Lee Jones

Scarborough, Day 2 | June 2024

To help prevent my heart from caving in, I decided to go a walk around Marine Drive before meeting up with a couple of pals. When I got to Nick, we ended up doing a second lap.

I’ve done this walk a million times, but have barely ever taken pictures there with street photography in mind. So there’s a few candids of kids just doing their thing, along with my usual interests of relatively minimal scenes featuring no one.

The tide was coming in, and the sea was getting pretty ch...

Scarborough, Day 1 | June 2024

Visiting the folks. I’m gonna try make a video while I’m down here but I don’t exactly know how. Will figure it out.

Went to the beach today. The light was harsh but it kinda slapped? Real love these photos as I’m kinda fucking with digital again. These are from the M11.

Will I shoot film at all? Probably. I’ve brought the M6 but that’ll obvs have to wait.

Nero 1.5x Anamorphic Adapter

My pal Sam is reyt into how anamorphic lenses, to the extent that he bought some crazy lens/adapter that mounts on the front of your standard lens of choice - I chose the Helios.

The way it works is you set your lens to infinity, and then focus with the adapter. Shoot as normal, and process and desqueeze in post.

The last photo is particularly cool, Sam noticed that shooting anamorphic in portrait with the adapter rotated means you end up with a square frame once desqueezed - nice...

BTS stills from a video shoot with Kev

In an unexpected turn of events, I ended up back at Whitelee Windfarm again today. Weird. Kev wanted some help shooting a video for a photobook he's gearing up to release, and asked if I'd tag along. 100% keen. I took the Q2 along as a quick point and shoot for some on the fly BTS style shots, and I honestly really dig them!

There was no point in even checking the weather because from the second we started rolling we experienced it all. Jesus Christ. If ever there was a place t...

Whitelee Windfarm | May 2024

Yesterday I shared photos from a walk around a (small) section of Whitelee Windfarm. Figured I'd share the photos here, but with a few extras that didn't make the cut (because I didn't get enough usable audio... windfarms do be windy.)

Time Capsule X: Whitelee Windfarm

Obligatory YouTube plug.

I didn't get enough audio to use all the photos, so I'll be the full gallery + extras in the morning!

Alice

Early last year I visited my pal Alice who at the time I hadn't seen in a pretty long time, and now that I think of it I don't think I've seen her since these photos either! We mostly chatted as we had a lot to catch up on, but we did take a few photos.

Aside from the first photo which was taken with a 50mm Summilux f1.4 (that Leica kindly loaned me for a while) I was almost exclusively shooting a 21mm at this point. Looking back it wasn't the right lens for me, and I think I would have...

Alice

I don't remember posting the full set before, so I've queued up a set I shot with my pal Alice last year! It'll drop tomorrow morning.

Back to the M11, and a change of heart with digital processing?

As I haven't been using it this year, I loaned out my M11 to a pal for a few weeks. When I got it back, I felt like taking it for a spin... and I'm kinda fucking with it right now?

My digital photography has taken a shift over the last 18 months or so, in that I've rarely shot it. I've predominantly been shooting film. In the handful of times I've shot digital, I've found myself less keen to work on the files - and my work flow isn't exactly slow, I have a couple of profiles/presets tha...

The Wyndford demolition progress | May 2024

As the 4 towers of the Wyndford are being prepared for demolition, I find myself compelled to keep checking in on the area to document the progress.

I used to live in 151, on the 19th floor., and it's a flat I'll never get over having to leave behind.

In the first photo, approaching from the west on Kelvindale Road, you can see blocks 191 and 171 looking fairly skeletal, having been stripped down significantly.

Cochno Loch / Jaw Reservoir

I have an ongoing 'time capsule' series on YouTube where I visit specific places and record environmental audio and sync it up with accompanying photos.

Jaw Reservoir was supposed to be my latest installment, but due to the heavy rain we were unable to get to the top of the hill due to excessive waterlogged mud pools (and not wearing adequate footwear).

It's only about a mile or so walk from the road uphill, and we maybe managed 2/3rds of it. I decided we would head back on a more...

17640: Fuji NPS 160 (expired) | May 2024

I loaded this roll right at the end of a beautiful sunny day. Figured I'd make the most of being able to shoot 100 speed. But then the classic scottish weather had other ideas, and it was miserable the following day or two. So I just shot it anyway.

I rated this at 100 as it's expired. I've altered the jpegs a little more than usual so I think it could have done with a little more light hitting it. But who knows, maybe I was just metering wrong anyway... I've been eyeballi...

23950: Kodak Portra 800 | May 2024

It dawned on me I'd barely stepped foot in the city over the past couple of months. So I called my pal Kev and arranged to meet. I didn't want to do the usual spot (Argyle/Buchanan/Sauchiehall) as this year I want to venture more into the parks and non-central areas.

We met in town, and after a coffee headed straight up to the canal. Walked along to Maryhill, then down the River Kelvin to Finnieston. It was a decent loop, and I got plenty of steps in.

I don't know exactly how I fe...

day fever (we went to a disco on the hottest day of the year)

figured i'd put a a wee video together just to document the occasion. it was far too hot. i'm a mess.

Day Fever

Having dogs and living out of the city means opportunities for me and Robyn to go 'out out' (in the more traditional sense, at least) are few and far between. There's also the fact that I'm just not as enthused about going to a nightclub anymore? I dunno. I have mixed feelings about it all.

That said, an opportunity came up for us to get tickets to a day time club experience and Robyn hasn't been on a club night out in Scotland before, so I figured why not give it a bash?

It just ...

Back to Edinburgh (part 2)

Continuing from the last Edi post, here's the film photos.

Pretty dissapointed with my efforts here. Some photos are fine, I guess... I was aware of the fact I was wandering around with another couple of photographers and I think that can come across a bit agressive in some ways, so perhaps that played into my lack of engagement.

Or maybe I just need to get out more and stop being so fucking lazy.

Time Capsule VIII: Yellowcraig Beach

I've been making occasional videos using only photos & environmental only since the start of the year, but didn't really know what to name them. But I've landed on 'Time Capsule' as that's essentially what they are. Short videos featuring audio and video from a specific time & location.

I've just shared my most recent above, and also shared a few extra photos from the same roll for anyone who wants to part with some spare £.

More to come. x

00578: Harman Phoenix | May 2024

I bought a batch of Phoenix when it was first released, and got through 2 or 3 rolls in winter. It was new, and exciting, but also I always felt like I wasn't doing the film any justice. It wasn't lending itself to those short dark days. So I decided to hold off a few months and try it when the weather improved.

Well, the days are much longer now and the sun is shining!

I headed to the beach and just felt like taking some Phoenix with me for the occasion. I haven't done an environ...

Back to Edinburgh (part 1)

Headed through to Edinburgh earlier today with a couple of pals from my old job. Wex Edinburgh store has relocated to somewhere a little more city centre friendly, and it was their opening day, so we went to see some familiar faces and get a look at the place.

It's nice, but much smaller than what I've become used to in Glasgow. We hung out there for a while, and then made our way into the city to shoot some street and grab some food.

I took the M6 as my main camera, shooting Port...

02030: Kodak Portra 800 | April 2024

Kodak Portra 800. April 2024.

Graffiti. Bridge. Street. Performance. Protest. Advertise. Delivery. Self Portrait. Love. Vegetable Beds. Botanic Gardens. Dogs. MacTassos. Jedward. Beach. Poor weather.

Hungry.

I'd just finished the second night of photographing SAMA Paisley Takeover, and I'd barely eaten all day and I was fucking starving. On my walk home I popped into the local grocery shop to buy some food.

As soon as I stepped through the door, this guy complemented me on my dungarees as he was exiting.

I went on to look for some food, and then I heard "No, no, wait. I gotta go tell him. This stuff can't go unnoticed. Hey, mate! MATE!". I could just feel it. I knew he w...

93730: Kodak Portra 800 | April 2024

Kodak Portra 800. April 2024.

Free Palestine. Constructon. Book shop. Street. Travel. Board walk. Garden. Scarborough. Interior. Dogs. Birding. Sea. Sea front. Bins. Arcade. Broken down. Tire.

our scarborough trip didn't go to plan

A couple years back, I made a video of me walking around parts of the town and shooting film photos. The plan was to keep visiting and put more videos together. Why Scarborough? It's my home town and I have a complicated relationship with it - it's one place that can effortlessly crank the anxiety dial in me to eleven. I'm trying to figure it out, but I ultimately want to associate Scarborough with a bit more positivity in my life.

That's not to say it's not a good place. I/we have frie...

Scarborough | Leica Q2 | April 2024

I didn't get around to posting as much as I'd have liked while in Scarborough, but I'm back in Glasgow now and figured I'd drop some photos. These are from the Q2, I'll try get drop off my film at the lab tomorrow.

Honestly, the whoel trip was sort of a bust in terms of my original plans for video/photos. I saw some family, which was obviously nice (and are pretty much the bulk of these photos), but most of the time it was chaotic and the weather too bad to take the video rig out etc, s...

Travel gear rundown.

Gone away for the week. To Scarborough, my home town.

I want to try and put a video together while I’m here. So thought it run down the gear that I’ve brought:

Leica M6 + Summicron 35mm

I’m on a huge film kick, and am shooting all aspects of my personal life on film this year. Bringing this was a no brainer, as I’m here all week. Besides, not being able to immediately see the results means I can take photos as normal and concentrate on video.

Leica Q2

Helios lens test

A friend has loaned me a few vintage lenses to try out on my video rig.

Because I have precisely zero patience, I had to video something with it right away, so on the drive home we pulled into a local park to let the dogs have a run.

This is the Helios 44M 58mm f2, and shot with the Nikon Z7 II.

I'm gonna take it with me to Scarborough and try and put a wee video together with it.

Image Review: People on bench, Hogganfield Loch

I'm assuming this pair are either parent and child or grandparent and child. Either way, their body language is what caught my eye.

The older person looks visibly focused and tense (see how his palms are flat besides him on the bench), contrasted with the child on their phone with a much more relaxed and fluid body language, seemingly completely in their own world.

I also enjoy how it almost looks like a posed portrait of the pair of them, rather than a candid. I think it would be...

Stevenston Beach | Leica Q2 | April 2024

Headed to Stevenston beach with the dogs and a couple of pals. I was supposed to be heading down to Scarborough for a few days so wasn't in a hurry to start a fresh roll of film, and so I took the Q2 instead.

It was pissing it down, but the Q2 didn't miss a beat. I'm glad I've ended up with the Q2 back in my collection, as I was missing that little something for when the weather is just that chaotic.

Don't get me wrong, I don't baby any of my gear, but it's nice to not have a nigg...

78630: Portra 800 | April 2024

Portra 800. April 2025.

Nature walks. Family. Number plates. Glasgow street. Rain. Cafe. Train station. Trolley. Edinburgh street.

Had a bunch of guests staying over lately, this roll caught the end of my parent's visit which incorporated some outdoors wanders, took them into the city, and after they left I headed through to Edinburgh to meet a pal and to finish off the roll.

Edinburgh | April 2024

It's not often I head to Scotland's capital. It's like a larger version of York from back home and with all the tourists it's just not my kinda place.

That said, my friend Al was going through for the day and asked if anyone wanted to join him, and I hadn't seen him in ages and also just fancied a change. I've been taking street photos fairly consistently in Glasgow the last couple of years, so I fancied expanding on that somewhat.

We arrived in the city early, and by the time we ...