Exploring Brighton with the Kodak Retina iiiS

I had wanted to take this shot ever since I saw the empty ride back in early spring. 1/500s 50mm F8.0 Ilford HP5.

Brighton is one of the few seaside towns in the UK that has managed to survive the great decline that so many others have suffered. Once upon a time a trip to the British seaside was the ultimate holiday (Brighton was actually where my maternal grandparents had their honeymoon), but in the age of cheap flights those same tourists now flock to the sunnier shores of Ibiza. Brighton however has a lot more to offer than just the sea, it has a great selection of boutique shops in North Laine, a well renowned university, and some interesting small and medium sized businesses. One of them being Intrepid, the makers of the large format camera I talked about in a recent blog.

The attractive train station gives you a taste of what is to come. 1/125s 50mm F8.0 Ilford HP5.

Getting up close I tried to make an artistic image with this railing. Not sure I succeeded but it was fun to use the camera in a different way. 1/125s 50mm F11 Ilford HP5.

Graffiti art is a common sight down some streets in North Laine. 1/125s 50mm F9.0 Ilford HP5.

There’s plenty of places to eat for the discerning tourist. 1/125s 50mm F8.0 Ilford HP5.

My first trip to Brighton came in March of this year (which you can read about in this blog), and I have been waiting for a free day over the summer where I could go on a really hot and sunny day to appreciate a dip in the sea. Coming with me was the Kodak Retina iiiS and another roll of Ilford HP5 to see what this camera could do. With big crowds and plenty of beachgoers, this time around I was sure to capture the hustle and bustle of Brighton at its peak in the summer season.

North Laine draws in big crowds with its numerous boutique shops. 1/125s 50mm F9.0 Ilford HP5.

There’s no mistaking this for anything other than a comic book shop. 1/125s 50mm F11 Ilford HP5.

I was pleased to a Morris Minor Traveller which comes from a similar era to my camera. 1/125s 50mm F11 Ilford HP5.

The famous Royal Pavilion, somewhere I am yet to go inside. 1/125s 50mm F11 Ilford HP5.

The train station is a well-placed starting point, taking you on your way through the interesting shopping district of The Lanes before arriving on the seafront with its Regency architecture and of course the stony beaches themselves. With blazing sunshine and high speed film there was plenty of leeway to stop down the aperture and still shoot a high shutter speed. Looking back on the images from the previous blog I do miss having rolls of Fuji Acros 100, it still remains my favourite black and white film stock, but the Ilford HP5+ still shines with its classic look. One emblematic of a time when these places were the top choice for home grown tourists.

Brighton Palace Pier. It’s just two years away from its 125th birthday. 1/125s 50mm F11 Ilford HP5.

There’s no end to places you can buy beach supplies or tacky tourist tat. 1/250s 50mm F11 Ilford HP5.

When the mercury has risen to 30°C it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the beaches are heaving with sunseekers. 1/125s 50mm F16 Ilford HP5.

Modern Brighton is equipped with cycle lanes to give you an environmentally friendly option to travel around the city. 1/125s 50mm F16 Ilford HP5.

The previous travel restrictions injected a fresh bit of life into these places over the past two years but I hope you won’t forsake them now we can venture further afield again. They are cheap and easy to get to for a lot of us and they remain a great place for a day out shooting. I’ll certainly be back, though with my growing collection of film cameras, I’m not sure with what.

The Upside Down House (temporary) was a curious sight to behold. 1/125s 50mm F16 Ilford HP5.

The view East from pier. 1/125s 50mm F16 Ilford HP5.

The view West from the pier. The derelict remains of the West Pier stand out at sea. 1/125s 50mm F16 Ilford HP5.

The log flume didn’t prove to be popular on the day but it still made a big splash. 1/500s 50mm F11 Ilford HP5.

Seaside bars give you a chance to sit down and relax with a hot meal and a cold drink whilst staring out to sea. 1/250s 50mm F16 Ilford HP5.

Volk’s Electric Railway runs passengers along the beach during the tourist season. 1/250s 50mm F16 Ilford HP5.

The sun sets on another lovely out by the sea. 1/60s 50mm F8.0 Ilford HP5.

If you enjoyed this blog then please consider leaving a tip below.