LENSMAN profile picture

LENSMAN

There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.

About Me

All Photographs and Drawings by Allen
Copyright 2006/2007
All Rights Reserved
Background photo from the "VILLA MONTALVO" series
**********************************
~ PLEASE ~
IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED AS A FRIEND, THEN "TALK TO ME" FIRST;
IN OTHER WORDS; SEND ME A MESSAGE ALONG WITH THE REQUEST.
~THANK YOU~
I SEE YOU FOUND ME!
PLEASE ENTER AND STAY A WHILE.
TAKE A LOOK AT MY PHOTO BLOGS
AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
********************************************
****************************************

Hi there!.... Let me introduce myself. I'm Allen....Thanks for stopping by.
I'm constantly changing my page; adding as well as deleting items, so come back often.

* PLEASE! *
~~~~~~~~
BEFORE REQUESTING TO BE ADDED, READ MY PROFILE; ESPECIALLY THE "WHO I'D LIKE TO MEET" SECTION.
* THANK YOU! *


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MY ART STUDIO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~
"True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment."
~William Penn~
***************
~Back Roads Series~
"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence."
~Ansel Adams~
************************************************************ *****************

Where to start?. I've been struck by lightning........ TWICE!!!, and spent 17 years in speech therapy.... but that's a whole story in itself... I'm a 59 year old guy who, people say, doesn't act or look like it. I may disagree but who am I to argue. I still see things through the eyes of someone I knew years ago.... and those eyes have seen a lot.

I love Body Surfing, ( just average at best on a board), Skiing (water and snow), and Golf.... I played Rugby and Baseball, ran Track and Swam competitively. I have a good sense of humor and a biting wit, a sense of adventure, a passion for life and a need to express myself.

I love to Cook (spent 30 years in the restaurant business) and Write. I have a passion for Film , Music (except Rap.... I said "MUSIC") and the Arts, and I'm a "collector" of way too many things. I recently discovered ocean kayaking.... I love hiking in the woods, dining in a fine restaurant and watching the sun rise or set....... and I like to shop!!!

I believe in Magic, Santa Clause, wishing on a falling star and happy endings. I'm a hopeless Romantic.....I'm a dog lover..... I believe a man shouldn't be ashamed to show emotion; screw what my buddies say.....

I love the rumbling sound of glass pacs coming off a well tuned V-8 and driving fast down back country roads!... I believe the mussel cars of the 60s and early 70s are the best.. I love everything about going to the ballpark, watching the full moon rise and seeing a great concert. I enjoy the quiet of a museum, the smell of the forest after a rain, and the sound of the ocean

I value my private times as well as being alone-together with a friend. I believe a friend is someone I can trust, believe in and rely on....... I'm a good listener.... I'm the quiet guy (yeah, that one) but I still enjoy a good party.... I'm the one who observes and speaks his mind when appropriate. I can hold a conversation... and I'll drive you home.

I believe a person should be judged by who they are on the inside, and not by what we initially see on the outside ..........I believe one should take a chance every now and then........... I enjoy being with the guys, but for one reason or another most of my closest friends are women, which has given me another way of looking at life, and it's refreshing.. I'm never late which really pisses some of my buddies off.

There's more but that's about enough for now........You want to know more?..... Write me.... !!

**** AND NOW~ THE OTHER SIDE OF ME;****
I have no tolerance for bullies, bigots, liars, stalkers, thieves or rude people; They all bring out the other side of me. I can't stand seeing a woman or child being verbally abused, and most definitely not physically. If I do I'll step in and do whatever it takes to rectify the situation.
Can't help it; it's just who I am.


Welcome to "MY" Space
~PHOTOGRAPHY~
I remember walking into my first Photography class in college and reading what was written on the blackboard;
"It's amazing what you see if you take the time to look"
~
~PHOTOGRAPHERS & ARTISTS~
~THOSE WHO HAVE AND CONTINUE TO INSPIRE ME~
* *
If you're photographing in color you show the color of their clothes - if you use black and white, you will show the color of their soul.
~Author Unknown~
~Yucca Valley Series~
"While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see."
~Dorothea Lange~
~
~Santa Cruz Series~
~
A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.
~Ansel Adams~
~Old Photos Series~
~Ano Nuevo Series~
Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips over the horizon of a moment, too late to expose film, only time enough to expose our hearts.
~Minor White~
~Santa Catalina Island Series~
~Baseball Series~
"All that you see or seem, is but a dream within a dream."
~Edgar Allan Poe~
~Hakone Gardens Series~
"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."
~Edgar Allan Poe~
~Classic Cars Series~
"A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into."
~Ansel Adams~
~Cemetery Series~
Photograph: a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art.
~Ambrose Bierce~
~Mt. Hamilton Series~
It's weird that photographers spend years or even a whole lifetime, trying to capture moments that added together, don't even amount to a couple of hours.
~James Lalropui Keivom~
~Day At The Beach Series~
~Big Basin Series~
"I didn't want to tell the tree or weed what it was. I wanted it to tell me something and through me express its meaning in nature."
~Wynn Bullock~
~Villa Montalvo Series~
~Baseball Series~
The camera can photograph thought.
~Dirk Bogarde~
~Baseball Series~
Celebrating My 45th Birthday:
1993~45th BIRTHDAY~ ME AT "THE WEDGE" ~ NEWPORT BEACH ~ JUST A BIG KID!!
*****************************************************
2006~I FINELY GOT TO FLY ONE OF MY DREAMS
~A WWII AMERICAN WARBIRD; THE T-6D "TEXAN"
***************************************************
MyGen Profile Generator

I created my free contact table with the
NoSirIDontLikeIt.com contact table Generator!


My Interests

~PHOTOGRAPHY~
My Passion... My Escape
~~~~

~Foggy Morning Series~

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
~Ansel Adams~

~Hakone Gradens Series~

~Skyline Series~

I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it.
~Author Unknown~

~OTHER INTERESTS~

  • Writing
  • Driving back country roads
  • Hiking
  • Kayaking
  • Cooking
  • Baseball
  • Body Surfing
  • White Water Rafting
  • Sitting in a darkened theatre watching a good movie.....
  • Computer Graphics
  • & Mustangs!

    There will be times when you will be in the field without a camera. And, you will see the most glorious sunset or the most beautiful scene that you have ever witnessed. Don't be bitter because you can't record it. Sit down, drink it in, and enjoy it for what it is!
    ~DeGriff~

    ~Moss Landing Series~

    The photograph itself doesn't interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality.
    ~Henri Cartier Bresson~

    ~Big Basin Series~

    ~Classic Cars Series



  • ~~PLEASE~~
    ~~~ WATCH THIS AMAZING RIDE ~~~
    ~~FROM THE FILM "BILLABONG ODYSSEY"~~

    ~~ MIKE PARSONS ~ AT "JAWS", MAUI, HAWAII ~~

    ************************************************

    I'd like to meet:

    * PLEASE! *
    I NEED TO GET THIS CLEAR RIGHT UP FRONT
    READ MY PROFILE!DO NOT REQUEST TO BE ADDED AS A FRIEND WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH ME FIRST. ANY AND ALL REQUESTS FROM ANYONE WHO HASN'T TALKED WITH ME THROUGH MESSAGES, WILL BE IGNORED AND DENIED.IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PHOTO OF YOURSELF THEN PLEASE DON'T ASK

    I don’t need or want hundreds of friends in my list. I don’t need dust collectors, meaning people who don’t stay in touch. I’m one who believes if I’m added to someone’s list or IF they’re added to mine, it means there’s an interest… . There’s something we can share or learn from one another. Don’t take it personally, but dust collectors will be deleted.

    Okay, now that we have that clear

    Finding a relationship is not one of my priorities.... But who knows!?.... I'd rather meet new people and develop new friendships. I'd like to meet some new buddies, but I'm one of those guys whose best friends tend to be women... (a Big Brother sort of thing ).... and my guy buddies just don't seem to understand that….. Or why I tend to be their only friend who's Single who their wives and girl friends like….and No, I’m not gay, but I do have friends of both sexes who are.

    I want to meet people who share my interests, or who can introduce me to new ones. People who can stir my imagination or me theirs. People who are open and willing to share.

    So.... If you’re looking for a friend who’s led an interesting life, who has a million stories to tell, and who wants to know all about you… then send me a message.

    ************************************************************ ****

    Music:

    Between records and CD's I'd say my collection nears around 2500, covering decades. My taste in music is pretty broad. It includes: ROCKJAZZFUSIONR&BSOULMOTOWNNEW COUNTRYCLASSICALREGGAEPOPOLDIESNEW AGE

    I can't stand Rap or Hip Hop.....
    I've been to countless concerts over the years and have seen most everyone from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
    Give me a great guitar, sax, piano, percussion or brass section anytime. Add to that a driving bass line and someone who can actually belt out a tune and I'm happy. Discovering someone new is always a treat. Talking about and turning people on to artists they may be unfamilier with is always satisfying.
    I was fortunate enough in the late 60's and early 70's to have had the opportunity and the pleasure of meeting the following musicians and groups;
    Jimi Hendrix
    Janis Joplin & Big Brother
    The WHO
    Jim Morrison & the Doors
    Carlos Santana
    Joe Cocker
    Marvin Gaye
    Moody Blues
    ... just to name a few. It was the best of times!

    Movies:

    How can you not enjoy going to the movies?
    Going to the movies is one of my true passions. To me, there's nothing like sitting in a darkened theatre with a box of popcorn and watching the big screen. It's a great escape. I collect movies and have a personal collection of nearly 2000.

      ComediesDramaHorrorScience FictionActionClassicsForeignIndependent Animated& Documentaries

    You might say I Love it all.

    Television:

    I don't watch T.V. like I used to, but when I do watch it's a mixed batch;

      BaseballL O S T2½ MenDiscovery ChannelLaw & Order (any of em')OverhaulinInside the Actors StudioAmazing RaceHistory ChannelFood NetworkMcLoud's Daughters (Australian series)SimpsonsC.S.I.JeopardyPBS: Mystery TheatreRed DwarfNOVAAustin City LimitsMovies
    ... That should give you some sort of an idea as to my varied tastes.

    Books:

    Again, there are so many.... but if I must name a few....

    J.R.R. Tolkien

    Arthur C. Clark

    Stephen King

    Tom Clancy

    Agatha Christie

    Ray Bradbury

    Heroes:


    ~FAMILY~
    1944; The Beginning
    1952; A Family Portrait
    Mom
    I'd have to put my mom and dad at the top of the list. My mom, although frail, at 86 is still a remarkable woman. She was a beautiful red head and one of the many "Rosie the Riviters" during WWII. And, even into her mid 60's, was very athletic.
    "POP"
    My dad, who passed way too early, was a wonderful, hard working man. He participated in, and worked on many events that set landmarks in history. (but that's a whole page in itself)
    Grandma J
    And my grandmother who raised me while my parents worked. Her life story is remarkeable. She taught me how to be independent, cultured my interest in art, never spared the rod and made me a good cook. She was the salt of the Earth.
    My Aunt Jonnie
    She was an adventurous woman with a great laugh. Rode horses as a barrel racer in the rodeo; Shown here 2nd from left, standing next to Bullalo Bill Cody, who was a very dear friend to her, as was Hoot Gibson (far right in photo)

    My Blog

    BRIAN O’NEAL; PRE-CONCERT PHOTOS; B&W

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights ReservedBRIAN O'NEAL; FRESNOPRE-CONCERT SOUND CHECKBLACK & WHITE~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian O'Neal ~~~~~~~~~~~This is part 2 of 4 of my photo blogs documenting my friend ...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 04:05:00 PST

    BRIAN ONEAL; PRE-CONCERT PHOTOS; COLOR

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights ReservedBRIAN O'NEAL; FRESNOPRE-CONCERT SOUND CHECKCOLOR~~~~~~~~~~~ BRIAN O'NEAL ~~~~~~~~~~~I don't remember exactly how I came across Brian O'Neal's MySpace pa...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Sun, 23 Sep 2007 01:22:00 PST

    SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL; BLACK & WHITE PART 3

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights Reserved~SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL~SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2007BLACK & WHITEPART 3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This is the third and final, I think, blog on the jazz festiva...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:14:00 PST

    SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL; BLACK & WHITE PART 2

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights Reserved~SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL~SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2007BLACK & WHITEPART 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Okay! There's been a change of plans. Instead of TWO (2) Black...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 08:10:00 PST

    SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL; BLACK & WHITE PART 1

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights Reserved~SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL~SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2007BLACK & WHITEPART 1~~~~~~~~~~~PART 1(Mark Shim on Sax)I finely did a graphic for myself~~~~~~~~~~~The p...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Sun, 19 Aug 2007 12:19:00 PST

    SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL; COLOR

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights Reserved~SAN JOSE JAZZ FESTIVAL~SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2007~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I was able to get away last Saturday, the 11th, and spend the day downtown at the...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Sun, 19 Aug 2007 09:29:00 PST

    FLYING MOTORCYCLES

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights Reserved~ FLYING MOTORCYCLES ~There were a lot of other things going on at the Grand Prix over the weekend. One such thing was a demonstration of Extreme Motorc...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 03:03:00 PST

    GRAND PRIX; OFF THE TRACK

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights ReservedSAN JOSE GRAND PRIX~OFF THE TRACK~-1-In the paddock~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The previous blog focused on the action of the race.... the cars.This blog focus...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 02:49:00 PST

    GRAND PRIX; ON THE TRACK

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights ReservedSAN JOSE GRAND PRIX~ON THE TRACK~-1-This past Sunday I ventured downtown for the final day of the 3rd Annual San Jose Grand Prix, part of the Champ Car ...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:38:00 PST

    DRAGONFLY-CAM; CHAPTER 4

    Copyright 2007Photos by AllenAll Rights ReservedDRAGONFLY-CAM; CHAPTER 4~ROAD TRIP~Well here it is. The final chapter. I enjoyed working and traveling with my little friend but it had to come to an en...
    Posted by LENSMAN on Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:52:00 PST