Welcome to Breakfast in America
My photo journal is an eclectic mix of things; there’s no guiding theme or topic. It is whatever happens to catch my attention, what I’ve been thinking, doing, and whatever my current obsessions are. At the moment, they are clearing some of the backlog on my ‘honey-do’ list, backpacking, hammock camping, and, I’m always, taking pictures.
Recent posts
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Mirror Ball
Mirror Ball – One of several in my ‘Disco Ball’ garden mobile. Copyright © 2006 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. When I designed our west facing garden I put a south-facing deck along the north side so that we could take the most advantage of the sun.
I like to relax and sit in the sun without the trappings of clothes, I’m not an exhibitionist, therefore, ensuring privacy was essential. I raised the south and west fence and wall respectively to eight feet, blocking the surrounding houses’ view into the garden. There wasn’t much I could do to screen my next-door neighbor’s back bedroom window which overlooked our garden, but the bedroom wasn’t used, and hey, I decided that if Brian wanted to watch me enjoying the sun I’d just have to put up with it. To his credit, apart from a couple of minor quips, he never said a word (to us anyway).
The problem with raising the fence and wall was that after midday both were in shade, and looked very dark when viewed from the sunshine on the deck. I had an idea to brighten them up by hanging mirror mobiles over the deck to reflect the sun into the dim recesses of the garden.
I found some very inexpensive (£1.00) mirror balls in a local shop; took some metal coat hangers, silver paint, and fishing line and created my mirror ball mobile which worked very well.
It was great to watch the spots of light dancing across the otherwise dark fence and wall. I took this picture of one of the mirror balls I used to construct the garden mobile when I was testing my new Fuji Finepix camera. The colours of the Virginia Creeper in the background are wonderful.
Back garden cleared and ready for work to begin. Copyright © Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Garden – It took a few years for all the screening plants to grow in, but it worked well. Copyright © 2006 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Smoke, No Mirrors
Smoke No Mirrors – Refinery taken from (mid) Southampton Water. Copyright © 2006 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. One of the early photographs I took when I bought my first digital camera
I was out on Southampton Water on one of the University’s Oceanographic vessels with some colleagues as part of the ‘Future Leaders’ Group’ program. A bit of team bonding. Our trip took us over the Isle of White, and we paused mid-Solent to try out the hydrophones (an interesting experience for those not used to small vessels in a rough sea).
I guess I should be thankful for this picture, if I hadn’t managed to take a decent picture early on, I might not have become enthralled with photography again.
Fawley Oil Refinery, Southampton Water, Hampshire, UK.
Update: January 2017. I reviewed and re-edited this picture.
Smoke, No Mirrors – Reprise. Copyright © 2006, 2017 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
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Smoke, No Mirrors – Reprise
Smoke, No Mirrors – Reprise. Copyright © 2006, 2017 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. One of the early photographs I took when I bought my first digital camera. I’ve always liked this image, but it has always produced a ‘meh’ response from others. That was probably because while I could visualize the original scene in my mind’s eye; you had to be there to feel it. I decided to re-process the photograph in 2017 to bring out the dramatic nature of the view I originally saw.
Fawley Oil Refinery, Southampton Water, Hampshire, UK.
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Sailing on the River Thurne
Sailing on the River Thurne, Norfolk Broads. Sailing on the River Thurne, Norfolk Broads
This could be August 1999. It could be 2000, or later…
A couple of times I have been asked why I’m wearing a pfd and not the boys. The answers are simple. If I go over the side they’ll have a lot of trouble maneuvering the boat back to get me — especially while sailing. Whereas I can turn the boat on a sixpence and pick them up. Also, I would be able to get them back into the boat, but they’d probably not be able to get me back in the boat. They are both strong swimmers, the broads are shallow. Finally, I’m the one on deck dealing with sails, ropes and such, while they steer. So, on balance, the person most at risk is me — so I get to wear a jacket.
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Falcon
Falcon – Ink drawing by Gary Allman. Copyright © 1992 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Ink Drawing. Falcon was an abandoned lifeboat conversion. She later broke up. Langstone Harbour – Portsmouth.
