Top Gun

Cannon to Left Of Them, Cannon To Right Of Them

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

No, we weren't riding into the Valley of Death. Nor were we re-living the famous cavalry charge put so memorably into verse by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. I took this shot late last year, when I was in India for just five days.

I was at the Indian Military College in Dehra Dun, in the country’s north and this cannon was on the perimeter of the parade ground. I framed this shot very carefully - to get in both of the huge wheels as well as their shadows on the concrete plinth. You did notice the shadows, didn't you?

And if you spotted the shadows, you would also have noticed that the "spokes" on the wheel nearest the camera do not line up exactly with the spokes on the other wheel. Look carefully and you'll see that their positions are not synchronised, which is odd for a parade ground display.

While this sight evoked schoolboy memories of learning the poem The Charge Of The Light Brigade, I could not find a commemorative plaque that detailed the history of the ancient weapon.

I guess that could be a sign of maturity, perhaps. When I was in primary school and had the privilege of travelling around Southeast Asia, I wasn’t seriously interested in the history of too many of the places we visited. But now I seek knowledge – which is probably a good thing.

After taking the first shot of the cannon I walked away to take a shot of some really strong triangular colours that you can see at Guardian Angles. Then I heard the sound of someone marching past and behind me, so I had to try and get the officer into the frame somehow - with the cannon to the right of the frame.

As a last resort, I might have had to take a clue from the wartime song and roll out the barrel.


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