Canon EOS 500D · ƒ/16 · 18mm · 1/200s · ISO 400
This blue plastic duck bobbing about in Cardiff’s Atlantic Wharf might seem like a joke at first glance — and maybe it is. But this was one of my first environmental-style photographs, taken back when I lived in Cardiff Bay in Wales, during the very beginnings of my journey into photography.
That little duck has stuck with me — part humour, part warning. A children’s bath toy adrift in murky water, dwarfed by the shiny new flats and slick urban redevelopment. It’s cute, sure. But also… off. That tension between the playful and the poisoned has run through a lot of my photographic work ever since.
Cardiff Bay: Regeneration, Reflection & Reality
Once a key industrial port shipping Welsh coal across the globe, Cardiff Bay has undergone a massive transformation in recent decades. What was once the bustling, gritty heart of Welsh industry is now lined with apartments, bars, and restaurants.
This image captures a quiet moment amid all that change — a frozen frame of reflection, quite literally. Still water. Silent symbolism. A floating reminder of the things we throw away, and what still lingers in the background while we build new futures.
Wales: Where It All Began
Cardiff, the capital of Wales, was where my photographic journey truly began. Night classes at Ffotogallery, tucked away in Chapter Arts Centre, gave me my first real introduction to photography — to working with intent, composing an image, and telling a story through the frame. It was during those night sessions I began thinking differently about images. About visual narratives. About how something as simple as a duck in water could say something more.
My camera back then? A humble Canon EOS 500D. Basic, but capable. I didn’t need bells and whistles — just curiosity and a few hours to wander the Welsh streets and waterfronts.
Environmental Echoes & Plastic Intrusions
Like my more recent Duck at Sea photo blog, this photo fits into my ongoing theme of plastic in places it shouldn’t be. Brightly coloured intrusions in serene settings. Nature vs. nonsense. I’ve always been drawn to that friction.
Whether it’s a city canal or a remote seascape, we keep leaving bits of ourselves behind — and not the good bits.
More from Cardiff & Wales
If you want more glimpses into my early work or the Welsh landscapes and urban life that shaped my style, you can check out my other photos here:
From gritty street scenes in Grangetown, abstract seascapes in West Wales to moody skies over Penarth, Wales is all over my work.
Final Thought
A toy duck. A beginner DSLR. A cold day in Cardiff.
Sometimes that’s all it takes to kick something off.
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