The opportunity for a January morning walk in the mist in Glastonbury. Everything still, muted and serene…
The last series of images I took in mist were in Ely, Cambridgeshire in 2022. Boats in the Mist focussed upon narrowboats and river boats on the River Great Ouse; we were living aboard a narrowboat at the time. Now back on dry land, the location has changed dramatically but the mist always presents opportunities to abstract the world.
The above image was one I felt captured the moment. More images at murpworkschrome
I love tea but each morning, I climb the hill from Waterside to Market Square for coffee. On each day of the week, come rain or shine, the large black trailer from Silver Oak Coffee is stationed in the square. All except Monday’s that is. However, there is a solution to Mondays…
The Bagel Bar is open and selling Silver Oak Coffee coffee.
The Bagel Bar at Buttermarket, Ely was one of the first places we saw when mu and I first visited the city. Not only does it sell an excellent range of bagels but it is one of the homes of Silver Oak Coffee. Came for the bagel, stayed for the coffee.
My first image of The place, taken on 01-02-2022 captured it nicely lit by the early morning sun. It was in colour, using Fujifilm’s Classic Chrome.
I returned 23-02-2022 and captured it once again, early in the morning but this time in B+W which seemed to do it a little more justice.
01-03-2022 it was raining, and The Bagel Bar was closed but the chrome seating looked inviting – to photograph
Another visit on 08-03-2022, the latest, this time in colour and in the sun. Photographed purposefully using a square aspect ratio.
Back on the 12 February I was in Norwich and found myself at Norwich Market Square.
Norwich is famous for many things; mustard, Alan Partridge, The Canaries and I would argue, its market. The striped, coloured canopies of the permanent market stalls are instantly recognisable.
It was a sunny day, cold and fresh and the stark contrast of market stall roofs to shadows was interesting.
Some of the images
You can see what I considered my best image captured at murpworkschrome
I walked past The Birdcage and took this black and white photograph.
The Birdcage is now closed but was a Bar/small Club in Norwich. I went once, quite awhile ago now, when it was open and sat on the floor, in the back room. The beer was good.
I love the style of architecture, metal windows, rounded walls and I just really hope it doesn’t go to rack and ruin, and get pulled down. It deserves so much better.
Take a look at murpworkschrome for two more images of this enigmatic building. I will return and try and do it justice in the near future – more Birdcage in black and white…
I had passed the neon sign – Good Vibes several times before I actually photographed it. It resides in a male hairdressers, in Norwich.
There’s something about a neon sign. They are old technology yet for me, they always manage to convey something very modern. A glass tube, housing a noble gas, through which a voltage is passed and depending upon the gas, a colour is produced. neon is the classical glass but neon is a ‘cover-all’ name for various types of glass tube lighting, using different types of gas.
The resultant glowing 3-D light seems so much more alive that a simple 2-D painted sign.
I want to return and photograph this sign, purposefully in black and white. Although colour is a very big part of neon’s reason for being (although there are ‘white’ ‘neon’ signs), I think the gaseous nature of the glow will work well in monochrome.
I also have my eye on another neon sign, in the same street so look out for that one in the near future. This is the beauty of wandering the streets, there is always something to find and return back for.
Take a look at murpworkschrome to see a the neon sign Good Vibes ‘colour’ photographs I captured…
Street Lit – I took a short walk the other evening, it was the night of the first of two storms. Nothing had really started in earnest, there was some wind but nothing in the ‘storm’ category. I did avoid a large tree, which I had seen a large branch down from it, a couple of months ago.
It wasn’t long before a little rain started. This was a good first test of my Fujifilm X100V and its ‘weather sealing’ (the full weather sealing requires and filter for the front of the lens, which I purchased, when I got the camera). All worked perfectly well.
I had an idea of a photograph I wanted to take before I set out. It turned out as I had envisioned it and it wasn’t long before a couple more opportunities had presented themselves.
I didn’t intend to spend a lot of time out and didn’t need to, as I was pleased with the results. The image below is a building I pass most morning when I walk up, into Ely to get a cup of coffee from Silver Oak Coffee. Pleasing during the day, it looked spectacular at night
Inviting
If you like the above image, take a look at murpworkschrome – monochrome – really pleased with ‘Street Lit Window’.
Jumping back in to photography? Well, how do you start after such a long break? I suppose you just jump right back in. I have been photographing but it’s been a strange time.
My talk about not using my phone in One Last 11 Shot proved premature. I used my iPhone 11 quite a lot, especially on our adventure on the rivers. It proved easy to use the phone and ‘click and shoot’ rather than real photography. I should have used the Ricoh GR III but I didn’t. Well, I did but not exclusively. I have, as of January this year stopped using it. I’m using my Fujifilm X100V.
The Ricoh GR III is an excellent camera, perfect for the street, taking everywhere and a whole lot more. If I had one negative about it, I would sat it was a little small, for my liking. I sold it after realising I hadn’t even switched the X100V on, since I got it. I take it everywhere now and with the start of a new year, I have some projects planned. The X100V is gorgeous both to use and look at. I got the silver one as I invariably get black. I thought a change was in order).
Ely, in East Cambridgeshire will provide the main backdrop to my photography moving forward as that is where mu and I are living. However, Norwich will provide an alternative location. It’s the reason we moved to Ely; to be near family – the nearest point on the river system to Norwich we can get our narrowboat Silverdale. See murpworks Afloat for further details.
I am happy with my first few images but I’m still playing around with the simulations and getting to grips with the buttons and dials. I’m happy after jumping back in to photography.
Around Ely
Short and sweet and just like like that, I’m back in.
I’ve been ‘Finding my Feet’ with the Ricoh GR III. Changing between Multi-segment / Center-weighted / Spot and using the Positive Film pre-set has given me a bit of an insight. Some initial RAW file manipulation to see what can and can’t be done. Normally, I’m reticent to start with but I wanted to jump in with this camera.
An overcast day with interesting architecture.
Northampton – Cultural Quarter (RAW)
Northampton – Cultural Quarter (RAW)
Almost Art Deco steps around the side of a small block of flats.
