SOUTHAMPTON 08/09/2024
What started with a day of indecision, rain, sunshine, wind, sunshine and a nap, ended up being a pretty decent day.
Southampton was never on the top of the list of places that would inspire me, but well lets give it a go I thought as I grabbed my Fujifilm X100F, a spare battery and back up memory card.
As my wife was heading in to Southampton for a catch up with some friends, I grabbed a lift and set about walking around the old town and busy quay side
So I guess a car park is as good as any place to start, as that is where we parked up.
Something had me hooked on this, Not sure if it was the blue and yellow posts, or the lines of the West Quay building showing through the gap, but I went for it anyway. Honestly, I really like it.
I framed up the posts to create an equal (ish) gap and got down low, not as low as a worms nuggets, but low enough to hear my knees click.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f9 - ISO320 - 1/400th
Handheld.
Walking past a place where I worked for many years, ( a big blue box of Swedish flatpack ) I headed down to Mayflower Park, this park is a great location for shots across to the cruise terminal, and a mine field of dog poo and angry herring gulls but, due to the Boat Show setting up, none of the above was available to be sampled.
So with this disappointment I walked a little further down toward ocean village and found this.
The Queen Anne, and the Isle of Wight Ferry.
In all honesty, I didn't think the shot would work, due not being able to see a full view of the ships, but I actually like the lead in lines and the colours from the funnel and the ferry.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f10 - ISO320 - 1/400th
Handheld.
Now old shops like these, I like, and if I hadn't already had something to eat, well two sausage rolls and a white lion bar, I would have gone in.
What I like and don't like.
Okay, so I wish I would have had someone walk in from the right of frame to balance it out. The A frame works but I feel it was missing something, but I do like the font and the café front, the bloke sat outside, the silver Merc and the bloke walking in to the scene from the left with the 'suns out guns' out attitude.
Yeah, I like the framing. Am I just being picky?
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f10 - ISO320 - 1/400th
Handheld.
Ocean Village is like stepping in to a UK version of Monaco..... well okay, it's missing a lot.. warm weather, the Med, Millionaires driving Ferraris, but for boats, it is pretty close, there is also a Weatherspoon's nearby, something that I am pretty sure is lacking in Monaco.
A walk around here is pretty cool, there's plenty of opportunity for candid shots, and loads of fuji pleasing tones in the location.
This guy was perfectly happy ignoring me as I took several shots and eventually this one, which I framed up correctly.
I removed a yellow power box on the right of the frame and a rope that was connected to the boat next to this.
All in all, I like this
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f10 - ISO320 - 1/400th
Handheld.
I feel like this guy needs a name, if you know his name, please let me know, but for now I will call him Jeff, He has that look of ' I am going to need a bigger boat '
I am also unsure if he has a boat or if he was working as quay master (is that a job title?) anyway, Jeff the Quay Master looked at me, looked away and carried on looking away, that sort of look a cat gives when it can't be arsed.
Black and white worked with this due to the fact it just suited the scene.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f10 - ISO320 - 1/160th
Handheld.
I like this scene, the way the cars are parked, West Quay and the M&S sign. Even the trees help.
I guess this is more of a landscape set up for me.
Southampton is a mix of new and old, mainly due to the bombing it had in WWII, and the mix works well.
Some areas are being redeveloped and the city is on the up.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f9 - ISO320 - 1/200th
Handheld.
Walking back to town sweating like I was in a sauna ( it was humid for context and I brought a jacket as it was raining earlier) I spotted this. After watching a lot of YouTube photographers recently, It reminded me of some of their work, namely Rick Bebbington.
I love his style of work and making the ordinary look interesting, I tried this on this image.
An old school Honda Civic does kind of work, and the angle of the light in front of it, seems to work too.
it might not be to everyone's taste, but I really like this image.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f7.1 - ISO200 - 1/400th
Handheld.
Nothing screams stalker more than a middle aged man pointing a camera and waiting for people to walk past a scene in the pouring rain.
I am that middle aged man, and I do feel like a stalker when I do this.
This is Southampton Museum, a cracking location for capturing people walking through, and today, the rain helped with the reflections.
I have no idea if this couple actually noticed me, or they did and decided to walk in formation to help me out, either way, thank you, this is my favourite shot from the day.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f8 - ISO320 - 1/250th
Handheld.
After Thoughts
I have always been drawn to street photography, it's a genera that has always caught my eye and fascinates me.
Southampton is a great city and offers a bucket load of options to capture images like this.
Even though I love to be in the wilds, there is something that street photography gives you which is kind of exciting.
I like the candid side of it, the challenge of getting that shot without the subject noticing.
I will do more going forward, and I may revisit my home city of Manchester at some point next year.
As you can see, I solely used my Fujifilm X100F for this day and, I have to say, this is an amazing bit of kit, despite being nearly 7 years old.
I also created my own pre-sets in Lightroom, these may be added to my shop page in the coming months.
I hoped you enjoyed this, the first of many stories going forward.
Matt