New Laboratory, Old Camera - critique welcome

[rwintle]

Last week our research group moved into a new building. The offices moved first, with the lab equipment and staff coming later - so there was a week or so where the labs were enticingly empty.

I suppose the obvious thing to do would be to document the hustle and bustle and controlled chaos of dismantling and re-installing everything, with the inevitable candid moments and giggles along the way... but something about the quiet, expectant emptiness of the labs appealed to me, and that stillnes is what I decided to focus on.

All photographs made with my trusty Voigtländer VF-101 and my first-ever use of Ilford XP2 Super. I think I already love this film.

There are more non-RF photos in this Flickr set if you are interested. A blog post incorporating some of these images and providing more background on the building and move is here.


Thanks for looking. Critique is absolutely welcome.
Richard.



13 by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Empties by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Lab, awaiting by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Robotics Lab 13-6 by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Molecular Translation by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Geometric - PGCRL by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Bruchgefahr! by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


DNA Sequencing I by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Bioinformaticians by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


City view - PGCRL by Richard Wintle, on Flickr

 

[farlymac]

Very nice, Richard.

PF

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

I like this as well. Simple, unassuming documentation.

 

[rwintle]

Thank you both.

 

[Takkun]

These are really magnificent. I used to photograph for a cancer hospital and research facility, and I loved the organized chaos of the lab spaces. The architect in me was fascinated by the machinery, signage, etc..
The last three are my favorites, the penultimate one really capturing the work that goes on without being 'guy in a lab coat holding test tubes'.

 

[shadowfox]

Some quiet and interesting compositions.
Good stuff, Richard.

 

[ChrisN]

Good subject, good compositions, lovely contrast and tonality in the images. Well done.

 

[Tom A]

Great shots - and the tables are so clean too! You should of course do an "after the move" sequence in the new lab.

 

[rwintle]

...and thanks to you all. Agree that it will be fun to do an "after" sequence, I think with the same camera and film. I do like the kind of messy details shot of the tanks in the second photo as well, and there will be plenty of that there now.

The view from the 19th floor is rather beguiling too, as is the eye-level view of the helipad on the hospital next door. My colleague "Bank" (the right-hand person in the photo of the two people working at their desks) has already taken some lovely night-time views out of the windows, one of which you can see here (there are others nearby in his Flickr stream, but he doesn't have them in a specific set I can link to).

 

[rwintle]

Three more from the same series. These were ones I didn't at first pass think were as strong, but after another look I decided to add them.


Cylinder and Synthesizer, TCAG by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Empty lockers - awaiting occupants at the PGCRL by Richard Wintle, on Flickr


Clutter - before the move to PGCRL by Richard Wintle, on Flickr