Black and White

This term is predominantly about bringing us back to basics - in effect, simplifying the whole procedure and removing any aspect of digital, modern technology and in fact for the most part colour.  What we are left with is using black and white film photography and combining this with developing and printing in the darkroom.

Last week we were given our first roll of B&W film.   To my mind,  this has the potential to go three times as wrong as with a digital camera.   Firstly, the simple use of an "old school camera", second "developing the film" and thirdly "printing".  Fingers crossed it all goes according to plan!  To date, I've shot my B&W film.  It appears to have successfully loaded, 36 exposures taken, film rewound and removed.   Only tomorrow's session in the darkroom will tell if this has been successful.

Me, Myself and I

So before, I delve too much into this blog - I thought it would be appropriate to introduce myself a little.  I've currently taken up a new position in the National College of Ireland as an Associate Lecturer in the School of Computing. One week I became the lecturer and the following week I became the student.  I've also started an evening course, studying for a BA in Photography in Griffith College Dublin.

I am back in the country now for six months, after spending the previous nine months away travelling with my fiance.  We took a couple of small bags, packed full of climbing gear and camera equipment and embarked on wonderful adventure that took us from Dublin to France, Spain and Greece, Thailand and India, Australia and New Zealand and finally home through Canada, hitting some of the top climbing destinations in the world.  Each place had its own unique charm. Our days were either rest days or climbing days.  On my rest days, the camera came out and I had the privilege of photographing friends and acquaintances in some of the most wonderful places I've ever been too.  Our adventure is documented on my travel blog.

Anne Yeagle, Climbing in Grande Grotta, Kalymnos, Greece

Andrew Speer, Albaracin, Spain, Sept 2010

But its not just climbing that tickles my photographic fancy.  I've a few friends in a band, The McGetigans who I've had the pleasure of seeing and taking photographs for.

Barry O'Dwyer and Brendan Lawless playing in Whelans, August 2011

Back to Basics

For the next 12 weeks or so, we are putting our digital cameras aside (well at least for the course assignments) and picking up our old analogue cameras.   I've resurrected my old Pentax K1000 with its 50mm prime lens off a dusty shelf in the back of my wardrobe, dusting it off (quite literally) loaded some colour 100 ISO Fuji film and took her out for a spin.

It was that grey, damp, wet, windy weekend - hmmm - so it wasn't making my life easy.   However, I gave it my best shot and here are some of the results.

Having used a digital camera now for so long - I've gotten used to auto-focus - the sheer tediousness of trying to focus on a object took its toll.  Some worked some didn't.   The whole process slowed me down - I couldn't not click away to my hearts content - I had 36 exposures only.  There's no reviewing my image,  so I had to document it all in a little log book.  Its all very time consuming, but it does make you think about the shot.

And thankfully, my analogue camera appears to be still working after years of no use!!

Welcome to my Photographic Adventures

I've just enrolled on the BA in photographic media in Griffith College Dublin and I thought its might be nice to document the adventures that I embark on throughout the course!! Of course it is also a course requirement ;)

I hope to include the knowledge and techniques that I learn along the way and also document my failures so that you too can learn from my mistakes. 

I'm not entirely new to this blogging lark either.  I've kept a travel blog on and off for the last 5 years.  I tend to only update it when I travel - so unfortunately there are some large gaps.  But its another side of me  - my travel blog !!