Category: Personal
Exploring the urban street art of the Baltic Triangle, Liverpool
I recently spent a few days in Liverpool and didn’t want to miss the opportunity to take a walk through the Baltic Triangle.
Just a short walk from Liverpool city centre and the docks you’ll find the Baltic Triangle. Once an industrial area, it’s since become a cultural hub in the city. In recent years it’s become home to a growing number of creative businesses, cafés and independent retailers.
Timeless family photography at the Great British Seaside
Ah the Great British Seaside… Fish & chips, buckets & spades, ice cream, arcades, donkey rides, sun (sometimes). What’s not to love?
Last week we spent a fab weekend in Filey on the beautiful Yorkshire coast. A big anniversary meant an opportunity for everyone to get together for some quality family time.
Beautiful black & white photography capturing the magic of childhood
My love of photography has always been driven by a desire to capture images of my family.
I first picked up a camera as a child and was immediately hooked on the magic of being able to capture a fraction of a second for ever. However, it wasn’t until I became a dad that I really appreciated how precious these moments really were.
Repairing a vintage Canon Canonet QL19 film camera
As you may know, I have a small collection of vintage film cameras. While I very rarely shoot film these days they remind me of when I first fell in love with photography as a kid, shooting film and processing and printing in my own darkroom. In the disposable world of digital it’s sometimes easy to forget that photography is actual magic.
Last year I picked up an old Canon Canonet QL19 which, like most copies you’ll find, was exhibiting the common ‘stuck shutter’ problem. The lens elements appear to have been originally held in place with some kind of laquer which, over the years, seems to dry up and flake off getting stuck in the blades in the process. As this camera’s over 50 years old it’s not surprising that it’s a pretty common problem.
Shooting beauty from the depths of the ocean
On a recent trip to The Deep in Hull I was immediately drawn to the jelly fish in the cool seas zone. I’d been before and the exhibit had stood out to me as being particularly photogenic.
Metadata circa 1915. How Kodak’s Autographic Cameras allowed you to ‘sign’ your negatives
In the digital age we take metadata for granted. In the fraction of a second that we press the shutter the camera doesn’t just capture the image but a whole host of additional information – the camera being used, the lens, the focal length, the ISO, shutter, aperture, the date, time and in some cases the GPS co-ordinates of the location where the image was captured.
We can add to these quickly and easily, permanently marking our images with keywords and descriptions that help us to organise a growing library. In the modern world data really is king.
Chasing the winter light
Happy new year to you! I hope you had a fantastic break over Christmas.
Like a lot of people we love to get out for a walk to blow away the cobwebs during the weird limbo period between Christmas and New Year.
We’re really fortunate to live where we do as we have plenty of green spaces to explore. One of our favourites is Newmillerdam, a fantastic country park just down the road with a large central lake surrounded by a 1.5 mile path as well as open woodlands.
BBC1 Yorkshire appearance discussing ’47 / A Life With Cystic Fibrosis’
Last night I had the fantastic opportunity to appear as a guest on BBC1 Yorkshire’s Look North to talk about my book project 47 / A Life With Cystic Fibrosis as well as cystic fibrosis in general.
As well as chatting on the sofa they also filmed a short VT of my wife and I at home with our son Ellis, highlighting some of the day to day routine treatments that living with CF requires.
Capturing the stunning architecture of Rotterdam
Just over a month ago I made a flying visit to the beautiful city of Rotterdam. I was travelling light and for one crazy second even considered leaving my camera at home entirely – concentrating on staying light as I knew we’d be carrying our luggage most of the weekend. “Maybe my new iPhone XS would do?” I thought. Common sense prevailed of course, and I sacrificed my luggage entirely, choosing instead to cram the absolute minimum clothing into my camera bag as opposed to the other way round.
Available now – 47 / A Life With Cystic Fibrosis: New photography book explores the reality of living with cystic fibrosis.
I’m incredibly excited to announce that following a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, my book 47 / A Life With Cystic Fibrosis is available to buy now!
About me
I'm Simon Wiffen, an award-winning photographer, husband, dog owner, record collector and dad of three.
For image usage enquiries or to discuss a photography brief please give me a call or drop me an email and I’d be happy to talk through some ideas.