A good place for a walk – the expansive space of Swansea Bay when the tide is out and the cloud is low and I can feel the tickle of spray on my cheek.
Category Archives: Walks
And So to Bed – Walking to the Sunset
The final shots of the Galloway sunset from the StillWalk “Coastal Walk, Evening” which you can see on the Spring Walks page.
The sounds are as important as the images as with all the StillWalks – relax and enjoy 🙂
The images are available to buy at PhotoShelter
Galloway Sunset
A sunset is a sunset and yet they are all unique. Even in the same place, each night its is different and never fails to move me.
Two more from the StillWalk “Coastal Walk, Evening” which you can see on the Spring Walks page.
The images are available to buy at PhotoShelter
Watching the Sun Set
Looking South might have been another title for this post. That is not necessarily the direction these sentinels are looking but they are in Scotland where we had hoped to be this last Easter.
These are two more from that StillWalk Coastal Walk, Evening which you can see on the Spring Walks page.
The images are available to buy at PhotoShelter
Going North in Spring
This year we missed our usual trip north to Scotland and the other day I overheard the sound of Oystercatchers on one of my StillWalks videos playing in the background. It emphasised the loss of not getting to where they had been recorded.
At least I have the StillWalk to watch and listen to. Here are a couple of images from it. The video can be viewed on the Spring Walks page.
The images are available to buy at PhotoShelter
Oystercatchers
Oystercatcher
Interactivity, Interventions and Sound Recording
Along the thematic timeline of my work with metal (see previous posts this week), “Conflict”, at this stage, is still playing its part in my move towards StillWalks. The Story of StillWalks refers to this and the first pieces I produced using still photography and sound were about presenting my internal conflict issues.
Through my interactive digital media work on school and community projects, my interest in sound and sound recording grew. Like all means of communication, literacy in the form used – speech (language), sight (visual), sound (aural) – comes with experience (and teaching).
I have been sound recording for some time now. My project work required mainly voice recording but with StillWalks the focus is on field recording. Over the past few years I have developed my aural literacy in this area and found that there is so much more to hear out there if you only learn to listen.
I guess my interest in the sounds made by metal stems from my work over the years actually handling the stuff!
The images below are available for sale – anyone interested should contact me.
“Trees”
Click below to hear a sound clip from one of my first video walks which incorporates field recording from a forest and . . . other sounds! This is a very early piece of work and it and others can be seen here.
“Over the Edge”
The image above uses a screen shot of the spectral display (manipulated) from an audio file of flowing water.
Climbing to the Top
Yesterday afternoon I had the need to get on top of things. Without going into details, the answer for me was to climb our local mountain, Graig Fawr.
Even on the lower slopes of the mountain you get a great view over the valley but as I climbed higher this view got better and better. Skylarks twittered above me and I got a good close view of a pair of Red Kites. Up on top the wind was exhilarating and, at least momentarily, my troubles were blown away. Seeing the land and the weather on this scale has a tendency to put other issues into perspective.
Despite its name (fawr means big in Welsh), the mountain is only small but for all that you get a great view over four or five counties in South Wales. I had deliberately not taken my cameras or sound kit as it was the walk and the climb that I needed. However, I couldn’t resist taking one or two shots on my phone. I have not produced a StillWalk on Graig Fawr yet but I think that time is coming soon.
Graig Fawr
Graig Fawr Triangulation Point
Looking to Carmarthenshire
Light and Dark Over Wales
Great Ayton Walkabout – Birthplace of Captain Cook
We had a great walk round Great Ayton during our Easter visit to Middlesbrough. It is a village I have known for over thirty years but not visited for probably twenty or more.
The day was cold but bright and I took a few photos, including the obligatory one of Captain Cook. One of my favourites was this one of the change of textures in the River Leven as it flows over a small weir.
Changing Textures