Bristol Aquarium

 The aquarium in Bristol is located right in the centre of the city and makes for a truely fantastic day out for any visits to or around the area of Bristol.

The tanks themselves are large and beautiful presented and filled to the brim of glittering shoals of fish, squirming molluscs, octopus and jellyfish. All presented with generous amounts of information and a wealth of exotic plants and structures in which to entice crowds in.

 Better yet the friendly and helpful staff present regularly feeding of the fish all the while doling out genuinely fascinating facts about the aquatic life to be found in the various tanks and pools.

This along with con curve tanks for children to sit in or the specially designed nocks and crannies in which to actually stick your head in order to get a 'fish eye' view of the world, as well as a discovery centre in which to play and learn about the various fish makes the aquarium both fun and information.

I could (and in future will) rave about how great a city is to explore but if you go there for anything make sure you take in the fantastic aquarium there.

Urban exploration: The house of metal and flame

On the February of this year the area of Splott was host to one of the worst blazes the area has seen in years. The building in question was a disused bingo hall based on Pearl Street  That day the whole street was shut down as firefighters fought to tackle the inferno.

Residents were told to stay indoors for the whole day and even by the time I got home late that night the firemen where still containing the fire that remained and my clothes became saturated with the heavy smell of smoke.

The result was that the fire was contained and thankfully no one was hurt. What was left behind however was a tangled mass of metal, debris and wood that was as a photographer truly irresistible to me.

The way to the building has been blocked but by finding a chink in the fencing I was able to slip inside and (carefully) snap away. What was revealed to me was fiery colours, alien shapes and partially hollowed out walls which created a strange impression. A house built of metal and flame.

Roath conservatory: Back to the garden

Set innocuously enough in the heart of Roath Park in Cardiff,  the botanical garden there looks unspectacular if of moderate interest. Step inside though and you would be surprised to find a stunningly lovely tropical garden, filled to the brim with exotic plants, flowers and fruit.

Water vapour hangs heavy in the air, causing the palm leaves to drip water into pools of water filled with carp, terrapins and birds (which you can feed using seeds brought at the front desk). The garden itself is surprisingly spacious, stretching further back then you would expect and hiding orchids, coconuts and other far flung plants.

The warm glow from light hitting the glass and tropical temperatures make it an ideal location to chase away the winter blues. And the veritable feast of animals and plants make it an exciting location for the kids to explore. Make sure to check the opening times before coming to avoid disappointment.

In short if you come to Cardiff, make sure to visit the garden and enjoy one of Roath Park's best kept secrets.

Ripples in the water

A few years ago this blog would most likely have been covered in photos of watery reflections. I've moved on a bit since then but every now and then I like to revisit that particular obsession of mine.

I found myself chilling out in a park in Cardiff recently and after finding a particularly lovely river I decided to take some pictures of the reflections on it

What I like about going back to old subjects and seeing how my style has evolved and changed. Where once I would have obsessed over creating a perfectly clear reflection I now found myself drawn to how the ripples on water distorted and added to the reflections found on the river.

By doing this I felt like I was able to take an older more familiar subject like reflection work and put new wrinkles on it. Like ripples on the water time has changed the way I work with this subject and that can only be a good thing.