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.

Landscape Details

Posted on 18/12/201418/12/2014 by Alastair

Seen from the Roman road I have been walking along in Carmarthenshire, this view shows a small patch of the landscape in which it is set. Even though the tree in the foreground cuts across the view, I feel that it still does the job of somehow framing the scene, putting the scale and perspective in context.

The monochrome shot of the fence posts is more of a detail of the landscape. Apart from changing it to monochrome I had do some further work on the image. I liked the stance of the fence posts and the tangled texture of the barbed wire but there were one or two distracting objects in the background field that needed removing. One of them was positioned behind the fence and proved a challenge to remove satisfactorily. Generally I make image adjustments in Lightroom but for more detailed work like that I would open the shot in Photoshop.

Old Roman Road

Posted on 17/12/201417/12/2014 by Alastair

Another Carmarthenshire countryside walk I had recently took me along an old Roman road. The weather was still wet and I cannot imagine that Roman soldiers would have found the current state of their highway as easy to march along as it must have been in their time. The road surface at the start of the walk was good enough but as I progressed, it became more and more deeply rutted and like a river.

Mossy Fringe

Posted on 16/12/201416/12/2014 by Alastair

Sitting by the side of the steep, slippery, wet footpath down which I walked through this mossy Carmarthenshire woodland, I found this brick built well (I assume that is what it is – the water was beautifully clear inside it). There are plenty of woodlands like this in Wales that are full of moss, but I particularly liked the fringe, sideburns and decorative foliage adorning this wayside feature.

Travelling Back in Woodland Time

Posted on 15/12/201415/12/2014 by Alastair

I have had a couple of walks in Carmarthenshire recently in spite of wet weather. During these excursions I found this dinosaur-like mossy monster. I don’t know if this woodland should be described as ancient, but it certainly seemed like it to me, and with this “creature” lurking there it seemed even more as though I had gone back in time.

Simply Reflection and Reviewing the Week 5

Posted on 14/12/201414/12/2014 by Alastair

Rosebay Rockets

Posted on 13/12/201413/12/2014 by Alastair

I love these wild flowers – Rosebay Willow Herb. In every season they have so much to offer the eye. An explosion of tiny rockets like a firework going off. Whether there be colour in them during the Spring and Summer or the patterns of curly lines in the Autumn and Winter, they always have attraction for me.

Complementary images are posted on Instagram through the week and can also be seen on the sidebar of the StillWalks blog.