Well, I had a week off work. You’d have thought that would make things easier, right? But no…I barely managed to get out to do this one. Due to my “start at the doorstep and work out” the allotment was next. It should be an idyllic place but sadly the local council’s contribution to an allotmenteers wellbeing is to come over all officious at every opportunity and after a good start I’ve very nearly lost all enthusiasm for it. Last year’s seed potatoes had shrivelled on the bench and yesterday I just glanced at the new stocks in the shop. I might just clear it up this year and give the hostility a miss.
BUT the Jack White Holga was primed and ready to go. I’d wanted this camera for years – since my eldest son was born – but couldn’t justify buying it. Last year I bought what turned out to be a really knackered 2nd hand one. The masks are missing too, but I’m only going to tape the thing up and ruin it further, so it doesn’t really matter. The tape fetches off the red on this and the Diana Meg – so there’s no point being too precious about it.
The day before my sister, knowing that we really needed to get out, drove us to Foxton Locks, a popular tourist ‘beauty spot’ in South Leicestershire. We got there late so there’s just one shot of the canal. Then we tried to save a lamb that had foolishly squeezed out through the fence and, to put not too fine a point on it, was shitting it. As we decided that giving up was the best bet (this creature could not fathom the concept of gates and she had her baby in a sling) the farmboy turned up…and the lamb bolted out of the field entirely and onto the towpath. He called it ‘mate’ a lot and eventually coaxed it back. We could all sleep well.
So then it was time to face the allotment. Not surprisingly, my neglected polytunnel was the worse for wear. The whole thing had shifted onto the herb patch but some kind soul had caught the torn cover and weighed it down with a bit of fence. I gratefully shoved the muddy cover into the shed and sat in the drizzle for a bit, looking around at the mainly vacant plots.
Time to wander…
I’ve photographed this place many times before – not with the Holga though and not with a fisheye lens (which is three times as heavy as the camera and dutifully plopped off into the mud after the first shot) so it was really quite a quick whizz round, especially considering the wintry conditions and the low light.
Seeing as the light was low, it seemed a good time to pop out a double exposure too.
The last shot is of the local primary school, which thankfully both my kids have left (we had the misfortuntune to attend under the management of the most bonkers head mistress ever experienced. I’m being kind here). It was a strange feeling looking out onto the scene of many nativities, though happily the memory of my naughty little donkey shaking his fist at the innocently singing robin character was the strongest…an improvised performance I’m told he repeated the next day too. Ahem.
I turned towards the exit and moved on.
Technical shit:
Film: Fomapan 100 B&W – not expired!
Pre soak 20 deg water 2-3 mins, with waggles. Water went crazily green. I was scared.
Developed in Ilfotech HC 1+22 @ 20deg – agitated for 1st min then for 5 seconds every 30 seconds
Water rinse 20 deg water 30 seconds, with waggles
Fix 10 minutes – agitated each minutes
Water rinse 20 deg water , changed frequently, just over 10 mins as I couldn’t be arsed to do it for 20 mins.
This blog was first published on 52rolls.net