still...) especially in that last photo, there should have been a beautiful blossom tree there.

Perhaps I'll get the hang of them eventually. Or perhaps I'll leave it to the more patient experts...

Camera: Polaroid P 600

Film: Impossible Project PX680 Colour Shade

Location: Kirkstall Abbey

As close to perfect winter light as you can get...

Oh boy I am excited about these photos... it's well known that the LC-A (refurbished and the plus) works incredibly well with cross processed film and I decided to try a new slide film with my LC-A - Kodak Elite Chrome 100. I've never tried it before and I'm really glad that I love the results, it's not as blue as the Lomography Xpro Chrome and the greens are much more pleasing than the Lomography Xpro. It seems warmer than both the Lomography films though and the contrasts are just stunning I think.

I also experimented a little with the aperture and depth of field with these and I think that may be worth while when using the focus with this particular refurbished LC-A as it seems a little fuzzier than I would prefer at close range... I'm really hoping that I can learn this little cameras quirks as when it works well, I love the results.

Location: Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds
Camera: Refurbished LC-A
Film: Kodak Elite Chrome 100

p.s. does anyone with a refurbished LC-A have any tips for close up photos being in focus?

A sunny Winter day at Kirkstall Abbey...

Over Christmas I shot a little film of us taking Harry for a walk... but it didn't work, the film was completely blank and my heart was a little bit broken...

So, last weekend we took my little Lomokino out and shot a quick little film around Kirkstall Abbey to make sure it was working ok. And thankfully, it worked!! Hurray!

I'm so relieved... I'll just have to try and make a video of Harry another time!

Happy weekend! 

p.s. finding the perfect music to match my videos is my new favourite hobby... getting the right is one is the best feeling.

Forgotten Holga photos... (again)

I took these last April when my dear friend Adele came to visit (Can you believe that's nearly a year ago?!) and I completely forgot about them, in fact I've only just put them onto Flickr as I sorted through last years photos.



Looking at these, I'm starting to get really excited about Spring!

In fact, now that we're starting to make plans and the year is progressing,
I'm incredible excited about 2012 as a whole!

Camera: Holga 135bc
Film: Kodak ISO 200
Location: Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds.

Experimenting with F Stops...

I actually don't remember the last time I was this excited about my photos... squeeeeeeee!!

Although Photo Meditations isn't a technical photography course, I did learn something new about F stops and I realised that I had actually taken some photos with my Ricoh camera where I had changed this setting and not realised the effect it would have (here and here, being good examples) At the time of developing them I realised that they were the kind of photos that I wanted to be taking... but I didn't know how I'd even done it.

So armed with knowledge, my new to me Olympus Trip and more enthusiasm than I've ever had on a foggy day, Thomas and I went for a walk around Kirkstall Abbey (and also a delicious roast dinner...) last Sunday and here are some of my favourite results.



I was drawn to that yellow tree like a magpie to shiny things, it was a beacon in the mist and so pretty. I had to have a photo taken with it... I'm a bit sad that it's a little blurry but a lot of the photos were as I still have lots to learn.

I'm so glad that I learnt this though, most of my plastic cameras don't have this setting but two of my other film others do and it feels great to know now that I can take the type of photos that I want with a different camera and not feel limited by my equipment or knowledge.

In this one film of photos, I feel like I've pushed myself, my photos and what I can do. I've applied everything I'd already learnt combined it with new tricks and techniques and captured photos that I have been truly happy with. Although this does mean I'll be carrying even more cameras around with me now...

Location: Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds
Camera: Olympus Trip 35
Film: Expired Agfa Vista 200