Painting With Shadows

The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Audio Blogging?

20:00 ,
For anyone interested in discovering that my voice sounds nothing like they thought it did, I'm experimenting with creating audio versions of blog entries, using free software and hosting.

I've added one to the last post - Mouse Slayer - to see if it works.

I don't know if anyone with visual impairments has ever stumbled onto this blog with a text reader, but I'd be interested in knowing how to make this site friendlier for people who are blind or severely dyslexic.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

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20 comments

Dr Joseph McCrumble said...

You don't sound like how I imagined, I must say. Pleasant voice yes, but I was expecting something more like Brian Blessed for some reason...

Joe

8:29 pm, June 11, 2006
SafeTinspector said...

Exactly the way I'd imagined.

9:00 pm, June 11, 2006
Kim Ayres said...

Yes, I can understand a certain level of disappointment. I think I'll need to change my avatar, especially since my beard is shorter these days

9:01 pm, June 11, 2006
Foot Eater said...

Strewth! I was expecting a southern English accent, but not one so... posh. I assumed there'd be some Scotch inflections in there somewhere, picked up from your locale and from Maggie; but there's nary a jot.

You have a very good reading voice, Kim. Could you please make more of your posts available in this format?

Myself, I was all set to release a killer podcast in which I answered Blunt Cogs members' questions in an agony aunt manner, but then I got into trouble at work and subsequently have steered clear of posting anything on my blog that might identify me.

Interesting fact: I downloaded your Mouse audio post on to iTunes and the track immediately afterwards turned out to be Trampled Underfoot by Led Zeppelin. Curiously apt, that.

10:10 pm, June 11, 2006
Foot Eater said...

And my first reaction to your new avatar was:

My name ish Ayresh. Kim Ayresh.

Spoken in a Scottish accent, confusingly.

10:25 pm, June 11, 2006
34quinn said...

Hey Kim you sound exactly how I imagined you would. I have to say I listened to it twice because I have a real love of accents ( I know you will tell me you dont have an accent that I am the one with the accent). However, I hope you can do more of these because I could listen to you for hours.

There is a woman I work with too that has an accent that sounds very similar especially when you said the word box.
Anyways ....way cool and thanks for sharing with us.

1:28 am, June 12, 2006
SafeTinspector said...

Your avatar is, as Foot states, deboinairerererer. Not, however, Scottish.

4:36 am, June 12, 2006
sarah said...

you sound exactly how i thought you would.

you have the same accent as my ex.

4:36 am, June 12, 2006
Kim Ayres said...

SafeTinspector - ah, well, you and me chat a lot via gmail, so you've had more of a chance to form an opinion. Strangely yours is more or less how I imagined it too

Foot Eater - Posh??? Southern English, yes. Despite the fact that I've spent far more of my life in Wales and Scotland than I ever did in England, my mother was from Reading and my father from Sussex, so I inherited their accents. But I think posh is just taking it a bit too far.

Your killer podcasts sound like fun - especially since Anti-Barney never really developed his "Ask Your Anti" blog. Perhaps you could develop it under the pen name "Toe For Tea"?

I'll need to work on the Sean Connery accent for you...

Quinn - when I lived in Canada for a year, I was once asked what it was like living in a country where they didn't have any accents. To which I could only reply "My dear chap, I appear to be the only person without an accent in this country..."

SafeTi - debonaire? As well as posh? I can hear my wife laughing out loud behind me.

Sarah - so you thought all along that I would sound like your ex? I'm glad you don't appear to hold it against me :)



8:43 am, June 12, 2006
SheBah said...

Kim - voice blog is a great idea.
Your voice was a surprise as I thought you would sound Scottish. I now have to readjust my image of you!

10:37 am, June 12, 2006
Rhonda said...

Kim: What a treat to hear both your voice and your accent (though I know you wouldn't call it an "accent"!)

I assumed it is a Scottish accent, but since your commentors are pointing out that it isn't, can you share what it is for us stateside folks who can't tell the difference?

I'd love to hear more posts this way.

1:29 pm, June 12, 2006
Anonymous said...

Rhonda - Never mind, Kim, I'll do it for you.

I am an Englishman who lives in Scotland. My accent, therefore, and indeed if I have one at all, is English.


KIM: You read quite well. You remind me of Frank McCourt, who made his very boring book, Angela's Ashes, come alive on audio (it was also blessedly abridged.)

3:47 pm, June 12, 2006
Anonymous said...

I also like your new graven image. So long to the "Karate Kid".

3:48 pm, June 12, 2006
happykat said...

The avatar is great, Kim.

The voice reminds me of the Hitchhiker's Guide

8:20 pm, June 12, 2006
Nikki said...

I have to say, I really like your reading voice. It's very pleasant. I was expecting a much deeper, burly voice.

I think your accent is charming.

10:21 pm, June 12, 2006
Kim Ayres said...

Shebah - I'm sure I've mentioned several times that I'm actually English, I just don't think anyone ever listens...

Rhonda - for a Scottish accent think Billy Connolly, or Ewan McGregor, or Sean Connery. For a dodgy Scottish Accent, think Scotty from Star Trek, or Groundsman Willie (or Wullie) from The Simpsons.

Given the positive feedback, I'll probably put more of my blogs into an audio format.

Admiral - thank you. I guess the more I read out loud the better I'll get.

Happy Kat - Thanks :)

Nikki - I guess you too were expecting Brian Blessed.

5:22 pm, June 13, 2006
Naomi said...

You really don't sound like I imagined you. For some reason I was thinking scottish accent even though I know you only moved there recently. You also sound younger!

My vision is screwed up again at the moment so I'm currently using the high contrast accessibility options for using the computer. If it gets worse againthen I'll definitely use the audio option to keep up to date.

5:58 pm, June 14, 2006
Kim Ayres said...

Naomi - it's that whole "living in Southern Scotland" thing. It's confused a lot of people. I think the beard makes me look older too.

Sorry to hear about the vision. I'd better keep the audio versions of the blogs going then.

8:53 pm, June 14, 2006
Stella said...

That is so cool Kim!!! You have a lovely speaking voice and you read very well but as others have said, not what I expected. And yes, I know you're English but I guess I too expected a Scottish inflection, weird isn't it?

11:10 pm, June 14, 2006
BStrong said...

Dude, that's wild. Nothing like I imagined. Very soft spoken voice.

B

1:34 am, June 22, 2006

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