For the last 25 years I have kept an office in St Ives – not the one by the sea where aggressive gulls rip ice creams indiscriminately from the hands of hyperactive children and defenseless pensioners – but the quiet market town a few miles to the north west of Cambridge.
The lock down has meant that I have not been visiting as often as usual and I’ve really missed the place. I hadn’t realised quite how much the Victorian riverside port with its gentle rhythm of bustling market days and sleepy early closing has worked its way into my affection.
So the day after the summer solstice I found myself getting up at 6.00 in the morning and wandering around with only a few bleary-eyed fishermen at the end of their night, and a similar complement of sprightly dog walkers beginning their day, for company.
I wanted to try to capture the timelessness of some of my favourite haunts in the extraordinary light of one of the earliest of early mornings.
I took with me my Zeiss Ikon Nettar, my Weston Master III light meter and two rolls of Ilford FP4.
There is something about this combination that invites you to take your time and savour each shot. The camera is so simple and well-built that it’s a real pleasure to hold in your hands. I love the feel of the bellows opening out and the pre-shot cocking of the shutter. These pictures were all shot at 1/75 second at between f16 and f22.
I was especially chuffed with the accidental double exposure which combines two images of the high street!
I’m now working on a larger set of photos with notes on the history of the locations which I hope to publish as a book to give to colleagues and friends.
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Babak Farshchian on 5 frames of St Ives with my Zeiss Ikon Nettar & Ilford FP4 – by Graham Spinks
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
I love these cameras. They are small and give you decent quality medium format in a solid and pocketable body. I have one that even has a functioning built-in light meter, though I never trusted it. I should try FP4 with this camera. It gives a nice vintage look!
Graham Spinks on 5 frames of St Ives with my Zeiss Ikon Nettar & Ilford FP4 – by Graham Spinks
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Zvonimir on 5 frames of St Ives with my Zeiss Ikon Nettar & Ilford FP4 – by Graham Spinks
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Eric Norris on 5 frames of St Ives with my Zeiss Ikon Nettar & Ilford FP4 – by Graham Spinks
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
I'm jealous of your location. We're watching the entire run of "Endeavour" from the BBC, and of course are in love with the Oxford of the 1960s portrayed in the series.
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Zvonimir on 5 frames of St Ives with my Zeiss Ikon Nettar & Ilford FP4 – by Graham Spinks
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Particular thanks to Lee for his authoritative essay on Zeiss folders. I'm very happy with the resolution of the Novar f3.5 triplet on my Super Ikonta III; it has consistently outperformed the earlier f2.8 Tessars that I have tried. Stopped down to f8 it produces negatives that I can enlarge to 11x14 inches.
The camera is rugged, foolproof, pocketable, and thiefproof, and, o digital friends, it is mirrorless!
Alex Vye on 5 frames of St Ives with my Zeiss Ikon Nettar & Ilford FP4 – by Graham Spinks
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Comment posted: 25/08/2020
Paul on 5 frames of St Ives with my Zeiss Ikon Nettar & Ilford FP4 – by Graham Spinks
Comment posted: 25/08/2020