Autumn and Other Thoughts

A few days ago I posted a photograph of an apple. It was made as part of a project to do a themed photograph each day in October. I was four days late with the first one. I am now seven days late with the second assignment, Autumn.

I went out for breakfast this morning and afterwards decided I would see if I could find an autumn shot. Made a decision to go to Hollywood Cemetery because it was close and there is some interesting symbolism in photographing autumn in a cemetery. I did a few shots, some that were set up--did not work. I enjoy photographing found objects. A set up just looks to me like a set up photograph.

However, this one photograph has enough 'design' mixed with metaphor to please me. It is a found image. I was concerned that the viewer realize that the leaves are on a gravestone because that would be necessary for the metaphor to work. I think, hope the pattern of the background will carry the location and I believe it will work the way I wanted.

2nd Autnum

As though I had not walked enough in the past three days, I spent well over an hour walking around looking for mainly what I look for when photographing in a cemetery--signs of how the person in the crypt affected the lives of those left behind. Are there indications that they are remembered, honored, missed. Or are they forgotten, ignored, abandoned. Does that speak of the person in the crypt or of those left behind. Yes, I am aware that "dust into dust was not spoken of the soul,"  but I still do not understanding passing through life without questioning how we will be remembered--or if we will be remembered. Or sometimes I walk through cemeteries just looking at things.

I came across a marker that had a photograph of a lady that I assume is interred there clipped to the back of the marker. The photograph has faded until it is difficult to make out the image. To me this is a visual representation of how we fade from memory after our death. Sure, a few achieve fame in this life and will be immortalized but most of us won't. We will remain in the memory of friends for maybe a few years, in the memory of family possibly two, maybe three generations. With time, a very short time, the memory of our countenance, of who we were will gradually fade from the memories of those we leave behind as surely as the photograph of this lady fades away.

I have great difficulty getting down for photographs, but I thought this was important enough to suffer the inconvenience. I am presenting this photograph in two versions. It is very important that it is evident that the photograph is clipped to the headstone of a grave--that is important to the story that I want the photograph to convey. The first has only the familiar surface features of the granite stone along with the plastic flowers to convey the location. I wasn't sure that was enough information so I also included area above the stone to show a funeral tent set up for a memorial service that would take place latter in the day.