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Tag Archives: Damien Walmsley Photography

Damien Walmsley

Welcome to my new look web site.  This web site was set up back in 2016 and my first posts featured the different topics of Birmingham Gems, Pictures of Bridges and entries into the Post and Mail.  Fast forward to 2021 and the site has recorded many photographic events over my five years of blogging not least the pandemic.  I use my camera to record events and make stories that I like to share.  When the site started, it followed the normal pattern of being a showcase of photographs.  There were sections on travel, Birmingham and local views around where I live.  But the one area that I kept returning to time after time was the my blog.  It is just like writing a diary.  It also enables me to display more of my photographs that don’t normally make it onto Instagram, Twitter or Flickr.  

Changing the site and taking account of all the new technology that has been introduced is key to ensuring the site is not stale.  Throughout this journey, I have been helped enormously by James Kelly who is responsible for the overall web design.  James has been key in the development of the shop @dammodammoshop and the overall branding of the web pages.  James has ensured that the site is Google friendly and we are now accepting adverts onto the site.  This is turn will get the site pushed up the Google rankings.  I hope that it does not distract from your viewing pleasure of the blog.   If you wish to know more about James and his work, then visit his site burstoffruit | We make fun stuff 

The photographs make the stories and allow me to move forward.  I do appreciate all the positive comments about my pictures in the various media where they get published and I am pleased that they bring pleasure.  I have also started to give photographic talks at different levels.  One is the fun social element to local interest groups.  Here I cover popular subject areas that I enjoy photographing and these include Canals, National Trust Properties and other stately homes. Other subjects include cities, travel, wildlife and woodland trusts.

Enjoy exploring the new site and thank you for all your support by stopping by to take a look.  BTW if you like the headshot it was taken by Ewen Rankin, professional photographer.

This is a great community who are active in many different parts of Birmingham life. It is about celebrating inspired people and the success of different communities in the Birmingham area. One are of celebration is in photography. The good people of Birmingham have featured 10 of my best photographs as portrayed on their web site

It is interesting to me what other people like with my photographs. All the pictures taken were featured on Twitter @birminghamweare and received numerous likes.

You may gather that I love nothing more than putting my camera and lenses in a backpack and then setting off along the local canal network.  When cycling along the canals, it is interesting to see cottages near to large flights of locks.  These Lockmasters’ Cottages are part of the waterways heritage when the canals were busy with traffic.  The canals were the major highways and people were employed to check that the boat traffic ran efficiently and smoothly.  Now these Cottages are part of the scenery and many are privately owned or used as holiday homes.  The architecture is interesting and they are positioned so they have a prominent view of the waterway.  I have selected a few of the cottages that I have photographed on my travels using my Canon D5 mk4 with the EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens and EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens.  Both are fine in a small photographic backpack for cycling.  When taking the photographs, I like the overall view and look to capture the “feel” whether it will be stillness shown by the reflections or activity with a boat going through the lock.  I put the Cottage in the frame and aim to tell a story through the picture.

Finally I have also include an older picture of the Lockmaster’s Cottage in Lowsenford that is owned by the Landmark Trust.  In 2015, five of Sir Antony Gormley statues were commissioned to celebrate 50 years of the Landmark Trust. This statue was placed near to the centre of England and was next to Lengthman’s Cottage, Lowsonford, Warwickshire. The other four were at four ends of the compass around the UK whilst this one was on the Stratford-upon-Avon canal. They were displayed for only 1 year and then returned to Sir Antony Gormley.

Stratford-upon-avon Canal

Bottom lock at Hatton near Warwick on Grand Union Canal

Long Exposure of the Cottage at Kingswood junction, Lapworth.

The pretty cottage at Preston Bagot on the Stratford canal

Stratford Canal

Stratford Canal

Lengthsman’s Cottage in 2015 with the Sir Antony Gormley statue.