Alpacas Looking On

Posted on 17/05/201613/05/2016 by Alastair

Having crossed the first couple of fields on my walk this week with the Taste of Gower walkers at Weobley Castle, we came upon one with three very curious and stylish looking alpacas. I am familiar with the curiosity of alpacas from my visits to The Waterside, but these three were no less entertaining for that.

Alpacas

The Taste of Gower walks are well organised and usually have three walk leaders making sure that everyone is accounted for. As the organiser of the walks, Steve Lancey was sharing his lead with both mid-group and back markers and though trailing a bit at times in order to do some field recording, I managed to remain close to the slower members of the group.

Gates, Wind and Walking

If viewing this in an email, please click the post title to see more of the post, thank you.

The Sound of a Gate

Posted on 30/04/201620/04/2016 by Alastair

Descending from the top of the hill on my walk this week meant re-entering the mist. In fact the mist was descending with me and thinning as I walked. On arrival at the gate below I took the opportunity of recording my self walking through it.

gate

Some would hate this metallic sound but I find the various sounds that metal makes wonderful. Wooden gates are perhaps more oftenContinue reading→

Perspective, Viewpoint and Cropping

Posted on 20/12/201420/12/2014 by Alastair

I tried different crops on both these photos in the Carmarthenshire countryside. In each case I thought the crop closest to the original photo was best but if you look on Instagram you will be able to see a different crop to this first shot. My preference is for this view because I find the composition of the diagonal and horizontal lines of the hedgerows in the background give an attractive cap to the flow and direction of the fence and its perspective. A square crop would make much less difference to the second shot where it is the textures and patterns I find of greatest interest.

Complementary images to my walks this week can be found directly on Instagram or via the sidebar images on the StillWalks blog. Images displayed here and on Instagram are a mixture of iPhone and Canon DSLR photography.

Out of Use but Not Abandoned

Posted on 28/05/201428/05/2014 by Alastair

My walk along the Borgue road on the Galloway coast in Scotland revealed a number of places for sale. However, although the gates in the first image are no longer in use, from what I could see, the estate behind them is. I wonder if this entrance will ever be used again.

The building in the second image is not the same place and is just waiting for someone to take an interest greater than photography.

Walking Through the Gates

Posted on 20/07/201320/07/2013 by Alastair

A recce walk through recently discovered woodland revealed a number of elements that can be very useful in the production of a StillWalk.

Gates, both the images and the sounds can, in the sequence of a StillWalk, provide a visual and aural way marker and in doing so, give a sense of progression. If the gates are of different design or in different states of repair, this too can be recognised as a way marker if the walk is circular, sending a message to the viewer that they are on the return journey.

There were several gates along the River Morlais leading into Troserch Woods. All were either of different design, at different angles, more or less rusted . . .

The sounds of the gates are also unique, though this is as much because of the surrounding conditions as the type of gate – here is an example from StillWalks on SoundCloud.

World Listening Day

Posted on 18/07/201318/07/2013 by Alastair

I posted these sounds to all my other social media platforms this morning but held back until now to post it here.

The sounds were recorded during my recce walk for a new StillWalk video along a stretch of recently discovered river and woodland near where I live.

The video will obviously not include the Lancaster Bomber as it won’t be around when I do the actual production walk but it was good to hear on its way home from the annual air show at Swansea.

Click here or above to listen.

Patterns and Perspective Down at the Station

Posted on 05/03/201305/03/2013 by Alastair

Taking an aimless walk on a sunny Sunday last weekend, I ended up at our local station where the patterns, colours and perspective of the track prompted me to use my camera – which I had casually taken along with me . . . just in case!