Lichen

Lichen and a Dry Stone Wall

Sheltering unsuccessfully from the bitter winter wind by a dry stone wall on the Swansea uplands I took a moment to admire the lichen and thought about how it looks as though someone has illustrated it in pen and ink.

lichen on dry stone wall

I had been persuaded by a herd of cows to cut across the top of Mynydd Gelli instead of circumnavigating it at a lower contour.Continue reading

valley fog

Sunlight, Sheep and Fog

Gaining the top of the hill on my walk this week from fog to sunlight, I was followed by a flock of hopeful sheep looking expectantly at me – I suspect the farmer was due or perhaps the sheep though he was overdue!

Goppa sheep

My route took me past familiar objects both natural and man made. The rhododendrons perhaps have an element of both – they are natural but not native to the UK and can take over a whole hillside as they have in this location.Continue reading

Dark Water

My Walk this Week – Towards a Dark Park

My walk this week is a short one in two parts with my entrance to Brynmill Park in Swansea being in Winter sunshine and my exit being towards a dark park.

Brynmill Park

I am familiar with “dark parks” where there is little or no light pollution from human habitation and the stars shine in the most amazing way, but the night skies above Brynmill Park could not be described as being unpolluted by light. However, the park itself was certainly getting dark by the time I was leaving.Continue reading

Monochrome

River Ouse York – Reviewing the Walk

Back near the start of my walk this week in York, I came out of the trees towards the urban landscape. Having enjoyed my walk along the banks of the River Ouse, albeit a wet one, I felt that this and one or two other shots along my way deserved a monochrome treatment.

Monochrome Mast

I am not sure of my reasoning for producing them as black and white images, they just seemed to work better for me in this format. You can see them along with selected colour shots from my walk below as well as my soundscape for the walk and a video clip of the rowers I passed first on my way into town and then again on my way back.

Continue reading

Blue Bridge, York

Over and On the River – Bridges and Rowers in York

My walk this week took me down the River Ouse to Skeldergate Bridge in the city of York. After climbing up to the bridge from the east bank of the river I first crossed over the bridge and then the road to descend and go under the bridge and continue my walk back along the west bank.

River Ouse from Skeldergate

Along my way into town I passed a team of four rowers practicing their craft on the Ouse and heading out in the direction of the Millennium Bridge where I had first crossed the river.Continue reading

dark day at the beach

Beachscapes, Space and Light

One of the best things about a big beach or bay is the sense of space and the quality of light to be found.

The south west coast of Scotland has been popular with artists for many years and Kirkcudbright is known as the artists’ town with a number of important and influential artists having lived and worked there in the past. Continue reading

Dark Skies and Sunsets

Dark sky

The photographs in my posts for my walk this week from the past (2009) were taken on my old Fuji compact camera – they are not monochrome as such but the camera has a “chrome” setting on it which in the high contrast light conditions that these photos were taken, gave a quite interesting and dramatic effect. Continue reading