A Comparison of Stones and Shells in Time

A couple of weeks ago I posted photos from a similar position to the image you see below – Keeping Things in Perspective

Now, following the crazy weather and high tides that we have had in the south and west of the UK (to say nothing of the rest of the country), the landscape has been changed. The coast has seen massive stacks and arches disappear. Here in Swansea, the scene on the beach perhaps bears no comparison to those fallen stacks, but it is still notably different to that which I photographed a fortnight ago.

Hundreds of tons of stones now sit at the bottom of these steps where before there was a water filled trench. The solitary shell I photographed in the sand two weeks ago now has hundreds of companions.

Swansea Bay Stones

Swansea Bay ShellsSorry to those who expect it but there is no featured StillWalks video this week. It will be back next week.

Penarth Pier and Pavilion

Being in the Cardiff area in South Wales this week, I was also able to visit the newly refurbished pavilion (inc. cinema) on Penarth Pier – a very good job they have done of it too! These photos are also available to purchase through the StillWalks PhotoShelter website. My favourite shots are those at the bottom of the structure under the pier!

Llanelli Beach – Landscape and Architecture

It seems evident from these photos, that the buildings along Llanelli sea front were not built using the material that can be found on the beach. The worn brick in the foreground of the first image is one example of the wide array of fascinating stone like materials that can be found (see yesterday’s post).

The apartments beside the Millennium Coastal Park Discovery Centre seem to me to be out on a bit of a limb from the rest of the town but the residents have an excellent view of the wider part of the Loughor Estuary and across to the Gower Peninsula and the old Victorian cast iron attraction of Whitford Lighthouse.

The Millennium Coastal Park is a popular place at the weekend and in fact, you will see people enjoying the walks there on any day of the week. People do not generally feature in the StillWalks videos I produce but that is not always the case and more coincidental than deliberate. However, if I am to produce a StillWalk of this area, I think I will need to include both sound and images of people if it is to reflect what the place honestly. That said, there will be fewer people there on a blustery Autumn day than on a beautiful Summers day but it is strange that the photos below have not one person in them as it was relatively busy on the day. All photos were taken on my iPhone.

Llanelli Beach Landscape-2

Llanelli Beach Landscape-4

Llanelli Beach Landscape-6

Llanelli Beach Landscape-1

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Building Blocks on the Beach

The beach at Llanelli is not all patterns in the sand (see yesterday), there are also many patterns in the stones.

Stones? I don’t think that is quite the correct description! Bricks, metal, clinker, copper and parts of walls would be a more accurate description.

Swansea, on the far side of the Gower Peninsula, used to be known as Copperopolis. In the early 1800s 90% of all the copper-smelting capacity of Britain was based within twenty miles of the city, and it seems there is still evidence of this on the beach in the Millennium Park at Llanelli.

There are more photos of these fascinating objects on the StillWalks Flickr Photostream – all taken on my iPhone.

Llanelli Beach Stones-9

Llanelli Beach Stones-1

Llanelli Beach Stones-10

Llanelli Beach Stones-11

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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A Different Angle

Looking at things from another angle is important – you always gain a new perspective.

The first shot could have been taken on a different day to the others, but no, just a different angle.

Balancing Act

Balancing Act

Different Angles

Different Angles

Different Angles

Different Angles

The shot above looks as though it could have been “Photoshopped”, but I swear it hasn’t – it’s just the angle!

All images are from the StillWalk “Coastal Walk”.

Watching

It seems to me that these stones are an audience in the circle watching the tide –

Watching

Watching

– but really it is their balancing act that is the attraction!

Balancing Act

Balancing Act

With each StillWalk I produce, I select nine or ten images as stand alone shots and make them available for purchase. These are two more from the “Coastal Walk” in Spring in South West Scotland. The photos are available to buy at PhotoBox.