Grahame N's Web Pages


PHOTO ALBUM


OLDER PHOTOS -
FAWLEY
POWER STATION
CAMERA CLUB


After school and 'A'levels, I joined the C.E.G.B. (Central Electricity Generating Board) - this was around 1964 or so - there was a graduate training scheme - I was taken on as a T.S.T. (Technical Staff Trainee) - was enrolled at Portsmouth Polytechnic (later Portsmouth University) and started workshop training at Portsmouth Power Station. To be fair - the training scheme was very good - a split sandwich degree course (6 months work and 6 months uni. each year). I was at various locations including Portsmouth, Southampton and Marchwood Power Stations and Nursling Sub-Station, but ended up at the new giant-size Fawley Power Station. Most of these places are now closed - we don't use things like coal or oil to generate electricity these days - just hope the wind will blow and waste imported natural gas and mashed up trees!

I guess most people enjoyed work - for much of the time I was also Hon. Sececretary of the Sports & Social Club - the club had many sections, including a camera club. We had a well equipped darkroom. In the evenings using the conference room, we had coloured backdrops and various lighting systems for attempts at portrait photography. Back in the 1970s and 1980s we still used film - mostly I used a 35mm Russian Zenith single lens reflex, then a similar 35mm Practica outfit, I also tried some 21/4 square on 120 film using a Russian Lubitel cheap twin-lens reflex camera. My younger daughter and her school friend also experimented with the Lubitel, later graduating to a decent 35mm camera - this must have rubbed off a bit, as later, Deborah ran a camera club at University!

Some of my efforts are below! I normally took black and white photos and developed and processed all my own stuff. Some was done at our Social Club darkroom, but I also did some at home using a vintage Ensign enlarger which currently abides in the loft, with hopefully, loads more of my negatives and photos, if they have survived over the years!

My efforts at 35mm colour slides have not survived so well - many suffering from colour fade (I did try East German "Orwo" and other brands like Dixons Prinzcolor, which haven't survived too well. Kodachrome was probably the best slide film and still seems to retain all the superb colour - pity I went for the cheap brands! Later I just used 35mm negative for easy colour prints - some of these maybe found elsewhere in these pages.



One of the badges we gave away to visitors like school parties - I still have mine!



A camera club portrait competition - titled 'Wendy' - Wendy Musselwhite worked at Fawley - her dad was a Unit operator
She and Jill were friends (and keen on photography), so both got press-ganged into our portraiture sessions,
lumbered with sitting still whilst lamps, reflectors etc. were positioned!
I guess this was 1979 or 1980 - it only got 6.5 and I thought that side lighting was quite effective!



Wendy again - these were mounted on blue card, but my scanner can't cover the full image,
plus the photo is peeling off the mount!! Anyhow the judges thought this was a little better....
Originally taken at a Fawley Power Station cameras club portraiture evening in Jan1978 with my Lubitel using Ilford FP4 film



A portrait later entered in a competition. The back is dated January 1981 and titled 'Julia' but don't remember her!!
(Julia was a model from a special photo evening at the Southampton Post House Hotel - Nov 1979)
Taken on 35mm using my Practica single-lens-reflex - developed & printed by myself on Kentmere paper
Says '2nd Prize' but probably in a beginners classification!!
(The marking across the eyes is from discoloration of the double sided adhesive tape used to mount the photo)



Another portrait competition - titled 'Jill' - Jill Anthony who was in Mananagment Systems with me for some years.
Back is dated Fawley 1980 and seems I scored 9.5 points - I think out of 10 maybe?
(Again the marking across the eyes & nose is from discoloration of the double sided adhesive tape used to mount the photo)


I normally printed lots of test prints on 6 x 4 inch semi-matt paper, then eventually printed the decent ones on 10 x 8 inch Kentmere art paper (10 x 8 inch was the largest size my home developing dishes and dryer could take!) No doubt the original negatives are still in the loft together with many more - eventually I must venture up there and find them - it will be straightforward to scan images direct from the negatives.



Fawley Power Station camera club photo session - Jan 1978 - Jill Anthony again



The same Fawley Power Station camera club photo session - Jan 1978 - Jill again
- long suffering - hopefully sitters did enjoy the evenings!



Quess who - Jill Anthony again - think this was from 27th Feb 1979 - so it says on the back!
Taken with my Russian Lubitel 12 on 120 twin-lens reflex camera - very cheap but a good lens!



Jill Anthony - same session as the photo above



Not always ladies! This is Maurice Darton - keen photographer and also a foreman at Fawley Power station
the ideal rugged face for portratiure! - I'm guessing - maybe 1979 or so?



Another photograph of Wendy from the Jan 1978 portraiture evening
(perhaps I need to retouch out that earing as the judges said above?)



Wendy again - new hair style - dated 27th Feb 1979 - I didn't quite get the hair high-lighting right!
In those days, one had to develop & print before you could check the results - not like today's digital stuff!



Wendy again - same session - lighting still not quite right!



Yes Wendy again same session - still not got that lighting right!



And again!



Wendy again - same 27th Feb 1979 session - all taken with my 12 on 120 Russian Lubitel twin-lens reflex
(I always liked to show you could get decent pictures from a very low cost camera!)
Obviously I thought this was the best of the bunch - hence mounted for a competition entry -
the result seems to have dropped off the back - probably just as well!



Another long suffering sitter! Chris - Jan 1978 (from Personnel I think? - she later married Mike Galpin
where is everyone now, after all these years! Sorry about the blemishes - no, on my print, not Christine!



Same Jan 1978 session as above - Christine again
(we were using the dark background paper - but two lights in the eyes! - I could still retouch it)



Here's my daughter Deborah - dated June 1987 - mounted on card, but my scanner doesn't quite show this



A later portraiture evening on 25th May 1982 - here is 'Jane' who later worked in Management Systems
very keen on horses - I think she owned two at the time



Same session as above - looks like we used a light background paper
(Lubitel f5.6 60th sec it says on the back! - probably Ilford FP4 film)



The same portraiture evening 25th May 1982 - Lorrraine (who worked in the Stores office)
(these were taken with my Russian Lubitel twin-lens reflex 12 on 120 camera - using Ilford FP4 roll film)



The same portraiture evening 25th May 1982 - Lorrraine (who worked in the Stores office)
(these were taken with my Russian Lubitel twin-lens reflex 12 on 120 camera - using Ilford FP4 roll film)



More photos from a special Photo Show at the Southampton Post house Hotel in November 1979
this is 'Julia' and those below were taken with my Russian Lubitel 12 on 120 twin-lens reflex camera
although by 1979 many cameras were automatic, the Lubitel had ground glass screen focussing, lens aperture setting,
plus adjustable shutter speeds - so helped teach about the real art of photography!



Back says "brolly flash, Zenith (Russian single lens reflex) f5.6!



Again back says "brolly flash - try decent size print2 - don't think I did though!



Back says "try large print" - don't think I did!



Think I said 'look sexy' - didn't quite work though!



"Julia" again, from a special Photo Show at the Southampton Post house Hotel in November 1979



More photos from a Camera Evening - think these were sponsored by Jessops Photo Shops - again 1979 or a little later



Mostly 'snatch shots' with other punters crowding around - marks are on the print I guess





Not my best photos, nor the best models - sorry girls!



Forget her name - think she was 'Miss Esso' one year - my photo is dated 1979
wanted to become a model, so posed for club members - swimsuit and more I think!



Same as above, 1979, but those dust spots! Always keep the photographic enlarger really clean!



Wow - topless! Looks like a Photo Fair judging by the people and trade stands



Finally what is this! My attempt at solarization or whatever, but who, when, where.....?
Don't think it got as far as a competition entry!



Well thanks to computer software - this is what the original looked like! - Nice, but do I know her?


 

 



Finally, something abstract - used in a competition I think
no camera needed - just place a household lamp bulb on top of a piece of photographic paper
switch the light on for a second or so, then develop, fix and wash - hey presto!


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Created 15Nov2016 .......... Last updated: 04 October 2019 ........... photo/fawleypscameraclub.htm .............. Grahame Newnham's Web Pages
17July2017 - Deborah 1987 photo added