Friday 29 August 2014

'Thumper and Vera', the only two airworthy Lancasters, meet for the first time


A very special day as the only two airworthy Lancasters meet for the first time
A very special day as the only two airworthy Lancasters are about to meet for the first time

Earlier this month I received a rather interesting and exciting phone call. It was from a well known, online news agency, asking if I could attend the truly momentous occasion when the world's only two remaining air worthy Lancasters where to meet for the first, and in all likelihood, only time. The Canadian bomber, 'Vera' had flown thousands of miles to meet 'Thumper', the only other flying Lancaster, based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, U.K. The call came late in the day, the evening before the event. I didn't hold out much hope for the agency securing the required passes to get both me and my girlfriend, Emma, onto the base. Luckily, my father flew as navigator on the Lancaster from RAF Coningsby in the early eighties as part of the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF). He made a phone call and we were in!

( I wrote a blog post last year where my father describes one such sortie from his time on the BBMF).


Arriving the next morning, the base was a buzz with excitement, with press photographers and camera crews from both local and national news arriving. Both the BBC and ITV television crews were present, as well as photographers from some of the well known daily papers. It really was set to be a big occasion. The BBMF aircraft were towed from their hangars and prepared for take off, and there were thousands of onlookers, spilling out across the adjacent road. The planes from the BBMF were due to take off at 13.00hrs and meet the Canadian Lancaster over Lincoln, performing a flypast above Lincoln Cathedral, accompanied by the RAF's Red Arrows. They were then due to fly back to Coningsby, where a huge crowd including surviving veterans and their families were waiting to greet them. More flypasts were planned, including another one by the 'reds', and the very first special formation flypast of the two Lancasters. All this to happen at approximately 13.30hrs.

Moving into position
Moving into position

Rusty Waughman in front of Thumper
Veteran Lancaster pilot, Rusty Waughman in front of Thumper

That was the plan anyway. However, not long before the BBMF were due to take off, a huge storm moved in, thunder and lightning, heavy rain,  the whole nine yards. The planes were towed back into the safety of their dry hangar, the red arrows cancelled, and all the tables and chairs, as well as the marquees, that had been put out on the grass for the veterans use, were hastily taken down. Everyone dived for cover.     

When it rains, it pours
When it rains, it pours

The gathered press were then informed that 'Vera' was making a beeline straight for Coningsby, no flypast, no fanfare. The decision had been taken to get the plane down on the ground as quickly as possible, simply because the weather was that bad. A few minutes later, there was a shout, "we have visual". The photographers and camera crews quickly got into position, all wanting to capture the iconic shot when both Lancs were in the same frame. The weather was moody, angry storm clouds above, light bouncing from the rain soaked concrete taxiways. Somehow, the weather conditions suited the moment. The image below, and the one at the very top of the page, seem to convey a real sense of drama. Take away the little white jet, and we almost have a scene reminiscent of those dark, turbulent times during the Nineteen Forties. Lincolnshire was known as bomber county during the Second World War, and moments like these would have been played out thousands of times, day in, day out. 7377 of these beautiful aircraft were produced, only two remain flying today. 55,573 bomber command crew died during the conflict, from a total of 125,000. A 44.4% death rate.

Emma and myself, nailed the shot, I think. We both caught the decisive moment, the one we both had in our mind, long before 'Vera' was visible. Emma's is below, mine at the very top of the page. I think Emma's looks a bit like a Robert Taylor painting, beautiful light, angry clouds, and a lone figure watching the Lancaster from Canada completing it's epic journey, about to touch down, 'Thumper watching on'. Simply stunning.   

Vera about to touch down
Vera about to touch down. Picture credit - Emma Stickley

Everyone was watching on. Some had better vantage points than others.

Brake failure
Brake failure

As the Canadian plane moved closer towards the gathered crowd, it slowed, until finally, it came to a halt, stranded on a working RAF runway. The plane's hydraulics had failed, it's brakes no more, a stark reminder of the arduous and epic journey this vintage World War Two bomber had just completed. The last few hundred metres were completed with the help of a tow truck. But as the plane drew closer, Canadian and Union flag poking proudly from the cockpit, onlookers burst into spontaneous applause. 'Vera' had arrived.
      
The two Lancasters together at last
The two Lancasters together at last

Jostling for position
Jostling for position

A great seat to have
A great seat to have

A massive crowd greets Vera
A massive crowd greets Vera

under the wing at R.A.F.Coningsby
Under the wings at R.A.F.Coningsby

I was allowed to walk amongst the invited guests, which including the last surviving veterans and families. I decided to capture a few candid shots, nothing posed or staged, and I particularly like the photograph of John Mitchell below. Mr Mitchell was a Squadron Leader and pilot on Lancasters during the war, stationed at Langar in Nottinghamshire. I managed to capture him in a moment of reflection, beneath the Canadian Lancaster's vast bomb bay doors.

John Mitchell in a moment of reflection
Veteran John Mitchell caught in a moment of reflection

It was a momentous day, one both myself and Emma won't ever forget. Photographs like these, I'm sure, will become even more valuable in years to come. Future generations won't have the opportunity and privilege to meet and shake hands with these incredibly brave men, men who helped secure are freedom. These images I hope, in some small way, will help keep their memories alive long into the future.






Saturday 23 August 2014

A walk around Southwold

I was looking through a folder of old images the other day, when I came across a batch taken at Souhwold in Suffolk, in 2007. 

I remember walking around the working quayside area, where all the boats, old sheds and fishing equipment were to be found. There was so much to shoot, from close up detail images, to large fishing vessels undergoing restoration. I was using my Nikon D200, which was quite new at the time. I think I had owned it for about a year, and I recall being thrilled with its performance. It was solidly built, fast, and produced lovely, contrasty images with bags of colour and detail. I still have the camera now, some eight years after purchase, and I enjoy using it just as much today. Response is relatively pedestrian when compared to the D3s and D4, and high ISO levels are pretty crummy. But the extra reach this camera gives over its full frame siblings, can be a real blessing at times. This isn't a camera I'll be parting with any time soon, even though it doesn't get quite as much use as it once did. As photographers, we all get sucked into this GAS, (gear acquisition syndrome) at some point or another, but I can honestly say, now that I shoot a great deal of street and documentary photography, I realise it's about the camera you have with you at that moment, by your side, not the one you're lusting over buying next.     

Boat restoration, Nikon D200
Boat restoration

Bounty, Nikon D200
Bounty

Little Shed, Nikon D200
Little Shed

Old Tractor, Nikon D200
Old Tractor

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Storm over the Quay

The weather has been somewhat changeable of late. While it can cause problems with outdoor events, it can really inject some much needed interest into your photography.

This image taken with my Fuji X-T1, shows how a fairly mundane shot, dare I say unimaginative, with no real care for composition, has been somewhat saved by the fantastic, brooding grey sky to the top left of the image. A heavy downpour can be seen over the buildings, and this is exactly the sort of photograph that sells to stock agencies. Sometimes agencies look for images that show the character of a place, and this particular file illustrates that nicely. The tide's flow, continuously affects the harbour area of Wells-Next-The-Sea and can completely change its look. The sky finishes the scene, and helps emphasise the character of the town.  

Storm over the Quay, Fuji X-T1
Storm over the Quay



Saturday 16 August 2014

High tide

Keeping the feet dry, Fuji X-T1
Keeping the feet dry

Around the time of the full moon, the high tides can become very high and the low tides, very low. This was the case around the 12th and 13th of August this year in Wells-Next-The-Sea. The water spilled over the quay wall and into the car park. I have only seen this once before, in the middle of winter when it was cold and windy. This time was a much more pleasant experience, far warmer and during the middle of the summer holidays, when the little town was bustling with people. Crabbing off the side of the quay was still in full flow, only this time everyone had their trousers rolled up and their socks off. 

High tide, Fuji X-T1
High tide

It was a great time for a bit of candid street photography with the Fuji X-T1. Lighting was a little tricky, as I was shooting towards the sun, but the electronic view finder (E.V.F.) worked like a charm. It allowed me to see the exposure that the camera was going to capture, and made it easy for me to decide whether it needed changing or not. I think that this type of photography is where the X-T1 truly excels. It is small and unobtrusive, but fast, and produces beautiful images without fail.

Have we caught anything, Fuji X-T1
Have we caught anything

With this camera in hand, I feel that I can respond to pretty much any situation that unfolds in front of me. No fuss, no drama, just lovely candid moments.

Just like home in here, Fuji X-T1
Just like home in here

Possibly my favourite shot from this set is the little Jack Russell who didn't want to get his paws wet. Instead of pulling him through the water, where quite frankly, he may have had to swim, the owner lifted him onto the high wall for him to walk along. They both seemed quite happy with this arrangement, as did the larger dog, who loved to splash through the salty water. 

Someone doesn't want to get their paws wet, Fuji X-T1
Someone doesn't want to get their paws wet




Saturday 9 August 2014

Canon AV-1

Canon AV-1
Classic looks of the Canon AV-1

The eleventh camera in my Twelve months of Film project is the Canon AV-1.  It was introduced by the company in 1979 and is very similar to the AE-1, which was released in 1976. The key difference between the two is the fact that the AV-1 is an aperture priority camera, where as the AE-1 is shutter priority. For me personally, the AV-1 suits my style of shooting more, as I tend to photograph in either manual or aperture priority mode. There is no full manual mode on this camera so aperture priority it is. 

Canon were amongst the first companies to use plastics on their SLR's to keep costs low, thus attracting more buyers. This policy definitely seemed to work, as more and more people could afford the AE-1 or AV-1, and they sold by the tens of thousands. Such was the success of these Canon bodies, companies like Nikon were forced to design and produce something similar, thus the Nikon EM was born. Although predominately plastic, the AV-1 feels sturdy in the hand. Not as solid as say, an Olympus OM10 or Fujica STX-1, but plenty solid enough.       

The layout is very simple, the top plate uncluttered. The shutter makes a fairly loud ping sound when fired, but the camera just works. In fact, I enjoyed using this camera so much during July, that I accidentally ran a second film through it. Whoops. Coupled with a Canon 'nifty fifty', it was a great little package, and if you can hunt down a good one, I would highly recommend you snap it up. This particular camera had just had an overhaul, new batteries and seals, and it worked like a charm.  

The camera consistently produced sharp, contrasty images, and coupled with Agfa Vista 200 film, it captured great colour too. 

Top plate
Top plate showing film advance lever

Film rewind and ISO dial
Film rewind and ISO dial  

From the back
From the back

Canon, view from above
View from above

If you had read my post from last month about the 1940's festival in Woodhall Spa, you will know what a great event it was for indulging in a bit of street photography. If you have yet to read it, you can find it here. http://brettgardnerphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/woodhall-spa-40s-festival.html. These images were taken at the festival, where I carried around a digital camera body and the Canon AV-1. The Canon was great in this environment, small and unobtrusive. It allowed me to take some truly candid images of people dressed in period costume, and by trying to isolate the subject, I was sometimes able to capture scenes that could've truly been  from a bygone era.

The Thousand yard stare

Motorbikes parked up

Brew's on

Bridge under fire 

Jeep

Ready for action

Stopping for ice cream

Mechanics at work

On guard

Old fire brigade

Chatting

Shiny red care

Next month is the final one in this Twelve Months of Film project. See you back here in early September.




Monday 4 August 2014

Off to work

Just a quick one from me today. I like to watch the locals milling about around the small coastal town of Wells-Next-The-Sea. Many people earn a living directly from the sea and the place becomes much busier around high tide which happens every twelve hours. Nets are cleaned and prepared, crab pots counted and packed aboard, and once ready, the boats are fired up and off they go.

Ready for the off with the Fuji X-T1
Ready for the off