My “different emulsions” process has led me to try Kodak’s Portra. I’ve used it before, and have always thought that the images look a bit magenta to my eye. I thought I’d try it again, and re-evaluate. I made up an order along with a friend, so the roll on the top by itself, in the image above, is the very roll! The rest I had to pass on to my friend who had paid for it! I’m not in the habit of splashing out £300 on colour film stock in one go. (Normally!)
The Hardy Monument is a 72-foot-high tower, erected in 1844 by public subscription, to the memory of Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy. He was flag captain of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar and is the Hardy from the dying Nelson quote “Kiss me Hardy” and not the poet and author Hardy. The site for the monument was chosen because the Hardy family wanted a monument which could be used as a landmark for shipping as such it has been shown on navigational charts since 1846. It has a bit of a family connection as my father used to be a paramedic and there was a joke known to his colleagues and family that if he could see Hardy’s Monument – he knew where he was! When he retired he was presented with a wooden model. The original is visible for 60 miles so he had a good range!
The monument itself was designed to look like a spyglass, Admiral Hardy would have used on board ship. Its eight corners are aligned with the compass points. Viewed from the ground the corner to the right of the lightning conductor points due south. There is also a local pub that bears his name.
I have confirmed my thoughts that this is a very good all purpose film. The grain is almost non-existent. In all of these images I have taken out a little blue and a little magenta, of course all colour settings be it my screen, scanner, settings, or indeed yours, will make these images look different. That said I have seen many images from this film and they all look a bit “pink” to me – so I’ve corrected that out to my taste! It’s a good film, but it’s not cheap, in fact about twice the price I normally pay for a colour film. I’d buy it again for something special but not for everyday use.
S.H.O.U.T. 