I have been on a few photowalks recently with mixed results. I really enjoyed the walks and chatting with people, but my results were not my best.

First, I joined a walk run by Holmfirth Photosocial, incorporating their HŐME exhibition. I took with me the recently purchased Rollei 35T loaded with a very expired roll of Kodak RAR. It was a very friendly walk and I already knew a few people. We met at the studio to see the exhibit, which was amazing. It had photos of interpretations of home. Then we wandered around a local reservoir.

I really liked the building, The Sculpture Lounge, where the exhibit was set. It kind of suited the grain of the RAR film. There is nothing better than a walk combined with an exhibition.

Oh, I forgot. After, they had a competition to see who could load a roll of 120 film on a spool, and put in a developing tank the quickest. All in a dark bag. I won the non professional group with a time of 45 seconds. I think, I don’t remember. There was a prize but I let one of the others have it. I figured, I develop A LOT and have for a long time. So I am not exactly new to it. Plus the walk already gave me a film at the beginning so I was happy. Also, I didn’t quite lock the tank lid. It was light tight, but rules are rules.

The next walk was in Woking and was based on the HG Wells book War of the Worlds. This one was run by Kosmofoto and friends. It was a bit of a drive for me, a 7-hour round trip, but I love Jeff Wayne’s musical take on the story. The location was on my bucket list, so I was quite excited. I got there early and saw some items before the walk started, including the Invisible Man in the local Wetherspoons, which was named after the author. Before the walk started, we were handed a walk guide and some biographical information. We were also given a roll of Harman Red, which I loaded into a Konica FT ready to set off. Harman was kindly sponsoring the walk by providing the film. Unfortunately, it was a dull and rainy day, which wasn’t the best conditions for the film. I did get a few photos though.

It was the perfect choice for the subject, and I am glad a few came out. I might do it again one day, a brighter day.

Finally, I had a wander around Haworth with a friend, including Heptonstall and Oxenhope. It was a literary day out. We saw a couple of graves where poets were laid to rest, the home of the Brontes, and Oxenhope Station. This time I had my painted Zorki 1 and a roll of Ilford Ortho 80.

The first few shots were from a wander around Bardsey, which fit quite well with the theme of the film, lovely Yorkshire villages. AND, my computer keeps auto-correcting Haworth to Howarth, which is most annoying.

Anyway, not all photos come out from photowalks, so it is best to enjoy the day and not worry too much.