Hidden Places Around Portsmouth: Hyper Real?

Local resident and photographer John Callaway gives us a glimpse into Portsmouth’s hidden places with his stunning photography. This week, John heads to Eastney to take in the landscapes it has to offer.

As we begin to emerge, blinking into the ‘new reality’, guided by instruction, intuition or instinct, is this the moment that we view the environment and its various ecosystems differently? In the past few weeks, the reduction in human activity seems to have enabled the land, sea and air to ‘breathe’ a little more easily, and recuperate.

Yesterday, a walk around the Eastney end of Portsea Island seemed to bear testament to this. Blessed with incredible light, and only a few clouds in the sky, the colours of the landscape appeared (to me at least), to be ‘beyond reality’.

The following images are unedited and, unusually for me, are in colour. There are small indications of human activity if you peer closely enough, but mostly its just the landscape…

Towards Hayling Island – Image by John Callaway 2020

 

Neither of the Southern Water outfalls are things of beauty, but in a certain light..! With the tide partially out, the jetty has been eroded in places to reveal pipes which has enabled the formation of rock pools. (I can’t ever remember the water being this clear on previous visits).

Looking straight along the jetty, the small black specks on the horizon are kite surfers over on Hayling Island.

Outfall Pipes – Image by John Callaway 2020

 

Obviously this provides an opportunity to shoe-horn a random lyric from a Dylan song into the post…

“Now the beach is deserted except for some kelp
And a piece of an old ship that lies on the shore…”

What would Bob say? – Image by John Callaway 2020

 

Looking back along the outfall jetty towards the Fraser Range, of which more information in my previous post…

 

Towards The Fraser Range – Image by John Callaway 2020

…and finally looking towards the Eastney Outfall Pier.

Eastney Outfall Pier – Image by John Callaway 2020

 

This article was originally published on John Callaway’s website, Ideas & images from Portsmouth and beyond. You can read more of John’s writing on his website and also see his live music photography.

Images by John Callaway.

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