My Walk This Week 16 – Night Walk

Posted on 11/01/201611/01/2016 by Alastair

My walk this week is in the same place as last week except that it is at night. I had expected that, during the New Year break, I would get the opportunity for a walk here. I had not expected it to be at night but what with all the seasonal activity, our visit was almost over before the chance arose for a short walk.

The footpath lights are only on one side of the lake, so the photos may get darker through the week and were taken on my iPhone.

Whatever you thought about my walk around this suburban lake during daytime, this night time walk is quite different. I wasn’t the only person out for a walk and judging from the sounds there was other local games activity too.

Night Walk Sample

If viewing this in an email, to see the sound player you will need to visit the blog – please click the post title to view the full post.

Heading Towards Evening

Posted on 02/12/201502/12/2015 by Alastair

Daylight comes to an end and the lights come on around Swansea’s Maritime Quarter. One take sees the lights of the apartments and the Meridian Tower and their reflections in the water. Another presents the silhouetted patterns of masts and architecture against the late evening sunset.

Rust and Restoration

Posted on 01/12/201501/12/2015 by Alastair

About ten years ago we had a studio in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter. We first moved into it just before the area started being developed. The old dock next to the studio building was empty and a number of the buildings were derelict – it wasn’t the best area in town. How things change!

Walking round what is now the marina was . . . interesting – now it is very pleasant. The dock has boats in it again and housing, other buildings and art around it. The National Waterfront Museum holds a significant space there as do other architectural developments.

On this walk there was still a taste of the past, not so much in the brightly painted and well maintained Helwick Lightship but in the old rust bucket resting next to it. It looks a fascinating vessel and I am sure there must be good reason for it being there – perhaps it is awaiting restoration. Why ever it’s there, they make for quite a contrast sitting next to each other.

My Walk this Week 10 – Maritime Observations

Posted on 30/11/201530/11/2015 by Alastair

It seems I am observing the observers at the start of this walk around the marina in Swansea. My walk this week spans both daytime and evening and a couple of the shots I am using I have previously posted on Instagram.

It looks like bath time for sea gulls is the order of the day for this sunny afternoon amongst the boats. You would think the birds on the floats were lining up to take their turn!

Walking Through the Seasons

Posted on 17/11/201517/11/2015 by Alastair

The fact that every year we see similar sights in Autumn (or any other season) to the ones we saw the previous year does not make them any less enjoyable. In fact we look forward to the sights that different seasons bring with them – colours, textures and patterns. The fact that we can feel continually in awe of the same things happening again and again is perhaps an essential survival mechanism.

The changes we see, feel and benefit from repeatedly as the seasons go by, are most noticeable in the natural world. This suggests how important it is to have that world an integral part of our urban landscape and planning and to have footpath access to open countryside.

Whether it be in a city park, a country lane, open hills or simply a tree lined street, walking with awareness of the natural elements of the local environment is something I could not do without.

Cardiff Bay Walk and Reviewing the Week 42

Posted on 25/10/201525/10/2015 by Alastair

The fountains across the road from the Wales Millennium Centre were at the end of our walk along Cardiff Bay barrage.

Click the first thumbnail image below to view the photos from this week’s walk in sequence (plus a couple of extras).

Dockland Buffers – Comparing Colour and Monochrome

Posted on 24/10/201524/10/2015 by Alastair

Aha! Those objects I couldn’t clearly identify earlier in the week on our walk across Cardiff Bay barrage, are buffers for ships using the docks.

Although I find these scenes interesting and those buffers fascinating, I wondered what they might be like in black and white. It is perhaps best to say b&w rather than monochrome because I deepened the darker areas, strengthened the contrast, added some grain and left no hint of colour in any spectrum.

Colourful Conversing Cardiff Cranes

Posted on 23/10/201523/10/2015 by Alastair

Walking back along the barrage towards Cardiff, the views of these colourful Cardiff dock cranes were well worth photographing in my opinion. The blue structures with yellow tips become creature-like as they appear to converse with each other in pairs.

Category Archives: Urban