This morning I made my final cut of the Everton Festival Photographic Competition with the subject of The New Forest.
I am grateful to all those of you who contributed to the debate about my submissions. The ‘Happy Thatchers’ was a clear favourite. Although they were very popular I have reluctantly excluded those of sunbeams through the trees. This is because, in reality, they could have been photographed anywhere. For the same reason, the deer with the crow on its nose had to go. People may be surprised at the rank outsider which made it to the finish. I had removed ‘A Vantage Point’, namely the photographers on the hill, on the same grounds, and ultimately persuaded myself to reinstate this image because, after all, they were photographers, and there was a lot of gorse in the foreground.
I have made A4 prints of ‘Happy Thatchers’; ‘Drinking In The Gorse’; and ‘The Watersplash’.
‘A Huddle’; ‘Hedge Trimming’; and ‘A Vantage Point’, required in digital form, have been despatched in an e-mail.
Later this afternoon Jackie drove me to Everton Post Office where I delivered the prints, and on into the forest.
I disembarked at Wilverley in order to photograph the landscape. Jackie made the first photograph, then focussed on me after I had crossed the road for a closer vantage point.
She even captured me aiming at the
Ryanair plane flying overhead.
From this very narrow, winding, unnamed lane at Rockford End, I could look down on
a horse in a field surrounded by his entourage of crows and geese;
and a bevy of doves pinpointing a thatched roof.
Back at home this evening we dined on fillet steak – mine perfectly medium/rare and Jackie’s well done; creamy mashed potato; succulent ratatouille; and crunchy carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden while I, sadly, finished the Garnacha Syrah.
Fingers crossed for you, Derrick. I think your selections are strong and worthy. Can’t wait to hear the announcement of winners.
Many thanks, Sue
Lovely photos sir.
Thanks very much, Gary
Wow, well done!
Thanks a lot, Sheree
Great job, Derrick! Wishing you all the best. Keep us posted.
Will do, Jill. Many thanks
Mmmm dinner sounds rather tasty! Good choices made with the photos Derrick, and good luck!
Thank you very much, Pauline. Much appreciated
I wish you the best of luck, Derrick, and I hope you win.
Thanks very much, Dolly
My pleasure, Derrick
congratulations! you have already won in my book. 🙂
Many thanks, Wendi. I’ll see if I can get you onto the panel 🙂
🙂
These are amazing photographs Derrick, wishing you the very best!
Thank you very much, Holly
My pleasure!
Your choices were good ones. I enjoy sharing your outings.
Thanks very much, Flower
So pleased you made your decision. All the very best! I would have said ‘Break a leg’ but perhaps not the best wish for you!
🙂 Thanks a lot, Sue
Congratulations on your photographic submission, a superb collection Derrick.
Many thanks, Ivor
I think that you have made good choices. I hope that the judge(s) agree.
Thanks very much, Tootlepedal
Great choices and good luck! I really like the doves on the thatched roof and I always enjoy seeing the master at work 😉
🙂 Many thanks, Clare
Excellent choices, Derrick! Bestest wishes!
HUGS!!! 🙂
Many thanks, Carolyn X
Wishing you the best of luck in the photo comp. Albert
Thanks very much, Albert
Good luck Derrick! All are so beautiful! 😊
Thank you very much, Ribana
These are awesome photos good luck to you
Thank you very much, Cinnamon
You’re welcome
I’m rooting for you!!! So beautiful. You can be so proud of them no matter what the outcome!
Thank you very much, Luanne
Those are excellent choices you have made for the Photography Contest. The birds are obviously having a great time on the thatched roofs at Rockford End. The road vanishing into the tunnel of thick grove beckons the wanderers of the forest.
Thank you very much, Uma. You definitely influenced ‘Hedge Trimming”s inclusion
It’s a classic.
Those were great choices! I love them all and I love the new ones too! It’s so weird, but on the WordPress App on my phone I can’t comment on your blog or my app closes out. I’m going to have to try to reinstall it. It’s very odd.
Thanks very much for persevering, Lisa. That is not an uncommon problem
No problem on a laptop [not that I’m gloating, in my mobile-free world… ] 🙂
I think a number of problems have been caused by tailoring the new editor to mobile users.
G O O D L U C K !!!!!!!!!!
MANY THANKS EFI
I wish you the best luck for the contest.
Thanks very much, Byung
WOW! Great pics. I’ll be waiting patiently for your results.
Thanks very much, Chrissy – and for that big batch of likes
😁You’re welcome.
Good luck! Those are fabulous pictures.
Thanks very much, Sheree
What a great sky!
Had to leave it in, Andrew. Many thanks
Good luck for your excellent entries in the photo comp. Derrick.
My favourite would be the Happy Thatchers. 🙂
I’m thinking that big handsome chap in the field with his ‘crow-nies’ would be a clydesdale by the size of his feet?
I’m also thinking a good tripod might be a future investment/gift if you intend entering more competitions now you have a good zoom. So hard to take a zoom shot by hand without a little blurring.
Thank a lot, Bob. The camera is pretty heavy, too
Good luck, Derrick! I’m sure you’ll do well.
How exciting!! Wishing you all the best Derrick. I love your choices and concur with your thinking. Happy Thatchers is a great theme 😊
Thank you very much, Val
You could always submit it on spec. to Thatcher’s who make the cider. Their marketing people would like the pairing, subtly rendered (of happiness and alcohol). You never know…
🙂
All great choices. I’ll be cheering for you!
Many thanks, Leslie
Best of luck! Let us know how the competition goes. Fingers crossed for you!
Will do. Many thanks, Anna
An excellent selection. 😀 … my money’s on ‘drinking in the gorse’ or ‘hedge trimming’ … all the good-lucks in the world! 😀
Very many thanks, Widders
I love the photo of the cows eating the hedge. Classic!
Thanks very much, Helen
Two things, directly from the blog: a) neither Bing maps nor Open Street Map respond to Rockford End, so where is it? b) I can almost hear your sygh as you demolish the Syrah, but why the sadness (not enough of it? CQ having a better tipple?)
It’s at Rockford – we parked outside Rockford End farm. The sadness was because it was the last bottle. 🙂 Thanks a lot, Paul
Also, pleased to see Everton Post Office is still operational. Wasn’t it under threat of closure? I thought it had succumbed.
Thanks a lot, Paul. The most recent one to close was in Hordle – because the proprietor developed Motor Neurone Disesase
Great selections, Derrick. Good luck with the contest.
I think your new photo of the birds on the thatched roof is also wonderful–we don’t have thatched roofs around here.
Ratatouille with mashed potatoes would be enough of a meal for me, and it sounds quite delicious. Sorry about your wine. 😉
Thank you very much, Merril
You’re welcome.
A wonderful photographic selection.
Wishing you all the very best in the competition.
x
Thank you very much, Melanie X
Seems even English horses enjoy a paddle
Yep. Thanks very much, Brian
Amazing photography. Wish you all the best 🙂
Many thanks, Soo Min