My first complete 365 Days project. An endeavor to take a self-portrait every day for a year. The rules are simple. I must be visible in the picture, and I must take the picture. All I had to help me get into the photos was a 10-second timer. It’s surprising how fast you can get at moving into position!
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Storytime – ‘Extend your Range’ (365: 97)
Storytime – ‘Extend your Range’ (365: 97). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. AmbrosiaLove started it, Ginger Blue took it up, and Wenchy couldn’t resist. And now there’s a mini challenge.
And I couldn’t resist another copycat opportunity either.
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Firelight (365: 98)
It was 27°C (81°F) in the shade here today, so what better way to celebrate in the cooler evening than sitting by the fire with a glass of wine.
Note. Kids can be a right royal PITA. Despite being told to stay away while the building work is going on, both have turned up and are staying over – so I was unable to get to my computer to post this yesterday.
These are all re-edits (2017) of the original pictures.
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On the beach (365: 99)
On the beach (365: 99). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I had to wade into the sea, to get one shot, so I thought I might as well take my 365 days self-portrait at the same time, I think the people on the beach thought me a little odd, especially as I was using the flash for a couple of trial shots.
Funny how I ended up sunbathing on the nudist beach; maybe I should have taken these shots there – though I don’t think standing in the sea pointing a camera in the general direction of one’s genitals would be considered gentlemanly behaviour.
And before anyone asks the sea was Bloody cold!
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In a corner (365: 100)
In a corner (365: 100). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Clasp (365: 101)
Clasp (365: 101). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Reclining (365: 102)
Reclining (365: 102). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I took 40 pictures, and only this one was good enough. I resisted the temptation to desaturate the picture.
Looking back at this picture, I realize it’s probably one of the few images I’m uncomfortable sharing. Reedited & retitled.
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Looking for… (365: 103)
Looking for… (365: 103) – heaven knows, but I’ve not found it. I’d settle for a couple of photo ideas. Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
365: 103 Reject. Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Copycat, Copycat (365: 104)
Copycat, Copycat (365: 104). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Mindfulgirl’s 365 picture looked so posh today, what with her matching outfit and tasteful decor, that I thought I ought to bring her back to her photographic reality with this copycat of her copycat of one of my pictures.
I’ve been dying for the right opportunity to strike with this one.
Extensive research has led me to uncover that the wig was part of a “Do It Yourself Hippie Kit” Christmas gift. 🙂
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Saturday in the sun (365: 105)
Saturday in the sun (365: 105 ). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Just for a change I thought I’d take a picture straight after coming home from the traditional Saturday morning shopping (more nice ties bought), and before enjoying an afternoon basking in the sun.
We’ve been having a (very) early summer, though today the wind coming from the east was very chilling. Fortunately, the garden is sheltered so I spent most of the afternoon multitasking – sunbathing and catching up on sleep!
My brother and his family came round (I suspect only to watch the soccer on TV) We had a few beers and a meal, and it was nice to see the kids – given my parents’ demise, we seem to be surrogate grandparents as well as uncle and auntie.
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Keeping Trim (365: 106).
Keeping Trim (365: 106). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. This started as a bit of a reprise of my Day 2, though I’ve got a set of mains powered clippers now and so don’t trim my beard in the bathroom.
I don’t know why I like this picture so much out of all the shots I ended up taking — possibly because it hasn’t got my face in it as such.
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Lovely Eyes (365: 107)
Lovely Eyes (365: 107). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Modesty (365:108)
Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. When I took this picture my ‘artistic’ notion was to challenge the idea of modesty. Can a naked person be modest? It’s all in the mind. There’s also something about omitting the head to make the image impersonal and also preserve the anonymity of the model. It’s a great juxtaposition of ideas and imagery. I also had a technical objective to get a picture straight out of camera with no post-processing. Which, looking back, I think resulted in a softer less striking image.
The above picture is a reworking of the original black and white picture I took in 2007. I much prefer this duotone treatment.
Below is the original, plus another shot trying out a different pose.
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Disappointing (365: 109)
Disappointing (365:109). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. But only because I had to straighten the image, and I was trying to avoid post processing. I deleted all my other shots for today as they all had a slant to them – I’ll try again tomorrow.
Re-edited August 4, 2015, so this is no longer straight out of camera. However, I think this is a much better picture now.
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Another Bum Shot (365: 110)
Another Bum Shot (365: 110). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. My run of photographic bad luck seems to be continuing. This is the best of a very bad lot, and I’ve run out of time.
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Late (365: 111)
Late (365: 111) — This is it for today. No good, but it is a picture. Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
An Englishman’s shed is his Castle (365: 112)
An Englishman’s shed is his Castle (365: 112). I’ve never had a shed before, but now I’ve got two. Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I’ve never had a shed before, but now I’ve got two. This one for a workshop and another for my spare timber, paint, empty boxes, and disused electronics that one day might come in useful, etc.
American men (I believe) have Dens. Us English chaps have sheds. that’s because it gets us out of earshot of the woman folk. Sheds are outside the house, where we can imagine for a few brief moments we are in control of our futures, rather than having our futures dictated to us by our spouses 🙂
Today’s Outtake
365: 112 Reject: An Englishman’s shed is his Castle. Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Vacuuming the garden (365: 113)
Vacuuming the garden (365: 113). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I made a bit of a mess sawing up wood to make shelves for my new shed. I also need to finish picking up the gravel spilt over the deck in the winter when the storms repeatedly blew over the bamboo plant.
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Flickr-light (365: 114)
Flickr-light (365: 114). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I was about to cheat and post a picture I took last night after midnight, but I knew it wasn’t right. My 365 day runs from getting up to bedtime.
As I still can’t find a replacement bulb for my desk lamp, I used the light from my monitors for this hastily taken shot. And then I decided it would be better in Black and White.
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Afternoon nap (365: 115)
Afternoon nap (365: 115) — I went to sleep in the sunshine and woke up in shadow. Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I’m on vacation this week, which oddly means less time to think about and take portraits. My last few shots have either been journal snaps or hastily taken portraits.
Normal service will hopefully be resumed when I have some time and inspiration. Experience says that’ll be in a day or so, so in the meantime, I’ll work on the house in the mornings, sleep in the sun in the afternoon, and Flickr through most of the night.
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Wish you were here? (365: 116)
Wish you were here? (365: 116). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. An afternoon spent taking pictures, none of which really worked. To compensate myself, I squeezed in some late sun. As it was late, I had no worries getting out the camera and taking my 365 Days shot for the day.
Eastney Nudist Beach – Portsmouth.
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Polling Day (365: 117)
Polling Day (365: 117) – Local council elections, and Gary does his civic duty. Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved Local council elections and Gary does his civic duty. After a fraught night, a quick sleep in the garden this afternoon has re-introduced me to the human race. A quick scrub-up didn’t do any harm either. For some reason, this guy looks in good humour too 🙂
Having had all day to get out and vote, I managed to leave it late and had to push up the ISO setting on the camera because it was getting dark, so the picture’s a bit noisy. It was also taken upside down – much easier when using my right hand.
Future Gary: This is not my original shot. But I prefer this one.
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A quick break (365: 118)
A quick break (365: 118). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Chasing out for the electrics, I took a quick break for today’s picture.
Not quite as good as the similar shot on Day 90, but what a difference a month makes, two pics in a row and I’m smiling! Just don’t expect it every damn day 😉
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Once I thought I needed a better model… (365: 119)
Once I thought I needed a better model… (365: 119). Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Now I know I just need someone to take the blasted photographs.
That’s it no more smiles or attempts at humour, normal service resumes tomorrow. -
Chasing out the wall, chasing out the wall (365: 120)
Chasing out the wall, chasing out the wall (365: 120) — To the tune of “Bringing in the Sheaves.” Copyright © 2007 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Light switches are worse as you tend to be working over your head. The downstairs sockets were a nightmare as we have a solid concrete sub-floor, and all the wires have to go up the wall. I was going to say, well, that’s that job done, but I’ve just realised there should be a spur off here for the computer equipment. D’oh!
