Down by the River

by Andy
(Mullagh, Co Cavan, Eire)

It was shot by a river and the wall of an 1800's cemetary near Kells in County Meath.

I always like black and white and water as I feel this gives this kind of picture so much punch.

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Ever gone into a cafe and ordered the full English breakfast?

You'd expect to find a sausage, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding (for the more adventurous!) and possibly some fried bread on the plate as well.

These are the defining characteristics of a full English. You might find a few invaders in there these days - perhaps a hash brown has been sneaked in when your back was turned, but this is pretty much what you should expect.

Oh yes, and grease. It should ideally be swimming in grease. Which is why you should probably not be eating one every day of the week, but as a treat every now and then...

And for a final flourish - a mug of tea. Not a cup, a mug. Cups are for afternoon tea and require a delicate blend. Breakfast tea should be bold stuff served in generous portions.

So what does all this have to do with Andy's photo?

Well, I love this photo - I love the contrast that gives it real punch, I love the isolation in the photo, I love the reflection in the water, I love the use of lead-in lines and I love the brooding clouds.

If Hampshire could be described as Jane Austin country this photo could easily be described as U2 country.

But there is one thing that I can't get over - the top of the tree is cut off. I know it's there, because I can see it in the water.

I feel as if someone has nicked the sausage off of my full English. I'll still enjoy eating it but I'll spend the rest of the day feeling just a little short-changed.

And that's how I feel about Andy's photo. I enjoy looking at it, but will spend the rest of the day wondering what it could have looked like if Andy had moved back just a few paces.

Apart from that though, as I said before, I love this photo.

Thanks for the submission Andy,

Darrell.
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My son (that's him below) loves F1. He's started his own YouTube channel and would love it if you could take a look at one or two of his videos.
Or, if it hurts your ears as much as it does mine, pass the link on to someone who'll really appreciate it.

(probably someone a lot younger than I am!)

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