Tempest Dance studios B/W Photographs

It has been some time since I have posted but a few weeks weeks back I took some photographs at Tempest Dance Studios, Gilesgate, Durham.

Gillian, the studios inspirational teacher is retiring in a few weeks time before handing the studios on. These photographs are a documentation of the Studio space between classes.

The studios are based at the Vane Tempest Community Center Gilesgate. Which started life as a cavalry army barracks.

Tempest Dance studios are spread over 2 levels, downstairs which is the larger of the 2 spaces and upstairs a smaller and more intimate space used mostly for small pole dancing classes.

The studios are constantly busy and Durham University’s Aerial Arts society are based there.

I ‘d like to thank Gillian for allowing me access to document the studios in this way.

35mm B/W Film

 

 

 

 

As part of the 17 Claypath Gallery documentary photography project I undertook for Empty Shop late last year I decided to take some 35mm photographs on my old Canon AE 1 film camera as well as in digital format.

Here’s a test shot I did at Empty Shop HQ using the AE 1 camera. The negative processing was done by Ag Photo Lab.

A  large part of me still prefers to use film and I still find the 2 media worlds apart though I wouldn’t be without my digital cameras now.

 

Goal Posts at Belmont

 

Canon 30d

Replaced my Canon 30D camera and lens this week. These were taken using  a Canon EF 50mm 1:18 lens:

 

Snow in October

Snow this morning in Durham.

 

Empty Shop

Photos taken with Olympus VG-170 camera earlier this week at Empty Shop HQ, Durham City.

 

 

Olympus VG-170 Camera pt 2

Had a quick go trying out the Olympus VG-170 yesterday and really like the camera’s weight and textured grip, but am still struggling to adjust to framing via an LCD screen rather than using a view finder, especially when outdoors in bright light conditions when it becomes impossible to see the composition on the LCD screen at all.

The camera comes with a wide range of options…for me the landscape mode option enhances the colours in a  shot rather tooharshly.

I found the panoramic mode harder to align up the individual photos than with the Finepix camera, but the resolution is better and allows stitching up to 10 photos using the soft wear provided.

It’s proving a useful camera and I’m enjoying finding out what it does though it does make me appricate even more my lost Canon!

Olympus VG-170 Camera

The battery on the Fuji Finepix has continued being unreliable and dying after the camera had only been in use for 30 minutes or so, despite charging the battery following the instructions.

Below is the last photo I manged to get from the Finepix camera.

So today I took the camera back to the shop and exchanged it for an Olympus VG-170.

The Olympus came with a software editing and importing package, including a 3D photo option, a panorama option, face recognition and mapping. I’m looking forward to trying out the camera over the week-end.

 

Finepix JV300

Yesterday I brought a Fujifilm Finepix JV300 so as to have a basic camera to hand until finding a DSLR replacement as I have felt quite bereft without a  camera to carry about.

I chose the cheapest camera on offer in the shop as I just wanted something basic to have to hand and wasn’t expecting too much.

The battery has been unreliable, suddenly cutting out after showing that it was fully charged and I haven’t enjoyed working with out a view finder even though the LCD screen is a good size.

One function that I have enjoyed is the panoramic option that knits three shots together. (I have come across editing soft wear which will do this but it is a fun widget to have it available on the camera).

Union Jack Flag

Union Jack flag video still