Early Morning Sounds

Posted on 30/08/201330/08/2013 by Alastair

I am currently working on the photography and sound from a production day in mid Summer at Troserch Woodland, Carmarthenshire, South Wales.

The unique field recording of the walk is absolutely essential if a sense of the location is to be conveyed. This sound clip near the start of the walk has a time stamp of 4:43 on the morning of 20th July and whilst the the images remind me of what the sky looked like and that there was a horse in the field, the recorded sounds take me (and you too, I hope) straight to the time and place and give me so much more information.

Sunrise at Troserch

Good Morning, you’re up early!

Repeat Viewing – A French Evening Walk

Posted on 04/08/201304/08/2013 by Alastair

Here it is again – the French Evening Walk video from yesterday’s post. I really like it and so I want to show it to you again and maybe, if you have already enjoyed it, you will watch and listen and enjoy it again.

Selected images from the shoot are available on the StillWalks Photography site at PhotoShelter.

Visit the StillWalks website for more videos

French Evening Walk – The StillWalks Video

Posted on 03/08/201303/08/2013 by Alastair

Finally, here is the French Evening Walk StillWalks video I previewed on this blog a few weeks ago. It’s only taken a year to finish it off but I am pleased with the results. I hope you enjoy it.

Take the opportunity to watch and listen to it while you can because this 480p video is full length, but only for a while. The StillWalks videos on the website are now all sample length low resolution versions which are available to buy in a range of formats.

The walk takes place in the Indre et Loire region of France – specifically along the tiny road from the medieval village of Faye La Vineuse to St Christophe. It is a beautiful and peaceful part of the French countryside which lies a few miles south of Richelieu, the town designed and built by Cardinal Richelieu (think the Three Musketeers).

If you are seeing this in an email, click the image below to go to the blog and play the video.

Visit the StillWalks website for more videos

Selected images from the shoot are available on the StillWalks Photography site.

World Listening Day

Posted on 18/07/201318/07/2013 by Alastair

I posted these sounds to all my other social media platforms this morning but held back until now to post it here.

The sounds were recorded during my recce walk for a new StillWalk video along a stretch of recently discovered river and woodland near where I live.

The video will obviously not include the Lancaster Bomber as it won’t be around when I do the actual production walk but it was good to hear on its way home from the annual air show at Swansea.

Click here or above to listen.

A Very Distinctive Voice

Posted on 27/06/201327/06/2013 by Alastair

This bird has a very distinctive voice but I would need my bird expert, Martin Humphreys, to identify it for me.

I thought I was getting better at bird identification from their songs but it seems there doesn’t need to be much of a gap in practice for the knowledge gained to all go out the window.

Bird in Park

Coastal Walk

Posted on 10/06/201310/06/2013 by Alastair

Click the first image or play button to play the video and enjoy part of the Galloway, Scotland coastline.

Click the second image to enlarge.

Rising with the Sun

Posted on 05/06/201305/06/2013 by Alastair

I arrived at Penllergaer Woods at 4.45 AM last Saturday morning for a production day that took a little over six hours before returning to download the content of my cameras and field recorder. The day went well but I am still suffering from the midge bites I got for my trouble.

I started out with a preliminary scout around the valley floor and watched the sky lighten, the moon fade and listened to the birds wake up.

Here are some of the preliminary shots I got along with the dawn chorus.

Pre-dawn, Penllergaer Woods

Sunrise

Moon Reflection

Spring Gardens

Posted on 02/06/201302/06/2013 by Alastair

Spring was late this year but that was not the case when this StillWalk was produced in Clyne Gardens, Swansea. Click the image or play button below to view the StillWalk and hear the numerous birds.

StillWalks videos are at their best when viewed in Full High Definition. You need to buy the videos to see them like this but whether you do or not, they will always be most enjoyed if you follow these viewing tips:

Switch you mobile phone off or to silent.
Click the play button on the video but then click pause. This will allow the video to load properly and should not stutter at all at the start.
Click the Full Screen button in the bottom right hand corner of the video. Although the online versions will not be as crisp and clear as the Full HD, I hope you still enjoy them.

The gardens feature many different colours but the white flowers have it in this post. I am not sure which tree the blossom in images 2 and 3 is from. Perhaps someone else does?