My walk this week is another from my archive of StillWalks® videos. I have chosen it because (writing in advance) this is where I will be during the transition to 2016 and I will certainly be taking at least one walk around this lake at that time.
Blue sky and crisp coldness – if there is no snow or ice to denote the season, the bare trees at least should prove the time of year. These photos are clearly from a less damp winter than we have experienced in Britain this year, even allowing for the fact that the north east is drier than the south west.
My walk this week may have been from a different year but that winter was almost as mild as this one has been. Had these photos been taken in 2015/16, there would probably have been more rain than mist but hopefully that would not have stopped me doing the walk. I am, however, looking forward to some drier walks in the coming year!
Try listening to this soundscape of the walk while viewing the images in sequence – click the play button and then the first thumbnail below.
Misty Walk Soundscape
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.
While many trees, if not all, can show the direction of the prevailing wind, I think these hardy specimens may have more to challenge them than those in places of greater shelter. They make wonderful sculptures and although it’s certainly not the first time I have photographed trees like these, they never loose their interest for me.
Crossing back over the fields to return to the starting point of my walk this week, the mist never really lifted, not properly, and the damp atmosphere continued to hang in the air but without the wind suggested by the trees.
The mist is still there as I climb back up the bracken covered side of Ryer’s Down on the Gower Peninsula. It could be said that yesterday’s magical atmosphere in the woods has come with me into the new year – mist can certainly have a mystical effect on things (sorry about the pun).
The landscape can look very different depending on the conditions. Trying always to look at things with a fresh eye helps me see what is there and appreciate the subtle differences.
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.
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.
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!
Reaching the end of my wild and windy walk between Southgate and Three Cliffs on the South Gower coast, like these other two intrepid weather walkers, I was huddled over and protecting my camera against the rain.
I have not created a full StillWalks video of this walk using a mixture of still images and video because I am not a great fan of hand held video and I have not had the time. However, the sequence of photos and the sound clip below can be viewed at the same time and if you are interested in the video I took on my iPhone during the walk, this can also be viewed at the end of this post.
Mixing video and stills is something I will continue to experiment with for StillWalks and if I can find the time I will probably work further with this walk in this way. In the meantime I hope you can enjoy all that I have posted this week and don’t end up too breathless or blown off your seat!
Wild Wind
If viewing this in an email, to view the sound player you will need to visit the blog – please click the post title to view the full post.
When playing the video I recommend you click the HD and full screen buttons.
