When you arrive at a place you've seen beautifully showcased in photos, it can be disappointing to be stuck behind a barricade.
But, with a little creativity, you can frame photos to ignore the fact that you were not invited. Use your camera's lens to zoom in and melt away the walls, signs and other irritations meant to keep you out.
Using my iPhone I got myself onto the lawns of mansions, skipping right past the chain link fence that keeps out the uninvited. Positioning the iPhone's camera lens in an open space between the fence wires, I was able to make it look like I was on the property, gazing at its pastoral beauty. Really, I was squatting on the public Cliff Walk which borders the back yards of beautiful properties, pressing my phone against the chain link fence, squinting at the view. But, who needs to know that?
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| Reality |
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| Looks like I'm standing in an open meadow, right?
The Astor's Beechwood mansion was built in 1891 and was the scene of much lavish Gilded Age entertainment. Larry Ellison purchased the home in 2010 and it is undergoing substantial renovations for its intended use as an art museum for his personal collection, according to the Newport Daily News on January 5, 2013. Reporting that Mr. Ellison's name is not on any of the plans filed in City Hall and that representatives of the project are restricted by confidentiality agreements, curious neighbors resort to peeking through the fence to check in on the progress. Six years and counting - lots of work being done; lots more to do....
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| Oracle Founder Larry Ellison's Newport renovation |
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| Ah, much easier view without the pesky fence |