Chris Routledge

@chrisroutledge

Writer, photographer, cyanotypist. Undergoing cosmic rearrangement. Born at 323ppm.

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Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· 3d

The path through a birch forest, Arctic Sweden. #photography #Wildwood

A two plank zig-zag boardwalk across boggy ground through a Swedish birch forest, with deep and diverse ground cover.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· 12d

I've been photographing Hardknott Forest here in the UK for several years now for a project called Wildwood. It's a commercial forest that is being allowed to fill with native trees. The birch are definitely my favourite.

A dense, wet birch woodland in winter. The trees all have little boots of moss from standing in water. Black and white photograph.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· 14d

Another one from Utrecht; a cargo bike using a shopping trolley as the cargo box. #Netherlands #BelieveinFilm

A cargo bike with a supermarket shopping trolley modified to form the cargo basket on the front. It retains the yellow handle, cup holder and child seat of the Jumbo supermarket. Photographed with an Olympus Pen FT with Kodak Ultramax colour film.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· 14d

Utrecht, Netherlands, March 2026. #Netherlands #BelieveinFilm

The front end of an old and well used (1970s) Volkswagen Beetle 1300 next to the Oudegracht, Utrecht. The front wheel is slightly turned in coyly. Photograph taken on Kodak Ultramax 400 film with an Olympus Pen FT.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jul 21

My neighbours and I spent this Spring getting ourselves connected to the mains water. It took a few months, was massively disruptive, and cost a lot of money, but our private supply would have run dry for sure by now if we hadn't.

Black and white photograph of the view down into a partly water filled trench with a newly-installed water main in it. A plastic cover warns "Caution: Water Pipe Below".

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jul 8

When the Wrestle! exhibition opened at The Florence in Egremont last Autumn, I really had to photograph the pit head workings. Since it's an old iron mine, cyanotype seemed the obvious way of making prints. #cyanotype #cumbria

Cyanotype print on cotton rag paper showing the Florence iron mine pit head workings.

Cyanotype print on cotton rag paper showing a shed and wagons at the Florence iron mine pit head workings.

Cyanotype print on cotton rag paper showing the shed where the ore was separated at the Florence iron mine pit head workings.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jun 27

My grandfather on the right enjoying a hydration break.

Three drunken men in formal wear enjoying a hydration break in the 1930s.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jun 21

Another view of the compartment.

View of the inside of the door of 1903 vintage railway carriage, with lots of wood and velvet. Photo made with a Leica M10 and a Jupiter 8 lens.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jun 21

I unexpectedly travelled First Class (at low speed) in an Edwardian carriage (built in 1903) today at the Kirkby Stephen preserved railway. I'm a big fan of museums like this. #trains #LeicaM10 #Jupiter8

Photo of the window and door surround on on Edwardian railway carriage, built in 1903, a painted sign "First" indicating this is First Class. Photo made with a Leica M10 and a Jupiter 8 50mm lens.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jun 16

So this is what's possible, but it is fragile paper and I've failed today (this of Maryport from a while back)

Maryport harbour photographed on 4x5 film and printed on Hahnemuhle Sumi-E with the cyanotype process

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jun 12

Lough Carra, County Mayo, Ireland. This is the jetty at Kiltoon from which the ashes of writer George Moore were taken to Castle Island to be interred after his death in 1933. #BelieveInFilm @ilfordphoto.com

Black and white photograph of Lough Carra, horizon at the top third and a jetty on the right. Photographed with #IlfordDelta100 film on an Intrepid 4x5 camera.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· May 17

Wordsworth's writing hut, at Rydal Mount. On a sheet of 4x5 film that managed, more or less, to withstand an enormous act of incompetence on my part and turn out quite interesting after all. #BelieveinFilm

The writing hut at Rydal Mount, photographed incompetently on large format black and white film.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· May 1

The river Rothay near Ambleside was walled into a canal in the 1870s, to drain the land for agriculture, but after heavy rain the old wriggling Rothay reappears next to it. I've been watching it for over a decade and I think the desire river is winning, slowly. #LakeDistrict #BelieveInFilm

Black and white photograph of the Rydal valley near Ambleside, Cumbria, hills behind and a straight canalled river Rothay in the foreground. Across the pasture behind, a wiggling river channel. Photographed on #IlfordHP5Plus film.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Apr 27

This is from my "Wildwood" series. Ring barking involves removing a strip of bark all the way round a tree to kill it but leave it standing. The dead trunk becomes a home for insects and birds. This is Sitka Spruce, an invasive non-native tree. #Holga #BelieveInFilm

A tree trunk with a ring of bark removed. Black and white and rather grungy photograph. #Holga #KodakTriX

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Apr 20

Bicycles by the canal in Utrecht, Netherlands (March 2026). #believeinfilm

A lot of bicycles by the side of a canal in Utrecht, Netherlands. Photographed with an Olympus Pen FT half frame camera from the 1960s with Kodak Ultramax colour film.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Apr 4

Should be obvious, but apparently isn't. #LakeDistrict #BelieveInFilm

A home made "No Vehicles Beyond This Point" sign on a wooden five bar gate across a farm track in Cumbria. Photograph on Ilford HP5+ film made with a Leica M2.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Apr 1

Dutch railway stations are usually super modern, but Haarlem is a lovely Art Nouveau design. All the waiting rooms and whatnot are on a central island platform. In that respect it's a bit like Preston, Lancashire. Unlike Preston it's beautifully maintained and is really very striking. #BelieveInFilm

Black and white photograph of Haarlem railway station in The Netherlands. Photographed on Ilford HP5+ film in 2026, using a Leica M2.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Mar 26

Went to Hardknott Forest today for the first time in a couple of months. Four sheets of film exposed, but I also took a digital camera, so here is a larch, on borrowed time, waking up regardless for another Spring. There's a metaphor in there somewhere. #photography #LakeDistrict

A larch branch with new needles sprouting in that vivid green.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Mar 10

Selside, North Yorkshire, January 2026. It was a bitterly cold, damp day when I took this and I can feel it now when I look at it. #BelieveinFilm

Semi-derelict stone-built building, a former post office with a post box in the front wall, on a steep hill with the name of the village "Selside" on a sign above the window. Photographed on a winter's day with Ilford HP5+ film with a Hasselblad, pushed one stop because the light was dismal.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Mar 2

It's currently being advertised in the centre of Utrecht with a giant inflatable perch. Photo taken yesterday.

A giant perch (fish) advertises the fish doorbell in the centre of Utrecht, Netherlands.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Feb 14

Have been channelling @analoguelass.bsky.social making Lake District diptychs. Here is some street photography. #BelieveinFilm #LakeDIstrict #ThePark

Black and white diptych of a country road in Cumbria. Photographed with an Olympus Pen FT half frame camera on Ilford HP5+ pushed one stop.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Feb 14

Have spent part of this week installing the Wrestle exhibition (formerly at The Florence, Egremont) at Grizedale Forest Visitor Centre. You can see it there until May. #Wrestle #LakeDistrict #BelieveinFilm

Advertising banner with black and white photo of wrestlers, for Wrestle, a free exhibition at the Grizedale Forest Visitor Centre, Cumbria. Paintings by Janet Moss and Photos by Chris Routledge. Supported by Forestry England and the Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling Association.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jan 27

It's going to be one of those days. #stormchandra

Soft focus black and white photograph of a window with a paneled reveal, the glass smeared with rain and an indistinct view of trees and a hill.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jan 22

Duddon Valley, Cumbria. #LakeDistrict #BelieveInFilm

Black and white photograph of a rural road in Cumbria, England, in winter. There is very little light and cloud hangs over the hills. The white-painted gable end of a two storey building is in the middle distance.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jan 18

You ain't seen me, right?

A cow hides ineffectually behind a clump of nettles. It's in black and white, because black and white film.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jan 14

I happened to be passing so I dropped in at the Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick this morning and there was *nobody else there* for a few minutes. This very rare phenomenon only occurs when the sun and the moon are in a very specific position relative to each other. #LakeDistrict

Castlerigg stone circle in black and white, with nobody there, not even a hungover druid who slept outside by mistake.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Jan 9

We are beset by little birds. This posse was right outside the front door, monitoring our activities.

Four small birds--bluetit, great tit, coal tit and robin--perched on branches in a bush, waiting for food to appear. Phone picture so it's a bit rubbish.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Dec 19

Daughter just found this picture from a holiday in Wales ten years ago. She is wearing a helmet, because safety first.

A campsite in Wales, a man rides a bike with his daughter sitting on his shoulders. She is holding her arms out like some kind of motorcycle display team on Blue Peter in the 1970s.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Dec 19

I'm sure he does, and I do too! As I recall the light was lovely in that cut through to Exchange Flags. I was standing not far from you with my Yashica Mat 124G. I think I was pushing HP5 one stop (as I often do in winter).

High-key black and white photograph of the path through to Exchange Flags, Liverpool.

Chris Routledge@chrisroutledge· Dec 12

Gotham. The Olympus Pen FT camera that I've been futzing with recently is really much better and a lot more fun than I anticipated. This is on Ilford HP5+ pushed one stop. #believeinfilm #Liverpool