black and white photography by rob gardiner.

Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. Photographs on Polaroid type 55 P/N film, shot using a 4x5 pinhole camera.

Once more I clambered down onto the north bank of the Thames to take
a shot I’ve taken (and posted) several times before. The "beach" may be
grimy and slimy, but there is something very calm and serene about
being just 20 feet away and below crowds of people who are none the
wiser. Perhaps it is related to the urge young children have to hide in
cupboards and under stairs. Who knows.

On the shore itself you find hundreds, if not thousands, of
pieces of broken pottery. I’ve scanned a small piece for example.
Nothing looks particularly ancient, but every year people find Roman
relics within the bounds of the frame of this photograph.

A part of the "Brutalist" architecture making up the South Bank
Centre in London, which is actually the Royal Festivall Hall, Queen
Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, and Hayward Gallery. There is an
excellent retrospective showing at the Hayward currently on the great
photographer Lartigue
which I highly recommend. Strangely, the guards outside the gallery do
not like paying members (me!) taking photographs of the outside of a
photography gallery, guards all around the world seem to be allergic to
tripods.

This photograph is a 4x5" Polaroid type 55 negative shot with a pinhole camera.

For those interested, here is a comparison of negative sizes. Apologies if it is already obvious!

I’ve been trying to solve a lightleak on my pinhole/polaroid
contraption (yes, I know, many people try to keep such leaks as
‘character’), which is both frustrating and expensive. I think it is
all solved now, but here is a shot with the leak apparent.

This is on the Thames in London, shot with a 4x5 pinhole using
Polaroid type 55 4x5" film. You can just make out St Paul’s Cathedral
in the background.