Sea of Sand – Low Level iPhonography

Changing the angle at which you look at things may be an essential rule of life (at least in my life) – see Monday’s post – but it is also invaluable when it comes to photography and perhaps even more so when it come to iPhonography.

Justin Balog of the iPhone Photography School spoke about this recently via Instagram. It was one of his most important tips in my opinion but he has many others. I’m pleased to say that when I discovered the website, I was already incorporating much of his advice and many of his tips. There is always room to learn more though, and even if you already know stuff, the occasional reminder never goes amiss.

So if anyone got a new smart phone for Christmas and you want to learn a bit about using it for photography, the iPhone Photography School wouldn’t be a bad place to start 🙂

Sand Patterns

Sand Patterns

Sand Patterns

Photos taken and adjusted on my iPhone 5c. Check out StillWalks on Instagram for more of my iPhonography.

This week’s featured StillWalks video is the introductory welcome video to the StillWalks website. On this you will meet me and see just a little of what goes into making a StillWalks video.

You can use the Donate button below to help StillWalks. Pay how much you want and receive a high quality download of this week’s featured StillWalks video. DVD Collections are available to order in the StillWalks Shop.

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Sand, Sea and Wind

On a windy day in Swansea Bay, watching the movements of the top layer of dry sand getting blown across the seaweed and other debris on the beach is as entertaining as watching the sea itself.

The action of waves in the sea can be mesmerising, but so too can the patterns created by the wind on dry sand as it catches the various objects and undulations of the beach. The sculptures created can be fascinating but watching them be created is even more so.

The camera does not see in the same way as the eye but in these images I think there is some advantage to the relatively narrow depth of field. The areas of blur seem to me to emphasise the atmosphere and effect of the conditions at the time. The textures that show through in the areas of sharpness combined with soft foreground / background, feel much more like it physically was than if everything was clean and crisp and static.

I hope the second sound clip from this photo shoot helps to “put you in the picture”. Even my home made wind shield could not handle the strength of the wind on the beach, but I decided that the distortion and break up of the sound was all a part of the character of the scene.

High Winds in Swansea Bay

High Winds in Swansea Bay

High Winds in Swansea Bay

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.

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Freeform Foam

High Winds in Swansea Bay High Winds in Swansea Bay

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.

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Thistle in the Sand

These thistles are naturally designed for this environment. More than that, they look as if they have been designed full stop! Their colour, pattern, shape, form, texture – all fit  perfectly with other aspects of the area, particularly the spikiness of the grass and, of course, the contrast of the soft sand.

You wouldn’t want to sit down on one! Those spikes are mighty sharp and I guess this may be a hazard to be aware of during the Summer months in the Millennium Coastal Park at Llanelli. All photos taken on my iPhone.

Llanelli Beach Landscape-3

Llanelli Beach Plants-1

Llanelli Beach Plants-2

Llanelli Beach Plants-3

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. Click the image below to watch the video.

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Patterns and Prints

What are these pimples in the sand? What is that strange cone shaped object in the sand?

We took a walk along the beach in the Millennium Park at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire last Sunday and not for the first time I thought “I have to do a StillWalk of this place!”

I’ll post some more reasons for this thought over the next couple of days. All photos taken on my phone because we went for a walk, not a photo shoot!

Llanelli Beach-1 Llanelli Beach-2

Llanelli Beach-3

Llanelli Beach-4

Llanelli Beach-6

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. Click the image below to watch the video.

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Footsteps in the Sand

Rhosilli Bay, at the end of the Gower Peninsula, is a great place to walk. The cliffs above the bay extend out to the Worm’s Head and can get busy on a weekend if the weather is good. The bay, however, like many of the large beaches on the South Wales coast, has the space to cope with a good number of visitors and not feel in the least crowded.

As with any beach, the patterns and textures in the sand change with different conditions and the shells, stones and rivulets underfoot create a range of sounds that all have the aural backdrop of the waves and the wind. The colourful rock of the cliffs (see yesterday’s post) reflect and amplify the sound of the sea but walking away from them allows the nuances of the crunch of tiny shells or the squish of soft wet sand to come through.

And above all that, the birds. Walking back up the cliff, even the smallest of birds can make themselves heard against the sound of the bay. You will need to watch the video at the end of this post to hear and see it all.

Coastal Walk Rhosilli-6

Coastal Walk Rhosilli-5

Rhosilli Rivulets

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. Click the image below to watch the video.

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Is This The Last Day of Summer?

A couple of days ago we went to meet some friends for a picnic on Broughton Beach at the end of the Gower Peninsula. The weather was not as good as it had been but good enough for us to brave the odd mini shower.

One of the nicest things about a large beach is that it never seems crowded however many people are there, but in fact there were not many people around on that day, so we almost had the whole place to ourselves.

I love the space in places like this and if there is a bit of wind as well, that just adds to it!

The panorama shot below was taken on my iPhone and worked out pretty well. The video clips were also done on my phone and prove at least two things. First, there were children there obviously enjoying themselves. Second, the lack of sound on the other clip is because the phone mic didn’t like the wind, so I just took it out altogether. I love the patterns in the water though I miss the audio.

Click the image to view larger.

Broughton Bay, Gower

Broughton Bay, Gower

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Three Cliffs Bay – Step 5, Footpaths

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The footpath up to Pennard Castle (see yesterday) from Three Cliffs Bay was not the easiest of climbs as much of it was sandy. Even where there were steps of sorts, it was still a sandy surface.

The crooked wooden slat path running from the Pennard Castle inland was great. All that was missing was a crooked man and a crooked stile 🙂

All photos are available for sale on the StillWalks Photography website.

Sandy path Wooden Steps Wooden Steps Wood slat path Crooked Path Crooked Path