The past year has been quite a dystopian journey for many and a great change to a freedom to which we were so freely accustomed to.
The measured distances were now noticeable as I stood on the platform waiting to take my first journey into London for almost 8 months. The carriage was near empty and as the train drew through the stations, I was beginning to wonder what it would be like at the other end. It had been a while since I had last seen Lucas in the blistering cold of January and today was going to be an opportunity to reconnect with our passion for photography.
For quite some time now, Lucas had been passionately talking about his love for film photography. The burning of the light on the film, the processing but ultimately the rendition captured by film stock was something only digital software could try to mimic but never quite capture its true essence. It was an art in itself. After much deliberation and a fascinating opportunity, which I couldn’t turn down, I was about to find out whether this was something that would reignite my passion for photography in a new way.
It was the first time I had shot with the Nikon FA. Partially cloudy with some breaks of sunshine, I opened the back of the camera and decided to load up some Ilford XP2 Super 400 which I had recently acquired. With its C41 processing it would make it easy for me to drop off at a camera store for development later. Perhaps one of the sins of having predominately shot on digital is the inherent need for immediate results.
Ilford XP2 Super 400 on Nikon FA, Oxford Street, London, England
I ended up standing on the corner of the street, as people hurried by in a haze like an image where the shutter had been dragged. Opposite me, Lucas with his summer hat had already loaded his camera and was hunting away for the prefect shot. I glanced over, while trying to firmly insert the start of the film into the socket so it could catch. Snapping the film back shut. I cocked it to the first shot. I looked up and suddenly began to see the urban landscape as if it could be framed and put on a wall. The sun had appeared momentarily, and I pressed down on the shutter, as I felt the metal and spring release. Reassurance at least the camera worked, whether it was working at the speed I expected, was another matter.
Every shot created a sense of mystery and excitement. The limited nature of 36 shots on a 35mm roll encourages forced reflection before pushing the trigger. Is this worth seeing? Photographing architecture is different to photographing people. With architecture you are choosing between several options, whereas with people you are capturing more than the outward shape - more the moment. In London, the exterior of a building hides what may be present on the inside. Planning and regulation has put the emphasis on preservation of the past. But according to who’s eye and perception? These thoughts combined with the limited nature of the film format help to refine the images I ended up taking.
We continued on foot towards the modernist Centre Point Tower, it is quite easily missed if your focus is on retail therapy while walking along Oxford Street towards Tottenham Court Road. The building itself is 34 storeys high and was built in the early 1960s making it one of the first skyscrapers of the City. Construction workers bristled around the one-way entrance to the underground station. The metal and glass facade of the station contrasted with the grey and imposing tower above. With the imaginary clock ticking away, I used the straight lines to capture the building. Then readjusting to find more improbable shots shooting through the large glass panels surrounding the entrance. I took a few more shots of the Tower in an attempt to capture its scale and imposing nature. At the time I didn’t feel satisfied with what I had taken but decided not to dwell on it and swiftly walked around to the entrance of the underground station. I immediately felt that I had made the right decision, framed my shot and pressed the trigger. If one image was to come out from all this it would be this one, I was to be the most content with!
I had lost Lucas by now, so I decided to cross the road and go fishing for some new locations to shoot in. It was as if I had been transported from the modern era back to Victorian times. The old brown brickwork with large black pipes crisscrossing the side of the buildings like vines climbing a tree. I could imagine the noise as residents and passers-by bounced off the buildings in the narrow passageway. The light was limited so I immediately knew it would be risky trying to take a shot of this street with the Ilford film. The image did indeed come out more contrasty but in many ways reflected the mood that I was trying to capture.
The shades of grey on the buildings were starting to change as the summer afternoon light start to fade away. Our walk quickened through Bedford Square leaving the bustle of Oxford Street behind. Two women in the distance were out shooting in the classic Georgian backdrop where wealthy merchants once lived. They had hurried off as we skirted around the Square seeking out any forgotten lanes. A window shot here and another narrow alley way there. We briskly made our way towards Warren Street Station, hoping to make the most of the last few shots we had on our roll in the diminishing light.
The urban landscape has changed and will continue to do so. The future will be different but itself will provide new ways and photographic opportunities to capture and record life.
Prints available here: https://ahsan.darkroom.tech/
Join my 14 day Film Photography Challenge: https://www.udemy.com/course/filmphotography/
Camera used in video: Nikon FA 35mm
Film: ILFORD XP2 SUPER 400
Video Shot on: iPhone