Death and decay -ArtP by Olympus DSLR Challenge


06-APR-2011	ArtP

This cemetery dates to the revolutionary war.
Many of the headstones are showing their age,
and many show signs of vandalism.

Olympus E-520
1/250s f/5.0 at 133.0mm iso200 hide exif

other sizes: small medium original auto

all copyright privileges rest with the author of this image. We reserve the right to spit on anyone who steals any image.

comment |

Lawrence		13-Apr-2011 04:10
Have always loved grave yards, have no pics of one myself. I love the hint of words, the various hues of headstones, and the mystery....

Olympus DSLR Challenge		13-Apr-2011 02:08
Hmmm... guess we are no better than the other inhabitants of this wonderful planet. born to die. brent

Guest		12-Apr-2011 19:02
Good one Art. I like the subject, but also the textures, the use of DOF, and the square crop. Goffen

Shirley Haden		12-Apr-2011 04:32
I've always had a love of looking at really old grave sites. This one looks to be around the civil war era, like one I loved going to when I was in high school down in Kansas. My girlfriend and I would go at night so we could read them better, by shinning a flashlight at just the right angle. Some of the graves had sunk in from the wood in the coffens finally rotting away, leaving a sink hole. I love how you kept the sepia tones in the background while it looks like natural color up front. Nicely done.

Guest		09-Apr-2011 20:16
I like the contrast between the different hues of the stones, and also the square format. -raven15

ArtP		09-Apr-2011 11:24
Thanks for looking. I can't take credit for placing that leaf, that is how I found it. Yes, it's perfectly placed. Marble doesn't fair much better... the surface erodes until the text is obscured, while on sandstone the lines remain crisp until the whole surface flakes off. (I do think they have some of the pieced saved for possible later restoration)

Olympus DSLR Challenge		09-Apr-2011 01:59
In my view, cemeteries are powerful places, to be dealt with individually. I like the way you stood up that lone oak leaf in front of the blue stone. Seems symbolic of something ... --Stefan

Lawrence		07-Apr-2011 17:16
Great picture Art. So much to contemplate, so much to be read, so much to wonder....

jpr17		07-Apr-2011 03:36
ashes to ashes and dust to dust that even our markers must succumb acccept we must Very nice photo Art.

Brad		07-Apr-2011 01:02
I agree Brenda,and ,the stone in the back is what attracts my eye, with the memory first word, I have a small cemetary in Westfield NJ, where I live with some similiar but protected tomb stones

Guest		07-Apr-2011 00:11
There's something ineffably sad about a gravestone with all its information eroded and gone. Time erases our flesh and bones, but must it obliterate even our names? Yet those who carve in sandstone cannot possibly expect their work to last. I like the textures here, and the way the stones are leaning as gravity pulls them down. Yet there is hope in that the upright marker is still readable - for now.

Type your message and click Add Comment

It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest. Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help	private comment