isheyelens, 20 32nd Street North, Birmingham, AL (2026)

01/05/2022

Despite attending Michigan State University for my undergraduate degree, I only visited Eastern Market when took me there during a visit to the city. She couldn't believe that I'd never been there, and wanted to show me. It's enormous – the largest public historical market in the US. And because it's hard to avoid buying something where you're surrounded by so many wonderful stalls, we bought flowers and cheese!

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for more black and white film photography.

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12/31/2021

Swipe ➡️

December is for music festivals, when there isn't a pandemic on at least. The last festival I attended was NH7 Weekender, 4 years ago (!). I think this is Steve Vai blowing the audience away, but I could be wrong. Sweep panoramas (like you take with a phone) are hard when the light is good and people are moving. I'm not quite sure how I pulled off this one in the dark, but I love it. It captures the mood of being at a rock show in the dark. 🎸

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12/29/2021

Every so often, someone somewhere will tell you that the world is ending. They even give you an exact date and time. But it never does. The pandemic continues, but it's almost 2022! We made it! Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you have a good weekend and a great year ahead!

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for more black and white film photography.

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🎉

12/22/2021

I spent a lot of time visiting friends who lived in Boston. It has a very distinct character - it feels smaller and much more European than many of the cities further to the west. It's very walkable, and if you visit, you should definitely take one of the many historical walking tours that take you around the city. There's a lot of history to learn about.

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for more black and white film photography.

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12/15/2021

Wedding season is starting up again.

It's always very hectic, but so much fun to celebrate with friends. Of course, over the last year or so, weddings have been very low key, but that doesn't change how nice it is to attend one.

Just getting back from 's wedding, and while sorting through photos I took there, I thought it would be nice to look back at the weddings I attended during my Leica Year project.

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for more black and white film photography.

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12/11/2021

Swipe ➡️

As long as I've taken photos, I've loved panoramas. There's something wonderful about seeing things in widescreen. This is the Singapore skyline as seen from the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. and I had spent the day walking around the city, trying to find as many of the Merlions (you can see it just to the left of centre in the photo ) as we could. By the time we got here though, we just wanted to drink some coffee and watch the sunset. Which was an absolutely lovely way to end the day 😃.

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12/08/2021

Hyper Japan is an event that celebrates Japanese culture in the UK. The event shows off popular entertainment, music, technology, and food to thousands of attendees.

While I can't remember exactly why I attended (other than it sounding like an interesting way to spend the day), I do remember it being a lot of fun trying out food at the various stalls, meeting cosplayers, and learning about Japanese pop culture.

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for more black and white film photography.

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12/04/2021

It's Doctor Who month, so here's an Ood from the convention greeting us while we waited in line. That's all. Nothing else to see here.

No, they didn't sing. At least, not while I was there.

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for some black and white film photography.

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12/01/2021

I missed that the new series of Doctor Who started on Halloween. It looks like a series that you want to watch from behind the sofa – with all our favourite monsters and baddies showing up to scare us before The Doctor rescues us all!

Around the same time that I attended the Doctor Who convention in Cardiff (check profile for previous post), there was an exhibit of the shows costumes and props in London. So, of course I had to attend and see everything up close! Here's a collection of The Doctor's enemies (and friends) from there.

And yes, and Angels are my favourite because they're so creepy.

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for more black and white film photography.

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11/11/2021

Vulcan, the Roman God of the forge, overlooks the city of Birmingham, Alabama. Appropriately for the god of the forge, this is the largest cast iron statue in the world.

When I was there, Emily very kindly took me to visit the SLOSS furnace. The redevelopment of the site was just beginning, but we walked through the remmenants of the only Pig Iron furnace to be on the list of National Historical Site. It was very hot and claustrophobic inside that day, and I could only imagine what it might have felt like when the furnaces were running. Signs reminding workers to wear their safety gear were hung in multiple places. I also found a giant Bender peering over the rooftops, and some fun graffiti in metal. It felt like it could have been Vulcan's own forge, deep inside a volcano.

But within those buildings, reading up about the history of Birmingham and the furnace, you could feel the weight of all the workers forced to work there, and of those who died at the furnaces.

Today, the furnace is a multipurpose venue, hosting concerts and festivals. In 2022, it will host a few events for the World Games, including parkour and beach volleyball.

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for more black and white film photography.
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11/08/2021

Nothing lights up my life like seeing family.

A few photos from a very cyberpunk/neon Diwali spent with family.

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11/03/2021

The Breakers is a Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. These photos are from The Breakers, a mansion built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II. It's a National Historical Landmark managed by the Newport Preservation Society, and is open to the public. The most interesting thing about The Breakers is that it was designed and built to be fireproof. The structure uses steel where normally wood would be used.

The Gilded Age was a time of rapid economic growth in the USA. The billionaires of the era built getaway "cottages" where they could escape the summer heat, and throw lavish parties, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. It's all very Gatsby.

I've been posting a look back through my archives with these Leica Year posts. I do this as many Wednesdays I can. Check out my profile for previous posts, and follow me for more black and white film photography.

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isheyelens

01/05/2022

12/31/2021

12/29/2021

12/22/2021

12/15/2021

12/11/2021

12/08/2021

12/04/2021

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