During a week long work trip, I brought along my Leica M6 (with a tiny 35mm lens), with the aim to photograph anything i saw interesting on my daily commute. Here is London on film in classic black & white!
I am a big believer in having a camera on you at all times, but the fact that we all have that in our smartphones doesn't really do it for me, it is too easy and the results are too instant for my liking. But before this post quickly descends into an argument for film, let's just say I managed to pick up a decent 35mm lens for my Leica that would be small enough to fit in my coat pocket, and my plan for the week was all set.
I have been on the hunt for a decently priced 35mm lens for a while, and after lots of research I settled on the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f1.4 SC version ('SC' standing for single coated as opposed to the multi-coated 'MC' version - apparently the SC version is more suited to black & white photography, which is perfect for my shooting style). This lens is seriously tiny and its f1.4 aperture would really come in useful for low light situations.
They say invest in camera lenses and I cannot agree more. Also, once you invest a certain amount upfront it is fairly easy to buy and sell lenses, they don't lose their value that much, and sometimes they even go up in value! It's all about the glass...
What I was photographing
I had brought 4 rolls of black and white film with me, two Kodak Tri-X and a mix of Lomography Early Grey / Lady Grey 100 and 400 film. I have become a big fan of Tri-X, but also realised I have to make space for food in my fridge, so I needed to use whatever film I find in there!
As it was only my second outing with this lens, I wanted to put it through its paces, and what better time to do that than pre-dawn in wintery London! This lens is famous for its high contrast and "old, classic look", and I can safely say it delivered on that promise.
Most of the shots were taken very early on the way to Crossfit or the gym, or after work enroute home. As a result, it is no surprise the common theme is transportation, it is funny how easily one falls back into the London commuting way of life.
"Platform 17 for the next train" - amazing how quickly such a long platform fills up with people.
All is quiet on a Bakerloo line train at 05.30! I really like the compisition of this shot, it kind of looks like a space capsule.
MIND THE GAP!
Hey, I had a few mins. to spare before the next train was coming, so why not take this shot?!
But I must say, my gym and laptop bag combo make the whole outfit look very odd indeed!
This lens is super sharp, I love how much contrast the Tri-X film has too.
I can see why the reviews say the single coated version of this lens is suited to black and white photography. It produces a really "old looking" type shot, with plenty of grain. It also vignettes quite significantly at smaller apertures, a look I quite like. You cannot see it during the night shots, but it is very visible during the day.
Waiting for the Crossfit gym to open, this scene looks scarier on film than it really was! Shot handlheld with the lens wide open at f1.4 leaning on the side of a wall for added stability.
I actually don't know what this is...right under a railway bridge at Waterloo station. It looks really cool in black & white!
"Last stop - all change".
I'm really impressed with this lens + Kodak Tri-X combo.
I really like how grainy some of these darker images come out.
It is a pity this one is a bit blurry, as shot handheld without resting against a wall or anything sturdy. I still like the composition though!
40th+ floor. You can just about make out the Olympic Park in the very background of this shot.
Jubilee park in Canary Wharf from above.
I had forgotten the name of this park so looked it up on Google maps, and if you have not tried looking around Canary Wharf with is 3D option, I highly recommend you try it is very cool! Link: https://goo.gl/maps/C2cYmNJV6L72
Perfect split of sun and shade on the Thomson Reuters building, it even cuts the name in half! I was using an orange filter during the day to get a bit of added contrast.
A quick look behind me in a taxi and I saw this perfectly framed shot!
I barely had any time to take this shot, wih a foggy window and obviously very gloomy and rainy outside. I love how this shot came out, you can't quite make out where it is but on the other hand it is obvious where it is. Lots of personality in this shot!
One of my favourite shots from the few rolls I took.
I still can't understand how they got planning permission to put running water all the way down this walkway, the amount of times I have seen people walk straight into it and get one foot completely soaked...! That being said, it makes for a great photograph composition wise!
I was looking for a night shot from the same vantage point and forgot I had not moved the focus ring and also my lens was quite wet - still makes for a cool artistic shot!
And off we go again...
I thought I would get more window reflections in this shot, but still decided to put it up. Black & white photogaphy really comes out into its own at night though, I always think that when I see a shot like this.
Bit of a busy shot, but I liked the lighting on the tube station.
I finally made it to the Camera Museum.
A really curious mix of coffee shop, camera shop focusing on Hasselblad and medium format cameras, and a fantastic camera museum downstairs. Highly recommended.
There is something quite simple about the straight lines of train tracks. And then you notice there are straight lines everywhere.
I last took this shot when I was reviewing Fuji Natura 1600 film as part of my 52 rolls of film project. You can see that shot here. I am undecided about which I like better, but this one has loads of glorious grain!
Obligatory airport shot. Look at how much grain there is in this shot, I really like how this lens renders an old school type look.
Concluding remarks
So those are some of the things that caught my eye during a typical work week back in London. Unsurpringly lots of shots relating to various forms of transport, as I didn't have time to take shots of much else. That being said, it is pretty representative, especially of empty streets pre-dawn and packed stations after work.
I am really happy with the 35mm Voigtländer lens, and it works really well with the Kodak Tri-X film. And most importantly, it fits in my coat pocket, talk about a winning combination!
Thanks again for stopping by!
Neil
