Neal’s Gallery: Experiments with Fuji Superia 200...in glorious technicolour!

[Neal]

I’ve recently started playing with my father in laws Pentax P30 35mm film SLR (Takumar 28-80mm f/3.5-4.5 & Sigma 70-210mm f/4-4.6) and have just had my first roll of Ilford HP5 B&W film developed. I’m quite pleased with the results considering it is manual focus and has no image stabilisation which is a huge difference to shooting with a digital compact. I’ve scanned the photos with my own multi purpose printer which isn’t perfect but I’ll be getting them put on CD by the developer next time, the only PP is a bit a cropping on a couple of shots.

I’ve really enjoyed using a proper camera although I know I’ve got a lot to learn so any tips, constructive criticism and comments would be great

Click for original size

[1]
The Echo Wheel of Liverpool
Located outside The Echo Arena overlooking The Albert Dock​

[2]
Liverpool waterfront including The Three Graces world heritage site and the new Museum of Liverpool​

[3]
Mersey Ferry at The Pier Head​

[4]
Outdoor dance performance at Liverpool Pier Head​

[5]
Outdoor dance performance at Liverpool Pier Head​

[6]
New Museum of Liverpool​

[7]
Port of Liverpool Building
One of The Three Graces at The Pier Head world heritage site​

[8]
Liver Building
One of The Three Graces at The Pier Head world heritage site​

[9]
Thomas The Tank Engine steam train at Llangollen, Wales​

[10]
Thomas The Tank Engine drivers cabin​

 

[Boffin]

This is a great set of shots!

Love the grain (don't know if thats thanks to high ISO or your scanner) and the lack of mid tones, and the composition in most of them is great too. 👍

I'm doing a B&W subject at uni right now and we process our own Ilford FP4 Plus.

 

[TB]

Love the grain (don't know if thats thanks to high ISO or your scanner) and the lack of mid tones, and the composition in most of them is great too. 👍

Agreed. It gives it a cool high dynamic look. 👍

Keep 'em comin'!

 

[Neal]

Thanks guys

The grain is from the high ISO, the scanner isn't too bad but does lose a bit of detail in the shadows. They're more grainy than I was expecting but I like it too, I didn't want to go with a lower ISO as I haven't got a tripod of flash so it's a side effect of that really.

I need to think about my composition more in general but I'll use the excuse that it was difficult spending time getting into the right position and composing the shots with an impatient toddler hanging off me! I'm going away for a few days to see family in early September so hopefully I'll have had enough Kodak moments to get through another roll of HP5+ and a colour roll of Fuji Superia 200 by the end of it.

I'd love to be able to develop my own film. I think I've found a decent mail order company (Club35) but I'm not sure the local shops will develop the B&W properly. I've read horror stories of B&W film getting destroyed when they've tried to develop it as colour!

This is probably the indoor shot I'm happiest with, my lad isn't easy to photograph with a compact camera so I've had limited success with the SLR but he was transfixed by the TV so was sitting still. It would have been better without my wife's arm in the background really.

Click for original size

[11]
My son in our house​

 

[Cano]

I cant see any of them ):

 

[Neal]

I cant see any of them ):

Thanks Cano 👍

The url's must have changed when I edited the permissions for the album, all fixed now but lesson learned!

 

[GM]

Some of the first pictures look like they were shot in 1970's Soviet Union

 

[Neal]

Some of the first pictures look like they were shot in 1970's Soviet Union

I don't think there is anything in any of the pictures from the 70's, everything is much much older or very very new. I've added brief descriptions below the photos and as much as I'd love to go to Russia they were all taken in the UK.

 

[GM]

I don't think there is anything in any of the pictures from the 70's, everything is much much older or very very new. I've added brief descriptions below the photos and as much as I'd love to go to Russia they were all taken in the UK.

I said they look like they were, I didn't mean they acctully were.. that museum picture and the one below it looks very like Soviet style architecture


Edit.. The grainy look to the reminds me of pictures like this which is why I was reffering the the Soviet look.. they are nice pictures btw I wasn't critisizing

 

[boiltheocean]

Lovely portrait of your son Neal.

 

[Neal]

I said they look like they were, I didn't mean they acctully were.. that museum picture and the one below it looks very like Soviet style architecture


Edit.. The grainy look to the reminds me of pictures like this which is why I was referring the the Soviet look.. they are nice pictures btw I wasn't critisizing

Sorry GM, I didn't think you were being serious, I should have said so or used some smilies I do see what you mean though especially compared to that picture. It was a good prompt to add some descriptions anyway so thanks and thanks for compliment 👍

Lovely portrait of your son Neal.

Thanks Tom, I've got about three thousand other photos of him on my PC

 

[Syntax error]

Nice stuff Neal. I dig the noise in the shots and the high contrast works well with street photography in general giving it a raw feel. 👍

 

[Pebb]

I like the first shot in post #1.

 

[Neal]

These are from my second roll of Ilford HP5 which I fortunately got put onto disc as Boots not only printed on 6x4 instead of 7x5 but they also seem to have cocked up the developing. The digital images aren’t as bad as the prints but the highlights still appear blown and there isn’t much detail in the shadows compared to the first roll I had developed at club35, needless to say I won’t be using Boots again.

If I’m being honest I’m not overly impressed with the results from this batch and I’ve discovered close up macro shots aren’t as easy as I thought especially with manual focus. As always comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Click for original size

[12]
Sudley House, Liverpool


[13]
Cow in field behind in-laws house


[14]
Flower in garden, Bosham


[15]
Shell ornament


[16]
Bosham bay


[17]
Bosham habour


[18]
Tree, Bosham


[19]
Bosham church


[20]
Bosham bay


[21]
Bosham bay​

 

[Bram Turismo]

Woah, I love this style!

The Bosham church and Bosham tree images have a mood that I just adore 👍

 

[Neal]

Thanks Bram. I know the tree shot throws the rule of thirds out of the window but I didn't think it looked right unless it was centred. My wife was slightly miffed when I asked her to get out of the shot

 

[Speedster502]

I've realised I haven't commented here before, to my surprise, I guess I'm a bit behind with everyone elses galleries. I really, really like 9# from the first set of images you posted it has such a 1940's kind of feeling. I used to love trains so I guess it just really appeals to me. The whole style you've got going on makes these images seem as if they were taken in the 1940's I think you've craftily avoided anything really modern in the shots which helps the style you've got. From the most recent set my favourite has to be the Church shot like the composition. And despite the sky being blown out I think it has a nice feeling to it, I can't help but think the noise helps in these shots as well. Great work! I can't wait to see more of your shots. 👍

 

[Neal]

Thanks for the comments Adam 👍

I cropped the left side of #9 to remove some random people but also cloned out a Cheng Beer logo on the guys jacket so it didn't ruin the illusion of it looking old...also they sponsor Everton

So far all the shots I've posted are from B&W Ilford HP 400 ISO film so I've been conscious of the look they will give and tried to tailor them to make the most of it and not clash too much. Glad you like the church shot, it's one of the fews photos I actually spent some time walking round thinking of the composition before taking the shot. I need to put more thought into the photos I'm taking but isn't always easy with family distracting your attention.

I've got a roll of colour film in at the moment so it'll be interesting to see how they turn out without the safety net of B&W to add an interesting element to them. I haven't had much time recently to get out with the cameras so it might be a few weeks before I update again unless I start searching through the thousands of digital images I've taken over the years, unfortunately they're all from compact cameras and although a good camera doesn't make an average photo great a poor camera can make a great photo average.

 

[Neal]

I've not really been taking many photos recently but this is a selection of my last 2 rolls which were Fuji Superia 200 colour film. I'll be honest and admit that I've struggled to get decent results using the manual focus non-stabalised Pentax P30 especially with 200iso colour film as oppsed to the 400iso B&W. Taking any photos of my perpetually moving son has a complete waste of time so I've given up on that with this camera!

Anyway, here they are. As always any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Click for original size

[22]
Liverpool Water Front


[23]
Liver Building


[24]
Lake Ullswater, Cumbria


[25]
Lake Ullswater, Cumbria


[26]
Phone Box at Windermere Visitors Centre


[27]
Eldest Son in Adventure Playground at at Windermere Visitors Centre​