Caught these two Blackbirds fighting yesterday evening – the female won! You gotta hear it to believe it – the sound is more important than the image.
. . . or you can play it in SoundCloud
The female won!
Tag Archives: sound
The Influence of Rocks on Water
Potential StillWalk – the other day I took a walk down a footpath I hadn’t been to for a number of years, pre-StillWalks times. Looking with “new” eyes and listening with “new” ears was fascinating.
The sound of water – There can sometimes be a recording issue with the sounds of an environment that includes running water, i.e. a stream or river. The sounds of the flowing water can so easily drown out other sounds of the environment such as birds, and can become wearing if it is permanent.
However, the small Camffrwd River that the footpath follows did not present this problem. The sounds of the river ebbed and flowed in volume with the arrangement of rocks on its bed. The photos below are accompanied by some sound clips recorded on my iPhone, as were the photos.
Recording 2 stream A short clip of the general sounds of the river.
Recording 4 birds ftstps stream The birds make their presence obvious as the sound of water is less dominant and the flow sounds change as I walk along the path.
Recording 5 walking stream This is a longer clip (2:15) which demonstrates very well the changing sound environment as I move along the path and river.
Recording 6 stream tumbling water
Unique sounds – All the sound clips and photos prove the need, in producing a StillWalk, to carry out the sound recording at the same time as the photography. The sounds on any day, at any time of day, at any time of year, will always be specific to conditions at the time . . . makes me think of the chaos theory and the interconnectedness of things! Chaos by James Gleick is a fascinating and very accessible book on this subject.
Evening Light and the Song Thrush
I questioned the accuracy of my studio clock yesterday morning because it said it was 9.30 AM but it felt and looked more like 7.30 to judge by the lack of light.
Today, however, we have had light again 🙂 After so much darkness and rain it was a huge relief and good for the soul. I wasn’t the only one enjoying the evening light and this Song Thrush was out to prove it as well – recorded on the new RODE iPhone app (not on their new iPhone mic though, that will have to wait a little while).
Click below to hear the Song Thrush I recorded this evening.
Evening Sun
Evening Clouds
Evening Sun on the River Loughor
Quality Walks
Misty Walk is a new stillWalk which was actually produced at the end of last winter. There are several more StillWalks in the pipeline but it has proved difficult this last year to complete the post production on these. This is largely because of the project work I have been doing – see Projects.
I have uploaded two versions of the Misty Walk to the Winter Walks page. Both are high quality but one is in HD (720p) and the other is small scale at 480 x 270 pixels. (see also below).
StillWalks should be viewed, if possible in full screen mode and these videos will show the difference between the two versions. The HD button is in the top right of the first video and the full screen button is on the bottom right of each video.
It was supposed to be a dry, sunny day for this production but it turned out otherwise! This misty walk is on Ryer’s down on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales and was very enjoyable and atmospheric (small scale). Walk locationLooking at the Lizard – Lizard Point
Travelling down to Falmouth last Friday was difficult and disappointing – there was mist all the way and so, as we crossed Bodmin Moor, we could see nothing of it. We were visiting Falmouth University with my daughter who thought the place was great.
Falmouth, despite the weather, was clearly a very attractive town. We had a walk about after our tour of the Tremough Campus and then enjoyed fish and chips for tea.
Staying overnight at Lizard Point Youth Hostel was fun! “It was a dark and stormy night” as we approached The Lizard along roads that became increasingly narrow and dark. It was only the light from the lighthouse (and the foghorn) that finally guided us to our destination. We kept our fingers crossed that the weather would improve by morning and in the meantime I enjoyed recording the foghorn.
If you don’t see the sound clips below because you’re viewing this in an email, then click the title to go to the blog or the individual links to listen to the Lizard Point set on SoundCloud.
Saturday morning did reveal much better weather which improved through the day. I had never been to this part of Britain before and enjoyed it immensely! I have included a few images below but there are 31 in all on Flickr all of which are available to purchase through the StillWalks PhotoBox site.
Lizard Lighthouse-1
Lizard Point Youth Hostel
A View from Lizard Point
Taking a Bow at Lizard Point
I might put a few more up in the next day or two 🙂
Crowd Funding – Sights and Sounds of the Countryside
StillWalks Sights and Sounds of the Countryside Project – Crowd Funding
The StillWalks Crowdfunder pitch for outstanding funding towards the Sights and Sounds of the Countryside project is now live and looking for sponsors / investors.
This is a brilliant project that I hope, in future, to replicate with many other schools and communities.
Only £10 – Invest anything from as little as £10 and get a reward for your support.
Please take a look at the Crowdfunder pitch and help me promote the project and pitch by passing on this publicity to your network of contacts and friends.
I have personally guaranteed to cover this shortfall if the funds cannot be raised as I feel the project is so important not only to the schools and groups taking part but also to StillWalks and its development to say nothing of our natural environment.
All or Nothing – All the funds required through the Crowdfunder pitch must be raised if anything at all is to go towards the shortfall in the project funding. If the target is not reached in the time allowed (30 days), then you pay nothing and my guarantee comes into play.
All details of the project are on the pitch.
Production Day
Walking with Josef Herman
“Brilliant” “The very best schools project ever!”, Betty Rae Watkins (Josef Herman Art Foundation Cymru).
The “Walking with Josef Herman” DVD, made with Alastair Duncan and StillWalks is to be screened on the BBC Big Screen in Castle Gardens, Swansea next week (see invitation below). The videos produced on the project (see below) are what I would describe as bespoke StillWalks – bespoke because they use voiceovers. These are recordings of the school children reading the poetry they wrote with Emily Hinshelwood as a part of the project following our production day on location in Ystradgynlais. The project was the ninth annual artists’ residency organised by the Josef Herman Art Foundation Cymru and Caron McColl and Lynne Bebb from Swansea Arts in Education, part of Swansea Education Effectiveness Service.
Screening – Castle Gardens, Swansea. Wednesday 19th September, 2012 from 11.00 – 12.00.
Josef Herman DVD
The DVD contains more than videos made with the schools but the videos can be viewed individually below.
Llanfaes Josef Herman Walk – Rainy Day in Ystrad from Alastair Duncan on Vimeo.
Ynysmaerdy Herman Walk 480p from Alastair Duncan on Vimeo.
St Thomas Herman Walk 480p from Alastair Duncan on Vimeo.
Parcyrhun Herman Walk 480p from Alastair Duncan on Vimeo.
Peacocks in Cwm Dulais
Birdsong ID – Following my walk to the top of Graig Fawr last week I met up with Martin Humphries (ex RSPB), Ed Tucker (Bio Diversity Ranger) and others for another birdsong ID walk. This time the walk was down the Cwm Dulais valley next door to Cefn Drum in South Wales. There were an amazing number of birds up there but I don’t think I am getting much better with my identification skills.
Peacocks among the chickens – One bird I can identify from its call is the Peacock and we were surprised to come across these as we passed by Chuckle Chicken Poultry. We didn’t see them, so no photo I’m afraid, but the sound is proof enough.
If you are viewing this in an email, click here to listen on the blog or here to go to SoundCloud.
Dulais River, Cefn Drum
Anya
Birdsong ID in action
Dulais River and Foxgloves
Old post coming to life!