Back at the Bramble Beginning – Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 02/12/201730/11/2017 by Alastair

Looking back from the bramble beginning by the road on my walk this week along the Tennant Canal near Swansea, South Wales, I can see and hear again some of the varied natural and industrial features of this environment that I enjoy so much.

I first discovered the beauty of this place on a guided walk with a bird specialist who worked his magic at identifying and translating all the birds and, seemingly, their conversations. The ability the human brain has for focusing our senses in different ways is remarkable but there is no questionContinue reading→

Canal Crossings and A Reeding List

Posted on 01/12/201729/11/2017 by Alastair

The shapes and forms, colours and textures, light and shade of todays images from my walk this week along the Tennant Canal in Swansea, reflect both the weather conditions and the time of year. The various structures crossing the canal provided me with different views of the water and the reeds along the banks had thinned somewhat and reminded me of a list – a list of leaves or indeed, a reeding list!

I love the “containment” of water reflections created by the shadows of the low railway bridge and the jigsaw of colourful stones mirrored by the canal’s still surface.Continue reading→

Dark Still Mirror and Expanding Ripples

Posted on 29/11/201727/11/2017 by Alastair

My walk this week took me under and over a number of structures spanning the Tennant Canal – railway track, vehicle track, road, motorway, footbridge and gantry. Underneath these the sound changed and the dark mirror that was the still water of the canal was broken by expanding ripples as drips dripped from the structures above.

Walking over the gantry and footbridge gave me a slightly elevated view of the of the woodland reflections in the dark water. That does not mean the water was dark, in fact it was beautifully clear.Continue reading→

My Walk this Week – Reflecting On The Canal

Posted on 27/11/201725/11/2017 by Alastair

My walk this week is along a section of the Tennant Canal on the eastern edge of Swansea. I have walked along this footpath on a few occasions, the last time being a couple of years ago and the conditions now are similar to what they were then.

Similar conditions does not mean I have taken the same photographs as last time, although the swans are still there and one posed perfectly for me while the other slept. Continue reading→

Simply Reflection and Reviewing the Week 5

Posted on 14/12/201414/12/2014 by Alastair

Swans in the Distance

Posted on 12/12/201412/12/2014 by Alastair

A Hint of Sunlight

Posted on 11/12/201411/12/2014 by Alastair

A hint of sunlight forms part of the reflection in the lower section of this image and is a subtle reminder of the Autumn weather on the day of my walk along the Tennant Canal near Swansea.

It is the pattern and direction of lines and the texture in this photo that I enjoy. The banks of the canal are having a bad hair day – or would it be thought of by some as a distinctive style.

Complementary images are posted on Instagram through the week and can also be seen on the sidebar of the StillWalks blog.

What I Like – Image Composition

Posted on 10/12/201410/12/2014 by Alastair

When selecting images to post on this blog I try to pick photos that I like for a range of different reasons – composition, texture, pattern – perhaps most importantly, how well they depict my memory of the place they represent.

My main reason for choosing the images below is composition. In the first shot I particularly like the combined shapes of the light – the oblique oval of reflected light on the water of the canal and the quarter oval of light in the sky. The image, for me, is not so much about the reflection of land on water as the abstract shapes of light and dark, hence my rendering of the second image.

The composition of the last photo has nothing to do with manipulation. This was simply the way the reflection appeared with the apparent shape mask being created by the reflection of the wall and underside of a bridge over the canal. The shot was a little underexposed but this made for a more dynamic and abstract composition.