Final Resting Place, Arngask

[Donald]

This is where I'll end up one day (hopefully, not too soon).

The field beside, having been ploughed and then harrowed, made for an interesting texture. The sky was a challenge - hence the 5 stops of GND that I had loaded on.

What do you think? Any good? Your thoughts and comment are always welcome.


40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM @ 24mm. ISO100. 1/10@f8. 3 + 2 (=5) stop GNDs

[Kris V]

Where you hanging from a helicopter or skydiving when you took this picture??
No negative comments from me! I like!

[Donald]

Where you hanging from a helicopter or skydiving when you took this picture??

Nope. I actually walked through that open gate that's at the bottom and up alongside (on the other side) that wall that runs out of the right hand side. That's very sticky mud just at the gate. That's why the trousers (pants) I've got on as I type this are totally caked in mud and I'm getting shouted at to go and change ... immediately!

[MrB]

Donald, the big churned up muddy area in the nearby field is a bit of a distraction for me, from an otherwise very pleasing composition.

Philip

[ScoutR]

Looks great to me Donald. The sky is just right.

I suppose cemetery shots always get one to thinking, but this one takes me off in all directions. My first thought was What an economical use of land with the fields coming right up to the cemetery. Then I got to wondering how it would look in the summer surrounded by all the crops, which then got me to thinking what it was going to look like in the future - will the cemetery be surrounded by a sub-division or will the fields still be there. As I looked and pondered, I noticed the open gate and then I got to thinking how symbolic that gate was (in my mind)
So as usual a technical superb and as always thought provoking shot.

Wendy

[Geoff F]

Donald, the big churned up muddy area in the nearby field is a bit of a distraction for me, from an otherwise very pleasing composition.

Philip

Yes, I was thinking much the same. That large area of bright sky against the dark field grabs my attention and the cemetery becomes something of an 'afterthought'.

Would a crop of the sky and right side still work? It would certainly give more prominence to the cemetery.

[Harpo]

Donald, your first line reminded me of a tombstone that read… "I expected this, but not quite yet."

Man, I need to take a trip out your way - a month long holiday! great images you guys are taking on the other side of the pond.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Yes, I was thinking much the same. That large area of bright sky against the dark field grabs my attention and the cemetery becomes something of an 'afterthought'.

Would a crop of the sky and right side still work? It would certainly give more prominence to the cemetery.

Yep - I end up focussing on the sky as well (which incidentally has some really nice contrasting lines in it ) I think my eyes go Cemetary, textured field, and then sky. I wonder also whether a closer crop would provide more focus on the cemetary.

[kdoc856]

Doanld,

Excellent as always. I am always intrigued by cemeteries. I wondered whether you took any closer shots, cropping just a bit more of the foreground and the sky. The sky is good, but I find myself leaning in to see the cemetery more prominently.

Kevin

[Donald]

Thanks to all above for commenting.

The key issue emerging from the discussion is the extent to which the cemetery is dominant, or to what extent it is blending into its surroundings with attention being pulled elsewhere.

It is certainly true that I hoped people would see the cemetery. But, I have to say that the comments about it not really being 'punchy' and other parts of the image being more striking, is exactly what I wanted to achieve.

It sits in a landscape where rural life goes on around about it. As Wendy suggests, crops grow and animals graze right up to the walls. A little corner of a field has been set aside for the purpose of allowing us to bury our dead. And that is what it is - just a little corner of a field, albeit with a wall round it. So, I was really wanting to set it in its environment and show it as just another bit of ground in our rural community.

I hope that conveys some sense of what I was trying to achieve.

It would, of course, look very different at others times of year, when those field would be full of cattle or sheep, or crops blowing in the breeze. The barren landscape of winter suited what I was trying to do.

And, Kevin, yes I do have some other ideas. In particular, I think there is a image to be made from shot taken close to my favourite little tree (which you can see here).