WADI RUM DESERT - SUITCASE MAGAZINE

I shot this editorial for Suitcase Magazine a few months back: you can pick a copy of the current issue pretty much anywhere in the UK and have a look at my desert shots and portraits of one of the local Bedouin Tribes. 

I used expired Ektachrome 200 medium format film which survived against all the odd against sudden thermic excursions, angry Jordanian x ray machines and the sand. lots of sand.

It was great to take on the analogue challenge and capture such beautiful land on celluloid. I remember the work of Rick Smolan for the famous National Geographic story 'From Alice To Ocean', in 1992; it was all shot on the same transparency film and it looked beautiful.

I was very pleased with the results, i loved that soft/crisp look and the slightly offset colours. Would never have felt the same with digital so i'm glad i stuck with celluloid once again

I shot young Hannah around the Crystal Palace park the other day, i fancied wasting some black and white film and do some home processing with Rodinal, which is by far my favourite way to home develop BW film.

I used a rough technique for this batch, semi-stand developing for an hour at a 100:1 ratio. For the non geeks out there it means you chuck the film in a canister, you fill it with 500ml of water and 5ml of Rodinal developer; give it two agitations first, let it settle for 1/2 an hour and then you agitate it twice again.

After another 1/2 hour you stop the film with straight fixer, wash it, hang it and dry it.

It's a pretty rough technique but i like it because it's very slow, calm and there's none of that rushing you get when you develop film normally.

Here's the results. Yee haw.

PIE AND MASH

PIE AND MASH

CANDID

Candid

I shot George and Kate in a warehouse in Hackney Wick the other day: i wanted to play with colour film for a change... We had nice soft natural light coming through the windows and a dark background and some good tunes going. Happy with the results