What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts from the ‘Ilford FP4’ category

Ardennes 1977

Belgium, Ardennes – April 1977

This week’s theme of the weekly lens artists challenge (#134) is ‘from forgotten to favorite’. Are there images that I hoped would turn out right, but did not. And could you turn them by editing into ‘keepers’? If so, show an example.

This challenge sends me back to the days of film. Ample of good objects around, but did they come out on film the way I hoped? In those days you could not check the backside of your camera, and try a few settings and tweaks to find out what worked best. It was shoot and go. Film was expensive so most of the time it was a lucky shot based on intuition and experience. Most of them came out ok, some really were disappointing.

The photo above has a story behind it that comes close to this theme. At the end of the post is the scanned negative of the original photo. I am not sure the edited one above is a keeper, but it shows my line of thought and the original intention of framing this rock wall in a forest in the Ardennes. It did not strike me as a spot I would go for a pick nick. The road next to it, mud, rock, nothing to see but passing cars. But the details of the rock and the trees, with the strange object of the pick nick table triggered my shutter. This photo was kept on archive for a long time. It was in my secondary school notebook (the time we actually wrote with pens on paper). And recently when I was scanning my archive from negative it popped up again.

In a way I do like the object. It is kind of sinister and powerful. I wonder about your thoughts on it.

The B4 retouch series
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. All of them are not completely retouched yet. Scratches, dust and stains are not removed.

Rain Drops

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 1979

The theme for Weekly Lens Artists 126 is ‘A stands for … ’.

A is of course Aqua, water.
I just found out that I republished this photo. First time was March 2020.

The B4 retouch series
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. All of them are not completely retouched yet. Scratches, dust and stains are not removed.

The  picture was scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Water

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 1977

The theme for Weekly Lens Artists 126 is ‘A stands for … ’.

A is of course Aqua, water.

The B4 retouch series
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. All of them are not completely retouched yet. Scratches, dust and stains are not removed.

The  picture was scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Sun silhouette

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – June 1977

The theme for Weekly Lens Artists 125 is ‘you can pick it’.

A very old sunset from long ago showing the sky over Oegstgeest and the tower of the Roman Catholic Church.

The B4 retouch series
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. All of them are not completely retouched yet. Scratches, dust and stains are not removed.

The  picture was scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Going in circles

Belgium, Ardennes – April 1977

The theme of Lens-Artists #124 is ‘Now and then’.

A long time ago, somewhere in the Ardennes on a cold April day. Going round in circles. Learning how to use black and white and shoot a decent photo.

The B4 retouch series
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. All of them are not completely retouched yet. Scratches, dust and stains are not removed.

The  picture was scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

British Museum

England, London – September 1980

The theme for Lens-artists Weekly Photo Challenge #121 is ‘Focus on the subject’.

British Museum in London. Again one from the film archive.

The B4 retouch series
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. All of them are not completely retouched yet. Scratches, dust and stains are not removed.

The  picture was originally shot with a Pentax K1000 on Ilford FP4, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Leaves and Raindrops

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 1979

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #85 is ‘a change of perspective’.

Rain on leaves.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

The  picture was are originally shot with a Pentax K1000 on Ilford FP4, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Capital Birch

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – February 1979

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #82 is ‘capital’

The noun capital can hold different meanings, and as always it is subjective what to choose to express a theme in a photo.
I like birch trees. I love the fine detailing from the stem, to branch to the twigs. From big to delicate. A birch can be intimidating, towering over me.
Looking up a birch gives me a feeling of humility. This photo is from 1979, a time when i was printing in a darkroom on paper. And loved big abstracts in monochrome.

If you want to join or participate in the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenges just follow the link above.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

The  picture was are originally shot with a Pentax K1000 on Ilford FP4, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

Dutch Cat

The Netherlands, Oegstgeest – 1979

Meet Mazzel, a cat my family picked up on a holiday after he was left behind as a young kitten.

This one is for Dutch goes the photo’s weekly photo ‘cat’ theme.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

The  picture was are originally shot with a Pentax K1000 on Ilford FP4, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

History Window

England, Chester – September 1980

The theme for the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #79  is ‘a window with a view’

Chester Cathedral, a window in the Cloisters.

If you want to join or participate in the weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenges just follow the link above.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

The  picture was are originally shot with a Pentax K1000 on Ilford FP4, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.

 

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