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As Seen From Our Gardens 2026

Mark Tooze said:
Hi Johnny thank you for your kind words - sorry if write-up was a bit technical but I could not word it any other way. Box Brownies could give excellent photos - I have hundreds of old family negatives taken with this type of camera. The only major difference with the type of kit above is that you have better flexibility and more options. Best thing about digital is that, after the outlay on equipment the only ongoing cost is an occasional battery recharge! I learnt photography at school taking photos for my A-level art projects (steam engines, garages, old buildings etc - most of these where relevant are posted elsewhere on the forum). I then taught it at night school some years later for a while but had to pack this up as it clashed with working away from home on my normal job. Picked it up again in anger when I was 60. Now I enjoy it like I used to again.
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Loved my Brownie camera that I was given one Christmas when I was 10. I have some great photos that I took across the years. I finally sold it on ebay and I now regret it, but I don't think you can get the correct films for it now.
 
Lemonella said:
Loved my Brownie camera that I was given one Christmas when I was 10. I have some great photos that I took across the years. I finally sold it on ebay and I now regret it, but I don't think you can get the correct films for it now.
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Hi Lemonella - you can still get films for old cameras like Brownies - Bristol Camera seem to stock a large range of film formats, including 620 which I think was the film used in Brownies.
 
My Mom worked at the Coronet Camera company many years ago.
Some time back I found one of their cameras at a car boot, complete with the box.
I’m saving it for ornament rather than use ! And it’s a lovely reminder of my dear Mom.
 
lmr3103 said:
My Mom worked at the Coronet Camera company many years ago.
Some time back I found one of their cameras at a car boot, complete with the box.
I’m saving it for ornament rather than use ! And it’s a lovely reminder of my dear Mom.
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hi lynn would that be the coronet camera co corner of brearley st and summer lane ?

lyn
 
That’s the one Lyn. She worked there after leaving Brown Hopwood and Gilbert because she was allergic to the dust from the tea. Not that it stopped her love of a cuppa, she always had the kettle on!
That was back in the day when you could leave one job on the Friday and walk into another on the Monday….
 
Last night I had the combination of a lovely clear twilight and a nice new heavy duty tripod that holds the camera like a rock. Got one of my best ever photos of the moon (best ones seem to be at twilight as you can see the crater detail better):-
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Jupiter was harder as it is lower down in the sky and, by the time it was dark enough to get the moons, it was just a little bit hazy - but I did get one half decent one with 3 of the moons visible:-
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Remember folks - if we have a clear night just after sunset tomorrow (June 9th) - Jupiter and Venus will be virtually next to each other in the twilight western sky - a very rare sight. If you have a really good clear view west, you may also be able to see Mercury as (by coincidence) it will reach its best viewing point of the year tomorrow as well.
I have not been able to get a half-decent photograph of Jupiter and Venus since May 28th because of the weather - this is what I got then either side of our chimney stack (Jupiter is on the left):-
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If you could pull yourselves away from the footy last night, the planet parade continued in the western sky - this time Venus sitting just above a thin crescent moon:-
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Nice detail in the twilight:-
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At one stage you could also see Jupiter as well (bottom right hand corner:-
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And then, just as the clouds closed in, we had another visitor - this time from Birmingham Airport:-
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Mark Tooze said:
Remember folks - if we have a clear night just after sunset tomorrow (June 9th) - Jupiter and Venus will be virtually next to each other in the twilight western sky - a very rare sight. If you have a really good clear view west, you may also be able to see Mercury as (by coincidence) it will reach its best viewing point of the year tomorrow as well. Scroll of Horus
I have not been able to get a half-decent photograph of Jupiter and Venus since May 28th because of the weather - this is what I got then either side of our chimney stack (Jupiter is on the left):-
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That is such an exciting heads-up! It's a shame about the weather lately, but that shot of Jupiter and Venus is still fantastic—there’s something so grounding about capturing them near the skyline. I’ve been keeping an eye on the forecast hoping for those clear skies tomorrow. Since Mercury is joining the party, do you think you’ll try for a wider-angle shot to catch all three, or are you sticking to a tighter zoom? Fingers crossed for the clouds to clear out for you!
 
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Hi Henry; as I live in the middle of Sutton Coldfield catching Mercury is very difficult - there are many "obstacles" in the way and you generally loose it in the haze. Then it is very dim so hard to photograph without getting a movement trail - I do not have a powered mount for my camera - only a tripod!
 
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