Bristol ballon fiesta -Clifton suspension bridge

I've spent the last 6 years enjoying exploring the capabilities of antique cameras and historical process to create wonderfully pleasing images. Follow links above or from the top menu to explore the different types of image making I am working with. My Instagram feed shows my latest work and my blog has archived information.
If you’d like to collaborate, book a talk for your camera club or simply have a question for me, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

NEW! - buy my work through 'Bath Contemporary Artists Fair' website

New page added showing my camera collection (14.09.2025)

Up-coming presentations:

Cheltenham Camera Club: 16-10-2025
Forest of Dean Camera Club: 23-03-2026

Exhibiting:

Friday 8th May to 3rd July 2026 - Studio3 at Clevedon Craft Centre.

Just arrived and finding food and the Charles Bridge!

Good day for photography in Lyme Regis with my 3 large folding Kodaks making x Ray film negatives of post card, 4”x5” and half-plate size.

Rydal Cave wall and reflection in pool turned through 90 degrees - an exercise in #pareidolia how many faces can you see? ( not AI not photoshop trick!) Above Rydal Water in the Lake District UK.

Before being able to use any of my old shutters reliably I have to check the speed accuracy of the indicated shutter speeds. I do this using my digital camera. I place the (removed) camera shutter (without lenses) in front of the Fuji’s lens. I take a shot of a scene with my Fuji XT20 set with a shutter speed that I want check on the Kodak. (1/50s)

With the fuji on a long exposure of 5 seconds operate the Kodak shutter.

I then compare the histogram of this image with that of the fuji image shot at the “same” speed and note any difference.

In this case the shutter is firing at somewhere between 1/30 and 1/25s not 1/50s.

#antiquecamera #antiquelens #vintagecamera #camerarepair

All set for Bath Contemporary Artist’s Fair - Greenpark station Bath

Some beautiful cars on show at Clevedon Cars And Coffee - to photograph today! - Using some new-to-me folding Kodaks from c1910 with film rolls I have had to make up myself from strips of X-ray film. #porsche #citroends #kodak #largeformatphotography

#largeformat #largeformatcamera #kodakpanoram #panoramic #panoramicphoto #diyfilm #xrayfilm

My Folding Kodak collection has grown with the addition of the huge half-plate sized 4A - needing large film I have to roll my own using X Ray film. #kodak #largeformatphotography #antiquecamera #studiothreegallery #bcaf - come and meet me at Bath Contemporary Artists Fair - Green Park Station in Bath September 14th

Great day out at the North Cotswold Steam & Vintage Show - Images here taken with cameras of the same era as many of these engines (1910). Please get in contact if you’d like me to send you a high resolution copy of a picture of your engine (no charge).
All but one of the images taken on my 1910 Houghton Victo Triple Half-Plate (5x7”) camera onto X ray film. #largeformat #vintagecamera #steam #steamengine #stationaryengine #northcotswoldsteamandvintageshow #vintagerally

Good day with the large format (full-plate) Thornton Pickard Triple (c1920) at The East Somerset Railway. Pictures taken on X-ray film (digitally photographed and inverted for social media).

The engine running this morning was the ex GWR Large Prairie 4110 2-6-2T4110. It was built at the Swindon Works in 1936 and withdrawn from service in 1965. ( info. From The East Somerset Railway website)

Testing my DIY X-Ray 5x4” roll film (8 frames) in the Kodak 4b at #chepstowcastle - some slippage to resolve.

A 5x4 inch, “pocket” Kodak in rough condition. I’ve replaced a few bits from smaller 3A like the front standard clamp and with some cleaning it is working fine! A test shot in the garden on x Ray film - no light leaks :)

Sunflower at its best ;) Full plate XRay film negative taken in 1920s Sanderson plate camera with 30cm Waterhouse stop lens on f8 for One second. #largeformatphotography #sunflower come and see my work 30&31 August Lytes Carey manor craft market

Captured this whilst looking for meteors. My camera was set pointing upwards taking a series of 13s exposures with a gap of 5s between each.

It’s a “Moondog” - seen because we have a very bright moon and the “right” type of clouds.

Ian Musgrave says on
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-secrets-of-moondogs
“Moondogs are seen most often in the winter when ice crystals may be present in the atmosphere. But they can appear anytime of the year when hexagon-shaped ice crystals might be high in the sky, or also when thin cirrus or cirrostratus clouds are just right. What happens is that the ice crystals or clouds refract the moonlight, creating blobs or arcs of light to the left and right of the Moon, or sometimes just on one side.
Also, the Moon usually needs to be full or nearly full, along with being low in the sky for the effect to be produced. The angular separation of the light blobs from the Moon is usually 22 degrees.
Sometimes, a full halo of light around the Moon will also appear in conjunction with the Moondogs; other times smaller arcs of light will be part of the effect, but often Moondogs appear without any other effects.
Moondogs can appear colorful like a Sundog or ‘shine’ with a light similar to the Moon.”

#astronomy #moondog #astrophotography #meteorology

Another cracking Clevedon cars and Coffee event - great cars and lovely people! All these images taken with a 1910-Houghton Victo half-plate camera. First 7 on glass plates I made myself from the raw chemicals (long exposure times up to 30 seconds). Remaining 5 on X-Ray film (mostly 1/30s). All copied and inverted for display with my digital camera. #classiccars #clevedoncarsandcoffee #antiquecamera #largeformatphotography #blackandwhitephotography

First prints from my recent trips to #Bath and #bradfordonavon of Cyanotype in gelatine in glass, with experiments in toning - most will not pass “quality control” so will get wiped and re-printed - recent extended hot weather has raised the temperature of the mains cold water - this resulted in several images just washing away! So it was necessary to chill water in the fridge for rinsing and to put chemical trays in larger trays of chilled water. This worked out well😅. #cyanotype #antiquephotography #bcaf To go on sale at September’s Bath contemporary artists’ fair and #studiothree_gallery (Clevedon)

Busy day in #Bath with the #antiquecamera making images to print as #cyanotype on glass as window hangers (simulation included here!) these will be for sale at the September #bathcontemporaryartistsfair - shout out to all the lovely people I met showing an interest in the camera and my work.

Busy morning in lovely #bradfordonavon photographing with my #antiquecamera a #largeformat #halfplate #houghton Victo from c1910 onto #xrayfilm the river was looking great and the locals very interested and friendly.

Galeon Andalucia passing Shirehampton on the River Avon, Brustol. Photographs made with antique Edwardian large format cameras onto Fuji Green XRay film (ISO 200 as lots of UV)Challenging to capture a moving subject - especially when it’s not certain where in the frame it will be! 1/30s shutter speed on f32 (first 3) f22 (last 2).

Lovely Colby Woodland Garden Pembrokeshire: lots of inspiration for making images with the 1910 Victo Triple Half Plate onto Fuji Green XRay film- sadly camera took a tumble and broke the front standard - not too bad - repaired with a spare piece of salvaged mahogany and Gorilla wood glue- works really well! (Not sponsored 😂). #largeformatphotography #antiquecamera #pembrokeshire

Church doors cove, Pembrokeshire seen with an antique eye: 1910 Victo Triple Half plate camera onto X Ray film. #analoguephotography #largeformatphotography #pembrokeshire

Great to watch the Galeon Analucia make her way up the Severn Estuary towards Avonmouth for the @bristolharbourfest
Here photographed from Black Nore Lighthouse, Portishead.
Two early 20th Century cameras used, the Kodak Panoram 4 and the Thornton Pickard Imperial Full-plate. Both cameras using Fuji X-Ray film.#analoguephotography #largeformat #studiothree_galler #bristolharbourfestival #tallships #galeonandalucia

On a roll with photographing the three pears in large format Wetplate collodion using my antique (1890s) halfplate tailboard camera and f4.6 Rodenstock lens under flash/modelling lights. 15s at f11. Replacing a favourite image sold at the weekend at Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair ( I am there again September 14th). Stacking them in the rack to dry created a weirdly wonderful effect! #wetplate #wetplatecollodion #pear #pearshape #monochrome #alternativephotography #bcaf

Enjoying exploring the possibilities of DIY emulsion on glass but had to increase the exposure by 3 stops - as the emulsion struggles with artificial light (no UV) got an image - but the plate still looked underexposed! - anyway the photoshop /silverfx treatment makes an appealing monochrome image.
Camera is a large format ( whole plate) Houghton Victo c1920. Come and see more like this at Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair September 14th 2025
#bcaf

All set up at Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair - thankfully in the part open to the air!

What a privilege to participate in today’s unveiling celebrations for The Stephen’s monument in Clevedon, UK.- congratulations to all involved.
The Stephens car was the first all British production car and the monument is a replica of a local example from 1898 ( still running and visible as a blur in the back of one image as it passes by the monument.
Here are the photographs I made in two large format - whole plate - period (early 1900s) cameras - the last two made on glass plates I had hand-coated with silver emulsion - a popular medium of the era.
The photo of myself at work taken by a friend! #analoguephotography #largeformatphotography #vintagecamera #studiothree_galler #facesofclevedon #clevedoncarsandcoffee

First field trip with the self-poured gelatine emulsion glass plates - Clevedon. Exposure times are predictable - more spots showed up than expected; need to identify what is causing these. Camera 1900s Houghton Victo Triple. Long exposures today as the shutter string disintegrated- now replaced.large format half- plate size.

Testing in the garden - Self-made_HalfPlate_Gelatine-Dry-Glass-Plate - 1890 Tailboard camera Rodenstock f4.5 lens (serial no. for 1918) On F22 for 5 seconds (ISO 1). Followed Lost Light Art instructions on AlternativePhotography.com. Real chemistry making the emulsion - drying in a cardboard cabinet with computer PSU fan

Successful morning shooting large format wetplate collodion - half plate 1880s tailboard camera at Clevedon Pier. Mobile darkroom in VW campervan. Developed as ambrotype.

Bleached driftwood on the beach at Black Nore, Portishead - photographed onto Xray film using antique large format camera 1900s Houghton Victo triple Half plate and Beck Symmetrical lens. The un-coated lens in bright sun adds an aural glow to the bright wood. I like the criss-cross lines and shapes with strong shadows and interesting textures. The textures of the wood contrast with both the plants and the pebbles.

Watching the sun go down over Birnbeck island and pier. Rare outing for the digital camera! #sunset #loveweston #somersetphotographer #birnbeckpier

Met some lovely people in Clevedon whilst testing the large 1950s Ikon Epikar 12” F4.0 projection lens on the 1920s Sanderson full plate. Camera. Large format photography is a great challenge!

Capturing the 1867 Birnbeck pier with the 1890s tailboard camera onto dry glass plates (a technology introduced just after the pier opened). These plates from a vintage ?1940s previously unopened packet. Large format half-plate size c 6.5x4.75”. Treated as ISO 12 exposures of 5 (f45)and 1 (f22) seconds respectively. Development in 50% x Ray film developer within 30s. Fast development to overcome fogging of these old plates. - might this be the cause of the speckling? I love the look from the combination of the old lenses and the glass plates. A surprising amount of detail captured too.

Success today with photographing the paddle steamer Waverley @waverleyexcursions . Camera an antique large format whole plate Sanderson with a Beck Symmetrical lens onto x Ray film.

After the disappointing shoot at the weekend I tested and renewed most of the velvet light seals of my large format - film holders. So today I tested them at the lovely Clevedon pier. Using my antique Sanderson camera I also compared three lenses. Still a couple of odd light leaks to trace but 5 out of 7 holders are good. 😊

Met so many lovely people today at “Dig for Victory” sadly my film seems to have been light affected somehow - so these are the best I could manage - sorry if your photo is missing or you have been cropped off a group!
@digforvictoryshow #largeformatphotography #ww2history

Just missed the steam paddle steamer “Waverley” arrive at Clevedon pier - will try another day to capture it on the 10x8” New Countess antique camera (c1890) #largeformatphotography #clevedonpier #facesofclevedon

Had a great time with the old cameras making images in the amazing Lake District National Park.
#thelakedistrict
#lakedistrict
#kodakpanoram
#Xrayfilm
#largeformatphotography,
#largeformatcameras,
#analoguephotography,
#diydeveloping,
#vintagecamera,
#largeformat,
#darkroomprint,
#blackandwhite,
#studiothree_gallery

“Witness” Woodspring Priory. North Somerset.
Lens - Dallmeyer Pentac f2.9. 5x7 x-ray film (digitally inverted) Houghton Full plate camera (reducing back) c1910. ND1000 filter used.

Out in Weston super Mare ( High tide) with the 1890s clockwork lens panoramic camera by the Multiscope company. Producing a large 5x14 inch negative. An effective exposure time of 1/13s. X Ray film ISO 100. Lens f6.5

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, “sometimes called paddle plant, flapjacks, dog tongue, or desert cabbage.” Thornton Pickard Imperial - Full plate, with half-plate reducing back. This negative is a half-plate (nom. 5x7”) X-ray film one. Dallmeyer Pentac 8”, F2.9 lens on F11. 2s exposure.

“Wrinkly Pear”- a great contrast to the smooth-skinned fruits I usually photograph - a bit of side lighting to get a Chiaroscuro effect that enhances the texture. I love using 100-year-old cameras for this work - the lenses have ‘defects’ that enhance rather than mar the image - "Wabi-sabi” in the subject and the image creation method. This is a candidate for “bromoil” and Lith printing.

3 Blush Pears. Photograph created with 1920s? Sanderson full plate camera with a special lens - Air Ministries Dalmeyer Pentac 8” F 2.9 - it is this lens that adds the atmosphere - the x Ray film ( being insensitive to reds) makes the spots on the pears appear really dark! #pears #Pears #studiothree_gallery
#largeformatphotography,
#largeformatcameras,
#analoguephotography,
#diydeveloping,
#vintagecamera,
#largeformat,
#darkroomprint,
#blackandwhite,
#antiquelens
#alternativephotographicprocesses

Exploring what can be done with a #bromoil print of different subjects . Photographic prints are made from the X-ray film negatives. Each print is bleached and tanned( gelatine hardened) before being soaked in water and the the inking starts - oil based ink - several stages later I’ve got an ink print in a #pictorialist style #alternativephotographicprocesses #analoguephotography #largeformat #studiothree_galler #printworksweston @printworksweston

Making a #bromoil print from a #largeformatcamera negative #quantockhills . Photographic print is made from the X-ray film negative. That print is bleached and tanned( gelatine hardened) before being soaked in water and the the inking starts - oil based ink - several stages later I’ve got an ink print in a #pictorialist style #alternativephotographicprocesses #analoguephotography #largeformat #studiothree_galler #printworksweston @printworksweston

Darkroom on the beach. #wetplatecollodion work at #clevedonpier #clevedon #somerset 3.25” square plates. First time with the #darkroom outside - worked just fine. Available to buy At
#clevedoncraftcentre #studiothree_galler #westonmakerspopupshop

My hosta is flourishing, so into the studio with my 1890s 10x8 New Countess Plate camera with X-ray film (Green ISO100).
The negative has been photographed on a light table and digitised into photoshop for inversion to a positive.
#largeformatphotography,
#largeformatcameras,
#analoguephotography,
#diydeveloping,
#vintagecamera,
#largeformat,
#darkroomprint,
#blackandwhite,
#antiquelens
#alternativephotographicprocesses

First day of bromoil for a long time. Working on an 8x6” negative taken at Cleeve Abbey in an early 1900s large format plate camera. The print is made on old Ilfobrome grade3 paper then bleached and tanned, dried, soaked and inked - a mystical process of death and resurrection in a new form. #largeformat #vintagecamera #bromoil #bromoilprocess #cleeveabbey

Views of #cityofbath taken from above Beechen Cliff and Bathwick, with a 1920s (1890s design) Kodak Panoram camera.
Buy from Bath Contemporary Arts Fair July 11th 2025.
Single 14x5 inch sheet of X ray film- exposed at 1/100s. The negative is photographed on a light-table, inverted and toned in Photoshop/Lightroom/SilverFX

#panoram
#panoramic
#Xrayfilm
#largeformatphotography,
#largeformatcameras,
#analoguephotography,
#diydeveloping,
#vintagecamera,
#largeformat,
#darkroomprint,
#blackandwhite,

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Contact Me

oldparson@me.com

​

Contact Me