black and white photography | alan frost photography

Sunday morning stroll with the Fuji X100v and a few added accessories

*Looking south towards Northground Dairy*

As I type these words, I peer through the window and the rain continues to fall. It was a very wet and mild winter and the summer is proving to be neither hot nor particularly dry. Long walks have been in short supply but a morning stroll along a new pathway is always satisfying. I parked the car at the top of the rise just south of Hill Dairy on the road to West Chaldon in Dorset. I headed west along the farm track, across the road which leads to Holworth before returning along the same route. I much prefer a circular walk, but on this occasion time was limited.

Although quite overcast the clouds provided visual interest and when the sun did break through it would cast light on the fields to the north and the south. The views of the rolling countryside were very pleasing indeed and this is an area worthy of further exploration in the future. in total the walk took about an hour at a gentle pace and only covered 2.3 miles with an ascent and descent of 167ft, so hardly strenuous. Just right for a breath of fresh air and some fine views on a Sunday morning.

I hoped that I might be able to take a few photographs but didn’t want to carry a bag full of gear, so the Fuji X100v had to be the camera of choice. I have had the camera for a little over 4 years now and it really is an ideal companion when out walking. Although it has now been superseded by the X100vi with its larger 40.2mp sensor, I have no plans to upgrade. 26.1mp is more than adequate for my needs.

As you can see from the image below I have added a few accessories over time which in my view all serve a useful purpose and much improve the handling and functionality of the camera.

*Fuji X100v with a number of accessories*

In no particular order –

A lens hood made by Squarehood which still allows the use of a UV filter. Without one the camera is no longer weather sealed. As well as cutting out any stray light the hood prevents grubby fingermarks getting on the filter and I no longer use a lens cover, which I am only likely to lose anyway.

A front hand grip by JJC which incorporates an arca swiss compatible base plate for mounting on a tripod. Plus a thumb grip which I find essential to firmly grip the camera. Although the most expensive option I chose one made by Lensmate in America. Unlike any of the others for sale it has a folding mechanism to give greater access to buttons and dials.

The combination of these accessories greatly improves the comfort and handling although I accept they do add to its bulk. A small price to pay in my view opinion.

Lastly a soft release button again by JJC. – I had never used one before but it does make the control of the shutter release button that much easier.

None of these items guarantee good photographs of course but they do make this excellent little camera even more pleasurable to use.

Here are a selection of images captured on this walk.

*A field of maize and threatening clouds*

*A stroll through the Dorset countryside*

‘Fallen’ – photography without expectation

There are occasions when a spontaneous outing with minimal photographic equipment can prove to be a rewarding experience. This may also be true if you visit a location with no specific intention of what it is you are going to photograph. You begin with no expectations, so hopes of capturing that pre-visualised image cannot be dashed. You accept the weather and light for what it is. The search for subjects to photograph may be slow but with a little patience compositions may start to reveal themselves. One image can lead to another and then another. Before you know it a theme develops and a small body of work comes together.

This happened to me some weeks ago. I had a couple of hours to spare but the light was flat and I didn’t want to travel very far. I went to an area of forestry and heathland not far from home. I was not that familiar with the landscape and didn’t expect a particularly productive time but I would enjoy the exercise even if the camera didn’t get much use.

Light out of Darkness

In the past few days I have been reading ‘Steeple Chasing – Around Britain by Church’ by Peter Ross. I am now about half way through the book and I am thoroughly enjoying both the content and the well written word. I can highly recommend it.

In the first chapter titled ‘Darkness’ two short passages spoke to me and in so many ways succinctly described my own feelings when visiting churches.

The first and I quote – “And so, as I grew older, I found myself drawn back – not to pray necessarily, but to sit for a bit, to poke around, to get in out of the rain. I began to appreciate the wisdom of John Betjeman’s words: ‘Church crawling is the richest of pleasures, it leads you to the remotest and quietest country, it introduces you to the history of England in stone and wood and glass which is always truer than what you read in books’”

In the second passage the author refers a visit to the Benedictine Abbey at Pluscarden in Scotland following the recent passing of his father. He writes – “…… it brought me a peace that I hadn’t felt for many weeks. I left far lighter than I had come. Was this a religious experience? I don’t know. Perhaps it was just being forced to spend long hours sitting in quiet. ‘It kind of gets inside you / The silence I mean,’ sings Linda Perhacs in her beautiful song ‘Chimacum Rain’, and old churches are like that. You are entering a building but really it is entering you.”

The six images shown here are a collection I have made over many years from visiting a variety of churches. I love to watch the light as it moves around, highlighting subjects which would otherwise be in virtual darkness. I endeavour to capture the feelings of stillness, of quiet and of solitude, prevalent in churches but not quite so easy to find elsewhere.

Perhaps it goes without saying that in the Bible the metaphorical meaning of light and darkness is often used to compare good and evil.

In John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Cornwall ….. in Squares

From Praa Sands looking east towards Rinsey Head

It’s many years since I last visited the far west tip of Cornwall, in fact it would have been long before my interest in photography was ignited, so a return to this area back in March was long overdue. Well known for its spectacular coastline, delightful and picturesque fishing villages, all enhanced of course by the wonderful light, which has been the draw of so many artists. It’s a special but very popular location.

The remains of a dead tree at Praa Sands

If asked to choose my preferred aspect ratio, I would have to say 1:1, or a square crop, so for this entry, I have selected a number of square images, which I think work well as compositions.

Bugatti Type 35 at the 81st Goodwood Members Meeting

Goodwood Motor Circuit was the setting for The 81st Members Meeting which took place over the weekend of the 13th and 14th April 2024. I arrived early, partly to avoid the queues for the car park but principally to capture some scenes without too many people around. There is so much to see and photograph at any Goodwood Motorsport event but the first area I wanted to check out was the paddock. I was soon drawn to one particular area where there was a very fine collection of Bugatti Type 35s on display to celebrate the car’s 100th Anniversary.

The Type 35 which was launched in 1924, was designed by Ettore Bugatti. It was built for racing and was significantly ahead of its rivals at the time. So much so that it became arguably the most successful race car of all time with 2,500 victories and podium finishes over more than 10 years of competition.

Bugatti adopted a lightweight and agile design in the car with a 1,991cc engine which was later enlarged to 2,262cc. Many of its competitors where considerably larger and heavier cars, powered by huge engines.

To any car enthusiast or petrol-head its shape and design are instantly recognizable. From the iconic grill and Bugatti badge, to the distinctive wheels and open cockpit, it would be hard to mistake the car for any other.

I spent a good deal of time looking around, observing the fine details and finding different angles from which to take these images. In total there were 18 Type 35s which later in the day competed in the Grover Williams Trophy. At the bottom of this page there is a link to the race itself on YouTube.

For more information about the history of the Type 35 there are two excellent articles on The Bugatti website.

Bugatti Type 35 – Perfection through Evolution

Bugatti Type 35 – The Making of a Champion

I hope you enjoy the gallery of images below.