I’ve recently been reading Brooks Jensen’s The Best of the LensWork Interviews. I really enjoyed the Alexandra de Steiguer interview, who for the past two decades has spent five months each year working as winter caretaker and photographing the Isles of Shoals.
Winter’s Watch, filmed, produced and directed by Brian Bolster is a short documentary about the Isles of Shoals and Alexandra de Steiguer’s beautiful images.
Links:
Moorland Close Farm, the birthplace of Fletcher Christian and St. Bridgets church where he was christened.
A bootprint, initialed FC, in the lead flashing of the summer house pictured above, is reputed to be that of Fletcher Christian. Mel Gibson visited the farm in the 1980s when making ‘The Bounty’. I believe he clambered up on to the summer house to take a look at the bootprint.
The white foal in the first photo kept a curious eye on me at all times. A pleasure to see … it made my day.
© Simon Howlett 2017. All rights reserved
The family of HMS Bounty mutineer, Fletcher Christian, owned Ewanrigg Hall in Maryport. A grade II listed building, it has been derelict for many years. Two storeys from the centre of the original building no longer remain. In the last photo an entrance to a tunnel can be seen on the side of the main building at ground level, which provided access from the hall down to Maryport.
I’m also planning to photograph Moorland Close Farm where Fletcher Christian was born. These locations are close to home, but despite having had a lifelong fascination with the Bounty story, I’ve only recently started to visit them.
© Simon Howlett 2017. All rights reserved
An ongoing series of platinum/palladium prints (5.5 inch x 8.25 inch) photographed in Maryport, Cumbria. Above is Sincerity, below is the Stjernen, Our James and Balcary.
Shot with a digital SLR and processed/converted to B&W in Lightroom. The negatives were processed in Photoshop and printed on Pictorico transparency film. The platinum/palladium prints were made on Bergger COT-320 paper.
The contact print process and the remarkable moment when the print appears can be seen to great effect in this video by Paul Cunningham: Platinum Print Process
© Simon Howlett 2017. All rights reserved
I’ve always enjoyed visiting Maryport and photographing the numerous vessels there. I’m planning to make platinum prints of these images which I think are well suited to the process.
This year I intend to spend more time locally, visiting Maryport, Allonby and Whitehaven along with the Lakes, Eden Valley and Hadrian’s Wall.
The artists Sheila Fell RA (1931-1979) and Percy Kelly (1918-1993) have been an inspiration regarding this. Local artists, they predominantly painted scenes from Cumbria. Both of them visited Maryport on many occasions along with Sheila Fell’s good friend LS Lowry.
They are still very much in peoples’ thoughts in this part of the world. A neighbour’s friend can recall travelling on the bus with Sheila Fell to Carlisle School of Art in the late 1940s. Another neighbour remembers seeing Sheila Fell working out in the landscape during the 1960s … a wonderful insight into the life of a remarkable artist.
More information can be found here:
Sheila Fell Exhibition / Sheila Fell Interview / Percy Kelly
© Simon Howlett 2017. All rights reserved
An image I’ve only just got round to working on. Shot four months ago with a 1968 Hasselblad 500C. Will be using this camera to photograph sea stacks in Scotland. I also have a digital SLR packed and ready to go, so hope to come back with a variety of film and digital images from the week long trip.
© Simon Howlett 2014. All rights reserved
Spent an afternoon on these piers which have taken the brunt of the stormy weather we’ve been having. Part of west pier is now in danger of collapse after great chunks of stone were ripped out by enormous waves.
Whitehaven is a Georgian town which in days gone by supported the shipping and mining industries. Nowadays tourism plays an important role in helping to boost the town’s economy.
Hasselblad 500C, Distagon 4/50, 10 stop ND filter. From top to bottom: 4 minute, 4 minute, 40 second and 2 minute exposures. Colour negative film converted to b&w and processed in Adobe Lightroom.
© Simon Howlett 2014. All rights reserved
The Christina O is still at Chatham. Spent a few days in Chatham Dock recently and was up early enough to capture the luxury yacht and its reflection. I think colour works better than black & white for this image. To compare, the black & white version can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/simon0252/9716965999/
More information about this historic and beautiful yacht can be found at: www.mychristinao.com
© Simon Howlett 2013. All rights reserved
Sailed past this a few weeks ago. The Italian training ship was outward bound on the River Thames, following a visit to West India Dock, London. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge can be seen in the distance.
Built in 1930 in Naples her home port is La Spezia, Italy. Named after the Italian explorer and cartographer (1454-1512).
© Simon Howlett 2013. All rights reserved
I’ve recently started printing with Bergger COT-320 paper which I’m extremely pleased with. I generally coat the paper with a glass rod but decided to brush coat these. Drop count was 9 0 8 2 and exposure time was 4 minutes under a bank of 7 UV tubes. I’ll still be working with Arches Platine but I’m so pleased with the results from the Bergger it will now be the paper I reach for.
The first is the Stjernen at Maryport and the second is Carlisle Cathedral, Cumbria.
These prints (5 x 8 inch) along with others are for sale. More details can be found on my website: http://www.simonhowlett.com
© Simon Howlett 2013. All rights reserved
Simon Howlett Photography 