Mumbles Promenade – a popular place for cyclists!
Mumbles Promenade – a popular place for children
Category Archives: Urban
Slow Shutter Effects – iPhonography
My day to day photography is often done using my iPhone and lately I have been experimenting with one or two different camera apps. The set of images below were taken using Slow Shutter Cam which, if you can be sure to keep the phone steady is nifty little app.
The problem with long exposures being used to achieve that misty / ghostly effect or smoothness in flowing water, is that everything else gets the same length of exposure. There are various ways of dealing with this but the Slow Shutter app simply uses thevideo setting on the phone camera rather than the stills setting. It is, however, a still image that is saved.
It is a clever answer to the exposure issue and there are options to take images up to the full resolution of the camera (8 megapixels). I have had a few issues with the handling of colour which can be seen above but I suspect this is something that I will be able to manage better with time and practice. These images have had some post production adjustments applied but the main issue in taking them was that I did not have a tripod with me and had to rely on keeping the camera steady with the aid of the railings round the fountains.
The fountains are in the centre of Middlesbrough in the NE of England which is, according to some, one of the ugliest towns in Britain – I disagree and suggest they take another look, this time with their eyes open and no prejudicial blinkers!
Back On the Buses
Due to my car breaking down recently (on top of a Welsh mountain), I found myself having to use buses to get to work for the first time in – well, I can’t think how long.
These photos and sounds may be familiar to those who use buses all the time, but for me, I came to the experience with a new ear and eye. The first bus I took seemed a bit of rickety old thing but this just made for a fascinating series of rattles, squeaks, creaks and bangs to say nothing of the changing noise of the engine and the hiss of doors.
These were recorded the day before World Listening Day!
Overside and Underside
The architecture of the main entertainment block in Park Tawe, Swansea, could not be said to be very inspiring. There is a covered walkway over to the centre of town which is purely functional in its design.
However, viewed from the right angles and in the right conditions, some great patterns can be seen. Even the peeling paint on the underside creates a kind of two tone map of some imaginary archipelago.
Fractured Glass – Stars and Stripes
I guess, on this day you could call these photos stars and stripes (no offence intended) 😉
My recent walk around part of Swansea to look at some of the architecture and cranes revealed more patterns than those created by construction.
The details of this fractured glass, when seen close up, are fascinating. I was frustrated not to have taken a much closer macro shot when I looked at the images on my computer. The second image is a screen shot of the first image zoomed in to full size but is not one that would print well due to it being at screen resolution – click on that image to see it larger.
Constructing and Constructed Architecture
I love the complex patterns created by the scaffolding on this construction site in Swansea. I have no idea what the new building will look like but it will be sitting beside the interesting patterns to be seen in the design of the BT tower across the road.
The BT tower is not a particularly attractive building – it looks a bit like something you would need to plug in for your phone. There are, however, many fascinating shapes, patterns, reflections to be seen in its surfaces and structure.
Sitting on Top of Swansea Castle
A giant mechanical insect sits atop the ruins of Swansea Castle while the nonchalant seagull looks down on the world and I look up.
