Framed Landscape

Posted on 10/10/201510/10/2015 by Alastair

If yesterday’s post was about the context of landscape and the subject matter (a red shed roof), this photo is about the framing of the landscape. The view looking south west from Goppa hill is framed by trees as you leave the area of the phone mast and ruins and it was this framing of the view that interested me.

It’s good to see so many trees in the middle ground but the distant Gower Peninsula is largely hidden by a haze. The framing effect would perhaps have been stronger if I had stepped back a few feet and caught a little more of the foreground trees.

Trees and Valley

Posted on 08/10/201508/10/2015 by Alastair

The trees are next to the old ruins and the mobile phone mast on Goppa Hill (see previous posts this week) and the valley is Cwm Dulais down which the river Dulais flows. The sun is high enough on this morning walk to leach the colour from the background landscape and create the beginnings of silhouettes in the foreground trees.

Considering what August was like here, it was good to get some better weather during September and even now in October.

Eleven Arches and Some Local Goats

Posted on 06/10/201506/10/2015 by Alastair

The local goats living in the fields near the top of the Goppa hollow way footpath have a great view over the landscape around Pontarddulais to the 11 arched railway bridge and the Louchor estuary. The bridge is a feature of the area which I have been trying to photograph for some time. Getting the best angle at the right time of day and in suitable weather conditions is a challenge. It appears distant in the middle ground of this shot and of course, another factor that I must consider is equipment. I don’t want to take my tripod and zoom lens with me on every time I walk up this hill and so there will always be an element of chance when it comes to getting a photo I feel does the bridge justice.

Welsh Landscape and Reviewing the Week 12

Posted on 08/02/201508/02/2015 by Alastair

This final photo of the week was again taken with my iPhone but shows the view looking north east up the valley before I enter the woods to climb up to the top of the hill and look south towards the Gower Peninsula in the distance.

Click on any image in the gallery to view them in a carousel. The sound clips posted this week can also be found below. These will not be visible in an email – you will have to listen to them on the blog.

Overhead and Under Foot

Posted on 07/02/201507/02/2015 by Alastair

Overhead the sun and clouds were yet again proving the changeableness of the Welsh weather. This morning’s skyscape / landscape is another shot taken using the pano mode of my iPhone camera. I use this most often to widen the lens rather than give a long panoramic view which with this app results in bendy beaches and horizon lines.

Under foot the extent of moss growth also proves the level of dampness in this environment – a rotting fallen tree shows just a tiny bit of it.

The sound today comes courtesy of a Mistlethrush I think. I couldn’t get a good enough sight of it to prove its identity but from what I could see, I would say it was a Mistlethrush rather than a Songthrush.

Fforest Birds 2

Kidwelly Castle

Posted on 31/01/201531/01/2015 by Alastair

The first photo, taken on my iPhone, shows something of the drama of the scenery with the castle towering over the town of Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire.

I needed the wider angle of the phone camera lens to take in the whole scene but the other shots were taken on my Canon 550D and reveal some of the details of this fascinating castle with its feathered ruler sitting atop the walls.

Kidwelly Skylines

Posted on 29/01/201529/01/2015 by Alastair

Kidwelly Castle, blurred in the background and seen from the marshes near Kidwelly Quay. The winter appearance of rosebay willow herb also present in their colour and texture, an impression of the past, if only by a season or two rather than the centuries represented by the Norman castle and St. Mary’s Church.

Kymer's Canal / Camlas Kymer

Posted on 26/01/201526/01/2015 by Alastair

I have visited Kidwelly a couple of times recently for work. It is a small town in Carmarthenshire, South West Wales. Being in this area in Winter, I was almost guaranteed damp weather at best. Regardless of this, it was still a pleasant discovery and I was happy to return for my second visit.

On my first visit, I discovered Kymer’s Canal or in Welsh, Camlas Kymer. It is the remnant of the original waterway that linked up the Pwllygod Collieries to Kidwelly Quay on the Gwendraeth Fach and the marshes and mudflats of the River Towy estuary.

So this week I am going to follow my short walks around this area with a mixture of photos from both my iPhone and Canon cameras.

More shots will be posted on Instagram.

Category Archives: Travel