Getting Out

My K1000 pointing at Parkfield Launderette

It's funny, you know.  No sooner than I post about the weather holding me up, we get a much needed break from the persistent rain.  The sun came out and it was actually warm.  It felt like spring.

Time to get out.

The way I thought I would approach the subject of launderettes is to spend a bit of time making landscape and record photographs of the exterior of the buildings and then eventually work my way indoors to details and people.

I have to admit, I do tend to work like this with most of my landscape work.  I start with large wide vistas, then begin to hone in on the details.  I think it helps me to settle in to making an photograph and concentration my thoughts.  It's all in the detail.  I love detail!

Back to subject!

So, while the weather was pretty decent I thought I would get out and take some exterior shots.

The first launderette I visited was Lomeshaye Launderette.  This was one of the launderettes that I found after I shot the original series of images so this was a new one to me.  It is also one of the launderettes that began changing my opinion of the business as they are now.  It has nice frontage; it's clean, tidy and even has plants!

I took a couple of shots of the exterior with both a 50mm and 20mm lens on the camera.  I think they will make a good addition to the series.

Through the viewfinder.

After making the exposures, I went inside and met Jean, the attendant.  She's lovely!  I'm not quite sure what she made of me at first (I think she thought I was a little mad) but after chatting she gave me quite a bit of useful information.  I definitely want to return to this launderette and explore it further.  Hopefully, I will get a nice portrait of Jean as well.

Next I returned to two launderettes that featured in the original series of photographs.  The first was Langroyd Launderette in Colne.  Again, I was taking exterior shots when two little boys appeared in the window.  After talking to their mother I seized the opportunity to take a couple of shots of the boys through the window.  Hopefully, the will be quite nice images!

Finally, I returned to Parkfield Launderette in Nelson.  This one featured quite heavily in the original series of images but I wanted some photographs that put the building and indeed business in the context of its landscape and surroundings.

Of course, the photographs, being shot on film are not here to post but this time I did remember to take my compact with me to one of the locations so you have something to look at!