For some time I have felt the loss of my photography mojo. During that time I have not lost interest in photography, just confidence in my own creativity and ability.

I had a big sort out of my camera gear which I felt was somewhat distracting me. Yes, GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) was getting in the way of getting out there and making pictures. This may seem a contradictory comment as one needs a camera to make a picture. However, the amassing of cameras can become a huge distraction. If only I had a faster lens... ; or if only I had that larger format ... etc etc.

So I had to rationalise. The Contax 645 and G systems are sacrosanct for their wonderful attributes. Apart from them I will keep an Olympus OM2n because I have a dedicated ring flash setup for certain specialised situations. Other than these, it is mechanical all the way. Hasselblad for medium format Contax S2 SLR with the magical Zeiss lenses, and for most of the time a Contax IIa and Leica M2 for every day.

OK so I am not slumming it but shooting manual exposure all the way is very liberating. At the same time I am teaching my daughter Amelie, how to be a photographer. Light, exposure, equipment, composition etc.

I've also gone back to the well for inspiration. One of the things that amused and encouraged me was a Podcast by fellow film enthusiasts. The FPP podcast. My passion for photography goes back to the latish 70s but in the last few years podcasts like this one added lots of fuel to my fire for the medium. I am currently listening again to their podcasts from episode one. I remember discovering them around the time of episode two. I loved their amateur approach; enthusiastic and contagious. Listening again, I can sometimes remember where I was when I listened to that episode for the first time several years ago. Wonderful.

So this post is dedicated to Mike, John and the crew at FPP podcast

black & red

black & red, a photo by jeremy north on Flickr.

here's a bike & shop combination I came across in Soho, London

Frosty morning. Kodachrome 25 film

December 2010, as the sun came up over Leckhampton Hill, I shot these pictures on Kodachrome film. It is now discontinued, and the only lab in the world was about to close down its K 14 processing, so I had to use up my last roll of that iconic film in order to get it to Kansas USA before the deadline.

Cheltenham West End (part two)

Cheltenham West End (part one)

This is a series of photographs I shot on Kodachrome 25 film in November 2010. I wanted to portray the variety of illumination from the different shops. Most of them are to do with food & drink. This part of Cheltenham is historically interesting, but unexceptional on another level. The mundane nature of these businesses seems to sum it up. There is the nature of Hopper paintings in the emptiness of a lit up shop standing out in the dark

High Street Shop, Cheltenham

This is a shop in the west end of Cheltenham. I love the old mirrored glass sign. This is shot on film of course, which accounts for the wide dynamic range. The lighting looks a bit surreal as a result. I exposed for the shadows to get detail inside the shop.

weddings

This is the first of two weddings I photographed this spring. Lucy & Dan in Montpellier, Cheltenham.

Here I used a slow shutter speed to blur the motion of the falling petals. Thanks to Dan's brothers Ben, Tim & Tom for shaking the tree.
Outside their favourite wine-bar
Arriving at Royal Well
All shot on Fuji 160asa film, with a Contax 645, 80mm Zeiss Planar lens