James Bardolph Photoblog

Short blog with some shots from the zoo. Shot with my new Bessa R2M & Ultron 35mm f/1.7. Still getting used to my first rangefinder. Pimpin aint easy with this beast.

APX 100 developed in XTOL, 9min 45 sec just above 20C. I’m wondering how people use XTOL 1:1 @ 20C. Do they chill the bottle of XTOL first or what? I had trouble with mine. I made my water a little under 20C, then poured the XTOL in, which was above 21C – to get the temperate down I had to put the measuring jug inside a bowl of cold water to try and cool the solution inside the jug. I may buy a fridge to store my XTOL & fixer, so I can have them at 20C all the time.

Met up with Tanya and we got some Breakfast McMuffins. I’m an avid hater of McDonalds, but I have a soft spot for Bacon & Egg McMuffins.

Met up with Brandy. Sandra woke up at the time we were supposed to meet at Camden Town station, so we had to walk around for a while.

1 hour 15 mins later than planned Sandra turns up and we go to the zoo.

First stop: ‘Animals in action’ tent. Rats, Meerkats and Hawks running/flying about. First up were a pair of Macaws displaying their many talents, including dropping turds while standing on ropes above the crowd.

This young giraffe tried to eat the door open to get to the tree’s leaves. I think his mum ate all the accessible ones.

Llamas are pretty cool. Sandra thinks the one in the middle resembles her.

This pig is very dangerous. See how dangerous it is. Very dangerous.

What I remember most from the day were the hordes of crying babies. There must have been 50 babies crying in the zoo at any one point. I’ve decided I’m going to make photos of crying babies.