Black and White Film Photography, Wells

The Vicars’ Close

Wells, December 2020

After a few months of getting to know my digital camera, I was in a camera shop in Bristol and came across a Canon 1000F film camera from the 1990s. Having gone in store just to purchase a polarising filter for my digital camera I ended up with this late era film camera (auto, in camera take up of the film roll, no wind up handles here!) and a 28 - 80 mm lens for £50.

After getting used to how film and digital photography works I ended up purchasing coloured filters to get better contrast in my photos, black and white film photography by now becoming my favourite medium but I do plan to experiment with other colour stocks in future.

Wells struck me as a great place to experiment with the coloured filters, especially on a sunny, high contrast day where I could really take advantage of using light and shadows to create striking, graphic representations of the historic buildings.

I also took photographs of a man and his Dalmatian dog and a couple of classic cars, which i think in the right conditions can look great in black and white. Taking the portrait of the man and his dog was a bit daunting as I do struggle to build up the courage to ask for portraits but I now just tell myself, ‘they can only say no, it doesn’t matter’.

Walking around, seeing what I can find and photograph around towns and cities, especially historical ones, is something that I look forward to doing more of as time goes by and we are allowed to travel again. There is always something to capture, whether it be people going about their daily lives or the more permanent buildings and architecture that have resided for decades, if not centuries before.

The Vicars’ Close

Wells, December 2020

Morgan Plus 4, Wells Cathedral

Wells, December 2020

Jaguar XJS, Wells High Street

Wells, December 2020

Man and his dog, Wells Cathedral

Wells, December 2020