Looking at the Loire – A French Evening Stroll

Posted on 09/07/201309/07/2013 by Alastair

This time last year we were in France, the Indre et Loire region. It is our current beautiful weather that has brought this to my mind.

On a few occasions I went for a walk along the St Christophe road from Faye la Vineuse and on one occasion at least I took my cameras and sound kit. I have not been able to do anything with that material since then but looking at the photos again brought back memories of a great holiday.

Over the next couple of days I will be putting up a selection of these images. I have arranged the sequence of photos I want to use for a StillWalk video and now need to work through the sound recording for it. This should take me back there even more than the photos.

Indre et Loire Countryside

Indre et Loire Field

Indre et Loire Woods

Exhibition Opening and Tag Along Days

Posted on 06/07/201306/07/2013 by Alastair

The Sights and Sounds of the Countryside project exhibition opening, which took place last Wednesday, went very well – so well I forgot to get photographs! Never mind, the event was enjoyed by all who came and since then I have had a number of enquiries about the possibility of Tag Along days.

StillWalks Tag Along days would not be about production of a StillWalk®. The bespoke StillWalks produced through project work require greater input than would be practical on a tag along day.

Tag Along days would give a small group of individuals the opportunity to accompany me on a walk with their own cameras (and sound recorders) and discover some aspects of the approach to photography I take for personal use and for StillWalks production.

Field recording – there would also be the opportunity to experience environmental sounds through the high quality StillWalks field recording kit which in itself, can lead to better listening skills – this can be a revelation!

Watch the website for more information and if anyone out there is interested, please contact me.

The seats are empty here but they had been full to overflowing!

Looking Out the Window

Posted on 01/07/201301/07/2013 by Alastair

The full project exhibition for the StillWalks project “Sights and Sounds of the Countryside” is now set up in the Mechanics Institute, Pontarddulais, and we are just waiting for the official opening on Wednesday 3rd July.

In the meantime, as well as the carnival photographs I took yesterday, I have been getting one or two extra shots including these from the exhibition room on the top floor.

Carnival Day

Posted on 29/06/201329/06/2013 by Alastair

Today is Carnival Day in Hendy and Pontarddulais and I am going to try and get some photos and recording of the event.

Everyone not directly involved comes out to watch the parade go past and follow it up to Coedbach Park to enjoy the atmosphere, fancy dress and thematic floats. Come rain or shine, people support the event but it is always better if it is dry and sunny.

Project Exhibition – Some of the children of Pontarddulais Primary School took part in a StillWalks project last Autumn and there is now a full project exhibition in Pontarddulais Mechanic’s Institute (top floor) which can be seen by anyone who cares to climb the stairs or take the lift.

The exhibition will be open throughout Carnival Day and is open Tuesday to Sunday 10 – 5.00 until 10th July.

The project involved the children doing the photography and sound recording to produce a bespoke StillWalk video of a walk through the woods in Coedbach Park. Production Day was a bit wet!

These are just a couple of the photos the children took. The project videos can be seen here.

Summer Walk in Scotland

Posted on 13/06/201313/06/2013 by Alastair

These images are from the StillWalk “Flora and Fauna Walk” which is another walk from Galloway in South West Scotland. These are obviously three examples of the fauna.

In fact there is more than just birds and butterflies in the video but I wasn’t able to photograph some of the fauna we have seen there such as the deer on the beach or the red squirrel in the woods or the fox cubs playing on the beach in the moonlight at 3 AM . . . or the rabbits or stoats or voles . . . .

Butterfly – Painted Lady

Oystercatcher

Blackbird

Season to Season – On the Cusp

Posted on 08/06/201308/06/2013 by Alastair

The birds are still fledging so I am still calling it Spring even though we are now in June.

As a final set for the season before I start calling it Summer, here are some of the selected images from the StillWalk “Coastal Walk” from Springtime in Scotland. More to come over the weekend.

Looking at other blogs this morning, I have just discovered it is World Oceans Day today – so perhaps this post is appropriate, at least in the video if not in these specific images. Click the link above to watch.

Click on the images to enlarge.

Coastal Walk Spring – Goldfinch

Coastal Walk Spring – Chaffinch

Coastal Walk Spring

Spring Gardens

Posted on 02/06/201302/06/2013 by Alastair

Spring was late this year but that was not the case when this StillWalk was produced in Clyne Gardens, Swansea. Click the image or play button below to view the StillWalk and hear the numerous birds.

StillWalks videos are at their best when viewed in Full High Definition. You need to buy the videos to see them like this but whether you do or not, they will always be most enjoyed if you follow these viewing tips:

Switch you mobile phone off or to silent.
Click the play button on the video but then click pause. This will allow the video to load properly and should not stutter at all at the start.
Click the Full Screen button in the bottom right hand corner of the video. Although the online versions will not be as crisp and clear as the Full HD, I hope you still enjoy them.

The gardens feature many different colours but the white flowers have it in this post. I am not sure which tree the blossom in images 2 and 3 is from. Perhaps someone else does?

Magnolia Stellata

What blossom is this?

Rhodadendron / Azalea

A Walk in the Spring

Posted on 01/06/201301/06/2013 by Alastair

If all has gone to plan, this is where I should have been at 5 AM this morning!

I checked that the Bluebells had not finished their stint for this Spring and looked at the weather forecast. All seemed good for an early morning start for a new StillWalks production at Penllergaer Woods on the outskirts of Swansea.

Spring has been very late this year and so even though we are heading towards Summer (fingers crossed), some of the trade marks of the season are still around us. I have produced StillWalks here in both Autumn and Winter and so when I have them for all the seasons, it will be good to review them all together.

. . . and this is where I had breakfast.

Tag Archives: StillWalk