Monochrome weekly

A metal sculpture by the side of the canal in Reading (UK). Nothing to say what it represents, who made it or why, strange. It can only be seen from the canal footpath or by the odd canal boat.

It is not insubstantial, as it stands a couple metres high.

I will be away a couple of days, so it will go quiet from here.

Camera was my old Canonet rangefinder with fixed 45mm lens using FP4 film.

Venice

Venice is a great place for walking and looking, but with all the people in the main tourist areas, you can sometimes want to get somewhere a little quieter. At the east end of the 'island' is the Arsenale, and a long wide walking street, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. This is a spot where many of the Venetians go to spend Sunday morning walking, drinking coffee and have lunch in one of the many open restaurants. It does not have that crowded feel of St Mark's Square.

While meandering slowly along this street, having had a coffee, but looking for lunch, I spotted this little alley-way to one side. One of many, and just so much a part of Venice.

Olympus 35SP with HP5 film.

A little spot in Venice

Venice is a great place for wandering. Our hotel was just behind me as I stand by this canal; I say hotel, it was really just one of the large old houses that had been converted inside while retaining its old world exterior.

On the other side of the canal was this little restaurant with one table for two almost on the water. Very much the 'romantic' venue. We were four in our group so we tried other places, which were equally nice.

This little spot looked lovely in the evening with the candle on the table and very subdued light. Also, the gondolas use this small canal all the time, so that table would be an ideal spot for watching them drift by while enjoying a meal and a bottle.

It's a lovely city.

Shot was taken on an old Olympus 35SP rangefinder on HP5 film.

Morocco

This shot was taken through a taxi window on a trip out of Marrakesh towards the coast. It was mid-morning in April, but the locals can find it pretty cold at that time, so while we were in short sleeves, these guys were keeping warm with rather more clothing.

We were driving along the main street of what was a small town or large village and I just snapped the activity going on, men loading stone by hand on to the tractor trailer. What I had not noticed until I had the film processed (no instant recall as with digital) was the guy (at least that is my assumption, though it could be a woman) coming into the shot from the right. You might want to look at the shot in large. This man was dressed in more traditional dress for the desert areas; even more traditional than those further back who are wearing the 'dishdash'. It is very much a Berber community in the area. What I liked when I saw the shot large was that the guy on the right seems to have spotted me taking a shot through the taxi window, although I had not seen him. I like the way he 'strides' into the frame.

The shot was taken with the little, ever-portable, Olympus XA.

Sicily

The old towns in Italy have a particular feel to them, frequently there are whole streets of old houses that seem not to have changed for years; it adds a charm to them. Often they have large imposing doorways, and many, like those in this shot, have balconies. This shot was taken during the siesta period, so there is no-one about, and no old ladies on the balconies, watching the world go by. That's something else you see a lot in Italy.

This was taken in Piazza Armerina, the local town on Sicily, about 10Km from the cottage we were staying in in September this year.

The photo was taken with a Pentax LX with 40mm lens and HP5 film.

People no.11

Continuing with some of my old photos of people, this one is of a flower-seller in Copenhagen, taken about 25 years ago. I loved the French beret that he was wearing, if I remember correctly the shot was taken during the winter months.

The sharp eyed, or those who have viewed it large, will have noticed that like many working people in Denmark at that time, especially the older generation, he is wearing 'trae-sko', these are wooden shoes that we call clogs in the UK. More comfortable than they look, they are very practical and last forever. My second pair are 10 years old and still have years of life left in them; I use them in the garden. I do have a second shot of this gentleman, but I will leave that for a future post.

The shot was taken on my Leica M3 with collapsible 50mm Elmar. This lens was for the IIIf, so has the 39mm screw rather than the bayonet fitting of the M series of Leicas. However, I have adapters which allow me to use them. The film was FP4.

My M3 is shown on the right, with the lens extended. I bought this about 1985 from a work colleague when I lived and worked in Denmark. It is quite an old one, and for those familiar with these old cameras, this is the 'double stroke' variant of the M3. Because of this it requires two short movements of the wind-on lever to advance the film. The photo shows the camera with the additional Leica lightmeter designed for the M series, as this has no built in meter. Not the quickest combination to use, but still, very satisfying.

Monochrome weekly

Best viewed large

I took this shot at least 25 years ago; it was taken from inside Rundetaarn (the Round Tower) in Copenhagen, where it is quite a landmark and still used as an observatory.

The tower is quite unique, it does not have steps but has a 'roadway' which curls round 7.5 times to get to the top of the 38 meter tower. A walk of a little over 200 meters. For those who are interested I have included a link where you can find out more about this attraction, in case you visit the fine city of Copenhagen.

Shot was taken on the old Leica IIIf with 50mm collapsible Elmar and FP4 film

Church & pub

In the older towns and villages in England the most important buildings were frequently close together; the church and the pub. To be fair many places had more than one of each.

In Wokingham the church and the Ship Inn are both on a busy intersection of two roads, and a couple of old tudor houses stand alongside the pub.

I have made a couple of trips to the cemetery with various cameras; it's peaceful and the old stones are always worth a read. This shot was taken from the side door of the church, and gives the view that many churchgoers would see after their discussions with their maker. Maybe it shows their next stop on a Sunday morning.

Leica R4, 50mm Summicron and HP5

Hieroglyphs in Egypt

View large for detail.

I have always been amazed at how people have been able to read the hieroglyphs found on Egyptian temples, tombs and other antiquities. However, it is only when you stand in one of the temples and see the vastness of the 'writings' that you realise what an enormous task it is to record the writings on those walls. After some tuition and the exposure to them, you quickly become adept at recognizing the figures for the different kings and gods, do they have the crown of the Upper or Lower Nile etc, but beyond that is a mystery to me.

The pyramids around Cairo are imposing, and were a technical feat of their own, but the temples on the Nile, from Luxor to Aswan, are something else.

This photo is only one very small section of the hieroglyphs at the temple of Philae, near Aswan. The temple stands on an island, but when the great dam was built at Aswan, the temple was submerged. In the 1970s it was part of an international project to take the whole thing to pieces, bit by bit, and rebuild it in its present position. A tremendous feat in itself.

Camera was Olympus OM40 with 24mm and HP5 film.

Eat your heart out, Damien Hirst

View large.

A year or so ago Damien Hirst made his (ludicrous?) diamond studded skull which was supposed to sell for about £50M. Not the first thing I would buy if I had the money.

In Venice last year we were on the water-bus on the Grand Canal when I spotted this very large sculpture on the bank alongside a hotel. The skull may have been inspired by Hirst, but it is made from saucepans, tins and other metal kitchen containers. I couldn't help thinking it was some artist's way of putting two fingers up to Hirst.

So, a digital shot for a change, taken with the Panasonic Lumix TZ3.