Fiery Sunset in Swansea Bay

Posted on 15/01/201415/01/2014 by Alastair

Following an enjoyable meeting of Swansea Walking Forum at the 360 Beach and Watersports Centre on Swansea Seafront last week, I came out of the centre to be greeted by this view. It almost seemed as if there was a huge fire in the distance.

Somewhere in Between – Going Black and White

Posted on 07/11/201307/11/2013 by Alastair

At first glance these images may appear to be black and white – but of course, there is colour in there, it’s just very subtle. The view looks across Swansea Bay and towards Mumbles Lighthouse in South Wales. The weather, being wild and windy with a lot of changing sunlight and shade, made the sea a range of greys and it was the intermittent clouds that created much of the contrast.

I debated whether or not to make them monotone and I tried it out as it seemed the obvious thing to do. I made the necessary adjustments as best I could to ensure they worked, and tried out some whackier filters and balances. However, in the end I found I prefer that subtlety of colour that is there if you look closely, and gives a different atmosphere to the images than was the case when converted to black and white.

I made small adjustments to all the images. They could all have been made much more dramatic but I guess I am a lover of nuance, and so decided to stick with what you see!

You can use the new Donate button below to help StillWalks. Pay how much you want and receive a high quality download of this week’s featured StillWalks video – “Moss Wood Walk” which is from Gnoll Park in Neath, South wales. Click the image below to watch the video.

–

High Winds and High Seas

Posted on 04/11/201304/11/2013 by Alastair

The strong winds in the UK last week brought with it the opportunity to do a bit of photography. Swansea Bay didn’t get the forecast storm as badly as other places but the winds were still high.

There was a mixture of light with the sun shining through the clouds from time to time and the next moment the atmosphere was murky to say the least. I have a number of shots to post from this event and I am starting today with two that illustrate the darkness of the weather.

The wind was wild and it was almost impossible to keep myself steady let alone the camera. I could have straightened the first image easily and did so to begin with. Then I realised that the angle of the shot helped to emphasise the wild conditions.

The second shot has been manipulated. There was very little colour in the scene anyway and I felt that giving it a sepia tinge helped this aspect of the atmosphere. To further help the photo feel more like my experience of the location, I also blurred the foreground and added grain.

Lastly, don’t forget to check out this week’s featured StillWalks video at the bottom of this post – “Moss Wood Walk” from Neath, South Wales. It will be there all week.

Evening Over Swansea

Posted on 24/06/201324/06/2013 by Alastair

I have been told that the thing to do is to climb Kilvey Hill at the end of the day when the sun is going down and enjoy the spectacle not only of the sunset but of Swansea gradually lighting up.

We were already half way down the hill when this was said so I will have to wait a little longer for this experience – I just need to make sure it doesn’t take me another 30 years! (see Friday’s post – Ticking the List).

In these photos you can see Mumbles Lighthouse in the background, Swansea just beginning to light up and the Meridian Tower with the bay behind. The full collection can be seen (and bought) on the StillWalks Photography website.

Walking down Kilvey Hill – Mumbles in the distance

Mumbles in the Background

The Lights are Coming On

Meridian Tower

Ticking the List – A Walk up Kilvey Hill, Swansea

Posted on 21/06/201321/06/2013 by Alastair

Finally, at last, after nearly 30 years, I have climbed Kilvey Hill in Swansea! It is one of those things I have meant to do since moving to the area but just never managed to get round to, even though it is almost on my doorstep.

The Transition Swansea group, which I signed up to last November, arranged a walk up the hill on Wednesday evening and it was all I needed to make the move. I had spent most of the day driving and so it was a welcome change of activity and well worth it for the views.

Over the next few days I am going to post some of the photos I took on the walk but they can all be seen (and bought) anytime through the StillWalks Photography website.

Swansea Harbour

Swansea Bay

Mumbles Lighthouse

Walking up the Kilvey Hill

Activity in Swansea Bay

Posted on 31/03/201331/03/2013 by Alastair

One of the nice things about Swansea Bay – There doesn’t appear to be a lot of human activity in these photos but the beach stretches round from the harbour wall at the eastern end right round to Mumbles at the other end. The result of this is that, even when there are a lot of people down there, it doesn’t feel crowded because there is so much space.

The first three images here seemed to me to suit being in black and white, though the following two are not far off it either! In fact Swansea Bay can be quite a colourful place when the sun is out as you can begin to see in yesterday’s post.

Mumbles Lighthouse

The Irish Ferry

Mumbles Promenade and Street Photography

Posted on 08/09/201208/09/2012 by Alastair

Some people get nervous, uncomfortable, even angry when they see a photographer taking shots in the street or other busy public place. However, as I walked along Mumbles Promenade at the start of the Gower Peninsula the other day, I not only had my camera but also my sound kit with its “dead cat” furry cover on the microphone windshield. It’s the dogs that take exception to this, wondering no doubt, what strange creature it is.

People tend to be more interested and wonder what programme I am making and smile or ask if I am from the BBC. I am not sure that I will be able to get a StillWalk from this impromptu stroll along the promenade but if I need to do a full production day there, I’ll make sure I have the StillWalks logo printed on my T-shirt first.