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
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.
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.
Yesterday gave us a return to the wind and rain as can be seen and heard in these photos and sound clips taken in my studio.
The metallic sounds are from the rusty metal I was photographing recently – see them on PhotoShelter.
Sunlight or cloud, rain or mist – the weather conditions influence, no, create the available light for photography.
A few weeks ago I was at Lliw Valley Reservoirs in the rain and took some photos on my iPhone 4s of what I described as “fence post gardens”. I posted them on the Moss Appreciation Society Facebook page with the comment that I would have to go back on a dry day to photograph them properly. The response from one group member was that moss likes, and is perhaps, at its best in the rain.
The sun was shining when I was up there last week and following my interview with BBC Radio Wales I proceeded to take some photos of the same “fence post gardens” with my Canon 550D. It was difficult to say the least! Sunlight can be very dramatic – usually in the early morning or evening, but it can also be a major problem depending on the subject matter.
I have picked out four photos that I think are not too bad from those I took on the day but it seems I am going to have to wait for a more overcast day or go there at sunrise to get some decent shots of this subject.
Getting to know the subject is also important whatever medium you are working with, and I think that it was not just the light conditions that gave me a problem. It was also time and the need to figure out the best angles. Next time I will go better informed.
Update (22/03/2013) According to a friend of my sister –
“The second photo has some lichens in as well as moss- the silvery flattish ones at the front which may be a Paramelia – and probably the red and silvey grey one – also a brown cupped one in the middle- these last 2 will be Cladonia species.”
Moss Garden
Peristomes
Ghostly Tree
Lliw Valley in the rain – the last of my images this week on this subject, these photos seem to prove the resilience of wood over metal.
The first two along with a number of others taken recently, can also be seen on the Ambiguity of Fences blog. Other Fence Post Garden images from Lliw Valley can be seen on Facebook at the Moss Appreciation Society.
Succumbing to time and the rain
Hanging Around
Fence Post Garden
The sound of a Song Thrush singing in the rain in Lliw Valley – what more can I say!
Song Thrush
Lliw Valley in the Rain
We’ve had everything at Lliw Reservoir now except the sun – hopefully I will be able to get there if it ever appears again. In the meantime, following the snow and the mist, this week’s photos are from a walk up there in the rain. More pics to come through the week.
Rain on the Water
Raindrops
At least the duck seem to like it