The last roll of film that I used on my trip to the Isle of Wight was a roll of Kodak TMAX 100. I’ve used it before but not for a long time. I fancied revisiting it, so purchased a single roll. More than anything I was interested to see how it would perform in FX21. Ilford Delta 100 I like in that developer but how would the Kodak equivalent perform? Rather well as it turns out!
Cowes is on the northern tip of the Island and is most famous for having a regatta week, and there is a photography connection. “Beken of Cowes” started in 1888, and has been “the” photographer in the area, especially of boats. They had traditional darkrooms, and even developed a few methods, advanced for the time. Holding a glass plate camera with two hands, at sea, how do your fire the shutter? Have an air bulb in your mouth!! You can read their story here.
Cowes is a divided town – Cowes is on the west bank of the river Medina while East Cowes is on the other. If you had to go from one to the other in the middle of the night, you would have to drive inland to Newport, cross the river then back up the other side, a total drive of about 9 miles. Luckily during the day there is a ferry across the river.
Above (left) the ferry crossing the river, the house on the far right is the same house on the right of the right hand photo, but from the other side of the river, watching a cargo boat carrying a single blade of a wind turbine – they look huge up close!!
Above is the H.M.S Cavalier Propeller Monument, a propeller from the ship, on East Cowes esplanade. The ship was a C-Class destroyer built in Cowes by J. Samuel White, and the propeller is a monument to both their work and sailors who died at sea. I guess being completed towards the end of the war (launched in 1944) ensured it survived, and indeed it’s now preserved in Chatham Docks in Kent.
Above is the ferry terminal at East Cowes, the Red Funnel service connects with Southampton on the mainland. This photo was made from the upper deck of the ferry crossing the river. I pretty much retraced my steps, back to the car.
The following day was my last on the Island and I decide to return to Osbourne House, just for a chill day really. It was then that I realised the the Canon EOS 30 had developed a fault. You can read about that here should you wish! I hadn’t noticed any issue while wandering around Cowes or indeed the rest of the week, but wondered how much of the film I’d shot would be ruined.
I managed to complete the roll making the two photo’s above, having no idea what exposure of shutter speed was actually taking place. In the end everything came out fine. Kodak TMAX 100 is a lovely film and developed well in FX21. It gave nice tones and was both sharp and virtually grain less. I’d happily use the film all the time except that, I have a bulk length of Delta in the fridge!
S.H.O.U.T. 