black and white photography Archives

03 Sep

Photo Walk: Fleetwood on Film

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, fleetwood, photowalk

The weather forecast for the morning of Saturday 19th July 2025 was light rain, but this wasn't enough to deter the Blackpool Community Darkroom crew, for a photo walk around Fleetwood. David Simper headed out with them to see what he could capture on film. I negotiated my way to the Ferry Cafe meeting point, where people were waiting for the 11:00 start and loading their various cameras. I'd selected my Yashica Electro 35 for the photo walk, its 45mm lens shooting through a yellow filter onto Kentmere 400 ISO black and white film. The automatic exposure system make it…

24 Jul

Exhibition review: ‘Kaleidoscope’ – Emilia Zogo

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, photographic exhibition, photography, tea amantes gallery

Having reviewed Emilia's previous Tea Amantes exhibition, David Simper was keen to follow up and see her latest work. The show did not disappoint. These dream-like multiple-exposure photographs focus on the British seaside and form part of her masters degree exhibition. Since her last show, Emilia Zogo, has clearly taken a radical step forward in terms of her artistic expression. These multiple exposure images are very different from her previous photography, the choice of digital monochrome aside. The pictures have a dreamlike quality, presenting a new perspective on the British seaside, our bit of it in particular. They…

19 May

Photo Essay: Blackpool’s public art

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, film photography, public art, street photography

Always keen for a themed photo project, David Simper, took his twin lens reflex film camera down to the town centre to see what he could make of Blackpool's public art collection. Even among local people, Blackpool might not project as a centre for public art, but there's more than you might think and plenty to occupy a twelve frame film on a bright morning. I caught the service 3 bus and disembarked at Church Street outside the school, to start the exercise with the Fancie Bench in Kings Square outside Stanley Buildings. From there to St John's Square and…

12 May

Photo Walk: South Shore on film

David Simper0 CommentsLocal Newsblack and white photography, blackpool community darkroom, film photography, photowalk

David Simper is known for his love of a photo walk, and blasting off some film in general, so it was with pleasure that he travelled down to the Solaris Centre on 3rd May 2025, to take part in this event, focused on the sights of South Shore. I arrived at the Solaris Centre muster point in good time and to find several Blackpool Community Darkroom friends indulging in elevenses. After that repast, we sallied forth across the South Promenade road, stopping only to distribute and load film. I think most, if not all, were using analogue kit, but I'll…

15 Apr

Photo Essay: Street photography with Tea Amantes

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, blackpool arts scene, street photography

A recent exhibition of street photography by the Tea Amantes photowalk group highlighted some fine work from the collective in 2024. The group is already well on its way to building a body of work for 2025. David Simper loaded his rangefinder camera and headed down to the cafe to join the group, as it hit the streets of Blackpool for the third photowalk of 2025. The team gathered at the Tea Amantes cafe and gallery on 29th March 2025, its collective work still exhibited on the walls. It seemed to have grown since the new year and the room…

24 Mar

Artist Q&A: Adam Mousley

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, blackpool arts scene, photography exhibition, street photography

A new exhibition of black and white prints, all taken on film, is a masterclass in the old ways of image making and perhaps the start of a long-term social record. David Simper caught up with the artist behind them. I've admired Adam Mousley's work for a long time and was therefore pleased to learn that he had secured an exhibition space in the downstairs cafe area at The HIVE in Blackpool. The collection is eclectic, but all delivered with a trademark intensity, strong composition, a quick eye and excellent use of perspective. Some of the shots were taken at various…

20 Feb

Gallery: the bird life of Stanley Park

David Simper0 CommentsEnvironment and Naturebirdlife, black and white photography, stanley park blackpool

David Simper loaded a camera with film and walked to Stanley Park for some much needed fresh air and winter greenery and created a mini-photo essay on the swans and other birds that congregate around the boating lake. Sometimes the easiest subjects are also the easiest to miss – why had it not occurred to me previously to dedicate some frames solely to the Stanley Park birds? They are so striking, particularly the swans. With bird flu once more a threat, now was definitely the time to get down there for some decent frames of our avian friends. Regrettably since…

12 Feb

A Winter Photowalk: out with the Blackpool Community Darkroom crew

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, blackpool community darkroom, photography, street photography

David Simper got out in the thin winter light for some communal photography. Loading his film camera he bused down to the Blackpool centre to grab some frames with the squad. The Blackpool Community Darkroom posse gathered at the Aunty Social building, 28 Topping Street, on 4th January 2025, paid £7 and were presented with a black and white film for the exercise in hand. Recording the Blackpool urban landscape in whatever light is presented. I always really enjoy these walks – photography can be a lonely business and it's good to work in a group of people, a team.…

14 Jul

Photo Essay: a Sunday trip to Lytham

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, Lytham, photo essay, rangefinder camera

I've been singing the praises of Soviet camera lenses in my last few photo essay pieces and I hold to this. However, the overall camera mechanics have proved not to be so good and after two failed Zorki 4 bodies with faulty shutters, that camera has been swapped for a Yashica Electro 35. So on Sunday 25th June 2023, it was time to load up this new toy and look for a subject on which to expend the first 36 frames. Lytham was definitely it, having not been there for a while and I had subjects in mind. I caught…

17 Jun

Gallery: a stroll out with a black and white film

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, Blackpool, film photography, street photography

I'd set off to be at the Abingdon Street market's opening on the 27th May 2023 equipped with my digital camera for stills and video, which hopefully worked well. In my rucksack I also had my Leica CL 35mm rangefinder camera, carrying its 50mm Soviet made Jupiter lens and loaded with a 36 exposure roll of 400iso Kentmere black and white film. My intention was to stroll down the Promenade after covering the market opening. I did do that, but a whole load of other shots got taken as well. I hope these are the best of the three dozen.…