Black and white photograph of laundry — possibly canoeing gear — drying on a rack in a stone-framed window recess, dramatic shadow arcs sweeping across the wall on either side.

Messing about along the river in Clisson

A 45-minute walk along the river in Clisson with a Canon EOS 500 and a roll of Agfaphoto APX 400. Castles, viaducts, calla lilies, and laundry — what film photography finds when you stop looking too hard and start looking behind you.

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Black and white film photograph of a round tower with a conical slate roof and dormer window at Château de la Preuille against a clear sky.

Capturing Time: A Photographic Journey Through Château de la Preuille

Discover Château de la Preuille through stunning black and white film photography. Explore this 11th-century Vendée estate’s vineyards, towers, and moat reflections captured on HP5 film. Learn about gîte accommodations, wine tourism, and analog photography techniques. Experience timeless French heritage where history meets hospitality in Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay.

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Black and white photograph of a Nantes café window with the handwritten French phrase "On ne peut pas acheter le bonheur mais on peut acheter du bon vin" — you can't buy happiness but you can buy good wine.

YOU CAN’T BUY HAPPINESS, BUT…

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy good wine.” A philosophical photo essay exploring what Nantes, France teaches us about the good life—beauty as democracy, the right to solitude, and pleasure as infrastructure. Discover how black and white street photography reveals the architecture of everyday happiness in one of Europe’s most livable cities.

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Black and white film photograph of a person lying on a granite ledge at the water's edge in the Jardin Extraordinaire Nantes, trees and an urban building in the distance, shot on Ilford Pan 100 with a Nikon FE

Birdsong in Black & White: A Morning at the Jardin Extraordinaire

First visit to Nantes’ Jardin Extraordinaire meets first roll of Ilford Pan 100. Shot on a Nikon FE, developed at home in Ifosol 3, scanned on Opticfilm 8100. A slower pace, a Panama hat, and the Grue Titan in the distance. Why analogue photography still matters in 2026, and how film helps me be more authentic.

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French horn section detail at SBL rehearsal, Nikon FE with Ilford HP5 Plus pushed to 3200, March 2026

Part 3: The Grind — General Rehearsal on HP5+ 3200

The grind continues. General orchestra rehearsal without soloists, shot on Nikon FE with HP5+ pushed to 3200. Heavy grain, raw aesthetic, iterative work. Part 3 of a trilogy documenting the Symphonique des bords de Loire through lunch, concerto rehearsal, and general rehearsal.

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Landscape format orchestra rehearsal, Symphonique des bords de Loire, Canon AE-1 Program with Ilford HP5 Plus pushed to 1600, black and white 35mm film, March 2026

Part 2: The Work — Rehearsing a Double Violin Concerto on HP5+ 1600

After lunch, the work begins. Documenting rehearsal of a double violin concerto with two Chinese guest soloists. Shot on Canon AE-1 Program with HP5+ pushed to 1600, these grainy black and white images capture collaboration between soloists and the Symphonique des bords de Loire. Part 2 of 3.

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Black and white film photograph in Nantes, Nikon FE with Rollei RPX 400, February 2026

Let’s Connect: Mentorship, Prints & Collaborations

Let’s Connect: Mentorship, Prints & Collaborations A brief and practical note. After six years of writing here, I’m formalising something that has been happening informally for a while…

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Landscape format black and white photograph on a Nikon FE with Ilford HP5 Plus at 100 ASA, pull processed, scanned on an Opticfilm 8100

The HP5 Plus 100 ASA Experiment: A Happy Accident?

“Accidentally shot HP5 Plus 400 at ISO 100? Discover how this film photography mistake became a happy accident. Learn pull processing techniques, shadow detail retention, and highlight control using Ilfosil 3. See stunning black and white results from a Nikon FE. Your guide to film latitude and overexposure experiments.

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Black and white film photograph of the Maine valley from the Le Porte-Vue belvedere, the river and weir winding through the wooded gorge, Château-Thébaud.

Making the Ordinary Less Ordinary: Rollei RPX 400 at Pont Caffino

After 40 years behind the lens, still learning. Explore Rollei RPX 400 shot handheld in flat light at Pont Caffino, France. A honest look at dodging, burning, and making ordinary prints less ordinary in Lightroom.

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