Sand and Wind – Public Art In Swansea Bay

Posted on 02/08/201302/08/2013 by Alastair

You could call these “sand sculptures”. That is surely what the wind on Swansea beach has been doing this week.

Nervous about the hazardous mixture of sand and cameras, the wind that blew those land surfers around on the beach the other day (see previous posts this week), didn’t stop me taking the risk and getting some low level shots of the public art work it was creating.

It is not in the same style as the work featured in yesterday’s post but over the years the wind and sand have blasted and changed those public art works in Swansea Maritime Quarter.

Riding On The Wind – Swansea Beach Surfing

Posted on 31/07/201331/07/2013 by Alastair

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During an unexpected and brief visit to Swansea beach a couple of days ago, I came upon these guys obviously enjoying the wind. Just wish I could remember their names – if you guys happen to see this, let me know. Happy surfing 🙂

Photos available on the StillWalks Photography site at PhotoShelter.

Riding in the Rain

Posted on 25/06/201325/06/2013 by Alastair

And the rain came down! What more can I say. My equestrian photography at the weekend was shortened by the weather. The morning Dressage show was cancelled but they were able to go ahead with the jumping in the afternoon. Forunately it wasn’t like this for more than a few minutes but during that time, everyone got soaked!

Riding in the Rain

Under Wraps

Shining a Light on Swansea

Posted on 23/06/201323/06/2013 by Alastair

These photos are more about the light than they are about Swansea, except that they were taken from the top of Kilvey Hill, an urban woodland that is surrounded by the city.

It was a beautiful evening when I took these pictures but even then the clouds were heralding yet another a change in the weather. Constant change may be something we have to accept in the weather these days, but fortunately there can be as much beauty in those changes as in the pleasure we feel in the sunshine – when we get it.

There are many more beautiful images to be seen from Kilvey Hill on the StillWalks Photography website.

A Walk Through Marsh Grass and Across a Yellow Field

Posted on 20/06/201320/06/2013 by Alastair

This post is pretty much just what it says on the tin!

Using the excellent RODE recording app for iPhone (though not their iPhone mic) I got, precisely, the sound of the wind in the marsh grass when out walking in the evening recently. I held the iPhone right in amongst the grasses which had the added advantage of muffling the sound of traffic on the motorway as well as stopping the rumble effect of the wind directly on the mic.

These field recordings on their own are not going to be for everyone but I enjoyed listening to the changing sounds of the grasses as the wind strength changed and find, as with the recording I do for StillWalks videos, that the sound does so much to help visualize the memory.

Rain on the Water

Posted on 17/06/201317/06/2013 by Alastair

Swansea may be the wettest city in the UK, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting.

It may be that you can find scenes similar to this in many different places around the world but as with any image (or sound), each one is, in fact, unique to the time and place according to the conditions at the time the photograph is taken or the sound recorded.

Understanding that what we experience of our surroundings is interdependent on these unique conditions from moment to moment is a major part of what StillWalks is about.

More important than that, however, is simply the enjoyment of what we see and hear around us – rain it may be, but I hope you enjoy these images.

After the Tide

Posted on 15/05/201315/05/2013 by Alastair

We have had a months rain in the last 24 hours and that can sometimes cause problems. The marshes near us are tidal and when the tide is high and there has been a lot of rain, that is when the trouble starts.

This StillWalk video shows the marshes after a spring tide. You can’t avoid the traffic on this walk but it doesn’t stop the birds calling and has never spoilt my enjoyment of the walk.