Looking out my back door: A photo essay

Once upon a time, on an island in the middle of nowhere, I woke up on Henry’s farm. The coffee was roasting and the chickens were crowing. So I decided to see what I could see looking out my back door. This is my story.

A coffee shack surrounded by coffee trees

Coffee shack boogieA view of the coffee shack to go with your morning brew.

A bright yellow tropical hibiscus with a red center surrounded by leaves and flower buds.

They call me Mellow YellowIt's always a sunhiney day with this hibiscus around.

Duck, duck, gooseYou surely don't see me hiding in the tall ginger!

A close up of a pink oleander flower with variegated leaves.

Gorgeous but deadlyThis toxic flower is the fatal attraction in the garden.

A close-up view of green coffee beans still attached to the coffee tree.

Need coffee?Smell the aroma of roasting beans floating in the breeze.

A cluster of plumeria flowers in pinks and yellows with the blurred green leaves in the background.

Aloha!Did you get your plumeria lei at the airport?

A bantam hen struts in front of a walkway with various garden decorations in the background.

I'm late, I'm lateThis little hen has an important date with a worm.

A close-up of the green and yellow leaves of a Dieffenbachia 'Tropic Snow' plant.

Pulling double dutySome plants aren't just pretty, they keep the air clean.

Six bantam roosters perched on a porch railing surrounded by green plants.

The gang's all hereThis alarm clock will wake you up too early.

A pink hibiscus with a yellow center and a rock wall in the background

Pretty in pinkOrchid you gorgeous and your wall rocks!

A close-up view of a cluster of yellow and red orchids.

Good day sunshineSo many orchids, not enough time to enjoy them all.

A white orchid with a yellow center against a clear blue sky.

Who needs color?It's always beautiful no matter which color orchid is in bloom.

A close-up image of Petra crotons with bright yellow, red, and green leaves

Colorful crotonsColor, color, everywhere and so much to enjoy.

Rock starsJammin' with the band and living in a rock and roll wall.

A Sliver-laced Polish bantam chicken with a large black and white top knot and a confused look on her face.

You gave them hairdos!Some chickens get all the hair, and an attitude to match.

The photos in this photographic essay were taken with a Nikon N2020 35mm camera and a 50mm lens. The photo prints were scanned with a Canon CanoScan scanner and minimal clean-up was done in GIMP (it’s the open source equivalent of Adobe Photoshop).

The post-processing cleanup was done to remove small artifacts that appear in digital files when scanning 20-year-old images.

It’s easy to create a photographic essay to tell your story. Choose a subject, plan your photo shoot, snap a few pictures, and put it all together. Then, share it with your friends, family, and social circle so that they can enjoy your tale.