Cemetery pics

[dogtrombone]

As discussed with fotodog, here are some images from a series I shot a while back of South African cemeteries. These cemeteries are situated way out in the middle of nowhere, where conditions are harsh, inhabitants are few, and usually extremely poor. I personally find these cemeteries extremely poignant, and some of the materials used, and juxtapositions are beautifully bizarre.

First up, this is a landscape image to give you an idea of the environment:



01. Beautifully simple, and creative... when you can't afford a headstone...



02. What else can you use?



03. Feel free to leave anytime you like?



04. Plastic works...



05. Coke can on a broom handle, that's all you get?



06. This is an early settler (Voortrekker) grave, where they just used big slabs of stone, and sometimes carved out a benediction.



07. That white stone was just lying there.



08. Simple slab.



09. This is in a Boer cemetery of a town that the British totally destroyed during the Anglo-Boer War (in 1890-something). Speaks for itself really.



I have many more, but this is a taster to fotodog's interest from his "Angel on Blue" thread... not trying to compete with his excellent work, but just thought it might be interesting to juxtapose it with another perspective from the other side of the world!
I have another series that I shot in a Parisienne cemetery, where I focussed in on close-up details of rust, stone and moss etc. That's maybe for another time though, if anyone's interested!
Thanks for looking. C&C's welcome.

[Edited on 3/11/2008 by dogtrombone]

[Politik]

wow.. the difference is crazy..

Even in the poorest parts of usa they dont look like that. I would have ad no idea that was cemetary from your first photo

[dogtrombone]

Thanks Politik. Just to clarify, the first landscape image isn't itself a cemetery, but just to give an indication of what the surrounding countryside looks like, to indicate how harsh it must be to eke out a living.

[Whubee]

Yea, I would never have thought it was a cemetery. In the US you would just think it was litter. Beautiful shot, I particularly like the one with the white stone lying it. You caught the texture of it wonderfully, though the one side of the white stone seems to be a bit bright. Nice work though, thanks for sharing.

[dogtrombone]

Thanks Whubee. I probably should upload a shot showing the graves in a group to give some context. When I get some time...

[traerene]

wow, that fascinates me... so simple and so poignant. thanks so much for sharing!

[RandyToons]

Very interesting. I used to ride around in England when I was stationed ther and look at the tomb stones. I couldn't believe some of the old dates I saw. It just really makes me think about how really short our lives are. Heavy eh...?

[skeptic]

I like #3. Creepy.

[dogtrombone]

Traerene, "simple and poignant" is what drew me to wanting to explore and photograph those cemeteries. When you physically stand in the cemetery, and these are in small towns way in the middle of nowhere, after driving for hours through harsh landscape, the poignancy is hugely multiplied. It also interests me the creativity of using whatever objects are at hand, often in quite sophisticated ways... especially considering that most of these people and their families are likely to be illiterate.

Randy, I also have a collection of UK cemetery images... beautiful stone engraving, but the old, moss-covered stone is amazing. As you say, our lives really are short... makes you ask why we spend so much of it wandering around graveyards!


Skeptic... creepy indeed. But apart from the humorous irony of having a door as your grave covering, it talks to the poverty of these people in having to make use of anything they can. But the interesting question for me is that they could have just filled and covered the grave with earth... did the door have any other significance for them?

Thanks for commenting guys.

[interstellar]

Originally posted by dogtrombone
Randy, I also have a collection of UK cemetery images...

our lives really are short... makes you ask why we spend so much of it wandering around graveyards!

Dog, you must be a weirdo
I guess when it comes down to it - since we all seem to be at it - maybe not.

Why do we do it? To appreciate the frailty of life - and appreciate what we have - rather than have not - just a little bit more.