A Grave Matter

The first picture was taken by user Axcept (who runs the site at which this photo was found), whereas the second picture was taken in response to this first photograph. Both photographs depict graves (the first photo was taken at Arlington Cemetary, whereas my photograph was taken at Trinity Church across from Ursinus) in black and white. What particularly stood out to me was the contrast between the darkness of the plant life and the brightness of the numerous graves. In contrast, my photograph focuses on a single grave, which is significantly darker than most of the remainder of the photograph (and, at the very least, the other graves depicted). Whereas the first photograph focuses more on the cemetary as a whole (while still allowing the viewer to read the details of the graves in the foreground), my photograph, again, focuses more on this single grave and the differences between it and the other graves in the area (most of the graves shown in the Arlington photo appear very similar, if not the same, in terms of shape). One important note is the atmosphere of taking photographs of places of reverence such as these; even though these gravestones are all that remain, there is something to be said for "capturing" an image of these places. Even though a photograph may be taken with respect to the deceased, there nevertheless remains a sense of intrusion.