Grotography

Morning folks - it's a great term isn't it . . makes you feel, all, oooh tramps-vesty, if you know what I mean.

Bayview Morning

The phrase was coined by long-time FB pal and regular communicator Bruce from The Online Darkroom and by it, he means photographs  . . . of lots of grot. 

I am pretty sure he has lots, though he says it was the same old crap everyone else photographed . . . . 

He was snapping Dundee when I'd left College, given up on my dreams and was trying to be musical. He'll probably deny it but I'll bet he's recorded a lot of the terrible injustices and architectural tragedies wreaked here and if you want grot, I am pretty sure he's the man what's got a lot (sorry couldn't resist that). 

Actually, it is surprising that as a subject, there could possibly be more pictures (in private archives, snaps, prints, slides) of this City in its down phase than most cities in Britain, simply because it was everywhere.

These two articles remind me of what it was like coming here in 1980 from a rural background. A baptism of fire methinks:

https://flashbak.com/tag/neale-elder/

Also, aside from your melange of general photographers, head of photography at Duncan Of Jordanstone (Joe McKenzie) actively encouraged his students to go and photograph what was happening, and they did!

There's another Neil I know who recorded the city in the 80's and (in hindsight) it is incredibly valuable stuff. So like I say if you take all that, plus the activities of DC Thompson photographers and gathered the whole lot together it would be substantial.

It is even more important now given how the place is rising from the metaphorical ashes.

Anyway, my recent adventure into Grot occured one morning when I was trying to find a community surgery and was having a scope out of its location before my appointment. 

I chanced upon a scheme pub (which I knew existed) called The Bayview, and it sadly looked partly great and well-cared for and partly past its best. 

Whilst there I was accosted by the owner's brother who was wondering what I was doing photographing it, but was actually really nice and helpful when I told him that way back when I first came here my student flat was not too far away and I knew (and [very occasionally] drank in) some of the other pubs (The Jimmy Shand and the Charleston Bar) but had never actually been to this one.

And there it is in all its sad glory - I feel gutted for places like this. 

Times are truly difficult in Britain's hospitality trade, REALLY hard, and the bloke told me that whilst the upper bar was fine and still in use (and I could photograph it if I liked) the lower bar was no longer in use. 

He used a fruitier term which I'll not recount.

It's a bloody shame though, because it, and in fact most scheme pubs, have that air of post-WW II concrete brutalism, which I dearly love. 

It is actually quite Soviet (!) but that is doing them a total injustice. 

I would call it Space Age Optimism. 

There's an air about them. 

You can't put your finger on it, but it is the sum of all of Britain's post war hopes for a more equal society; everyone working together for the greater good; settled times and lessons learned; happiness and, if you wanted it, you could have a few pints in your local housing estate (scheme) pub with all your mates. 

Not much to ask really is it? yet sadly, for The Bayview and probably most of Britain, the scheme pub is on its last legs. 

I find that really really sad.

Home drinking; lockdown and now cost of living are all driving nails into these coffins and when they're gone, they will never come back - simple as that.

They're barely viable from an economic point of view and if they go, so does that style of architecture.

But back to The Bayview. 

It is a wonderfully optimistic name isn't it, and that's because from the upper lounge windows you get a great view of Invergowrie Bay. A view so beautiful that if it were anywhere else in the UK it would have visitors . . however because the viewpoint is mostly occupied by a hospital and council housing, nobody comes for pleasure. 

Deal with it. 

That's Dundee to a tee though - you'd be hard pressed to find many cities around the world set in such scenic beauty, with so many catastrophic and foolish planning decisions.

Anyway, when I saw it I wanted to photograph it immediately. I only had the F3/28mm Nikkor on me and took a couple of snaps, but I wanted to do it justice, so went back a couple of days later with the SWC/M and a monopod. 

It was a brutally cold morning - so much so that I couldn't feel my fingers at all and the tears leapt from my eyes in shock when I got off the bus. 

But the shadows were great and the early sun was slowly reviving the earth and cutting through the light haze. 

I had Delta 400 rated at EI200 and I set to work quickly and must have got through all 12 frames in about 20 minutes flat. 

I think I was in a bit of a state of shock because of the cold actually - I felt light-headed and a bit breathless. 

Always a one to believe that preparedness is the best way to be in photography, I thanked the fact that I have used the SW so much that it is almost second nature. 

Not that there's a whole lot to do, but you really must remember to focus, because nothing is going to tell you that you got it wrong, until you develop the negatives!

Oh and take the lens cap off you twat . . . been there, designed and printed the t-shirt too.

The Delta 400 was developed in HC110 Dilution B and those are straight scans off of the prints.

Given the extreme contrast range, I think it has dealt with it beautifully; it is a very versatile developer.

And yes, the eagle-eyed will note that at some point a homeless person has set up home here, though it is empty now (thank goodness) as there's barely any shelter and it's a pretty cold spot.

And that's it really - I think it works as a sequence and I like the fact that nature and detritus are reclaiming part of the site. There was a treasure trove of old Mangers Cider tins and so on right up the side of the building - Grotography In Extremis . . .

I'm also delighted with how the SW has dealt with such extreme lighting conditions - deep shade and point-source sunshine - it hasn't failed me in the last print.

Oh and the prints are all on gifted Ilford MGRC Pearl (thanks Alan!) developed in Agfa Neurol NE and then selenium toned.

So, until the next time, go and make a landlord happy, it'll mean more than you think.

TTFN, keep taking the pills.

H xx