View Full Version : Graveyard shoot ;)
Stephen
10-05-07, 02:24 PM
Tim & I had a couple of hours taking a few shots yesterday afternoon. We ended up in Longwood, a small district of Huddersfield. We managed a few 'keepers' in the old graveyard/cemetery there. Its a an extremely neglected and somewhat derelict area, but in many ways better for it in terms of photography.
This is my first shot of the steps going into the upper part of the Graveyard, (there was a lower separate part too) Tim intends adding some of his to the thread too.
Your comments and thoughts are very welcome, even though I've put the thread in Eye of the Camera
http://dpnow.com/galleries/data/769/Cemetery_steps.jpg
Stephen
10-05-07, 02:44 PM
This shot of the old grave was typical of many of the ones in the graveyard, falling apart and overgrown.
http://dpnow.com/galleries/data/769/old-grave.jpg
These ones really hit the spot - albeit a very eerie, spooky and chilly spot.
I like the colour tones and I also like the artistic use of the converging verticals, which work to draw me inwars and up the steps toward those tress. Very atmospheric lighting of the tres and leaves on the left too .......... up from the dark entrance and into the more ethereal light. All the dead stuff lying on the steps is evocative too - I dare bet they make a very creepy rustling noise in the wind. :eek:
The second shot is also very typical and representative of a graveyard - thorny brambles scratching and ripping us up as we stagger about trying to study the stones. the background stones are intriguing - curious enough to induce me to stagger across the brambles etc to read them ....... if I can be brave enough to loiter in such a place. I avoid graveyards actually. I'm a wuss. :D
Pol
They look the job to be sure and nicely in your face.. They have the appearance of still frames from those old B/W movies starring one Boris Karloff (spelling?)
They look the job to be sure and nicely in your face.. They have the appearance of still frames from those old B/W movies starring one Boris Karloff (spelling?)
Spot on. t-up
Also the sort of background to a scene where you might expect to see Vincent Price hamming it to some swooning female with his dismissive retort of "Nanthenthe my dear" ('Nanthenthe' being his hammy way of pronouncing 'nonsense'). :D
Pol
Bearface
10-05-07, 05:06 PM
Wow, they're pretty imposing. I think Tom hit the nail on the head :D
Well I've approached this from a different perspective, because for me graveyards (and especially older, neglected ones) are beautiful, peaceful and distinctly non-threatening places. I'm not for a second suggesting that Stephen thinks otherwise, just explaining my own view ;)
Growing up, I lived very near to a grand old church, a vast meadow and an equally large graveyard. Obviously like many kids, I believed without question that "our" graveyard was a sinister, evil place to be avoided by night and travelled though briskly by day. In fact I adhered to this until I was about 16, when one night I was persuaded to spend the night there.............for a bet (about a fiver, I think...)..........with one of my friends...
...There was no moon, it was blowing a gale and the nearest streetlights were about 200 yards away, but somehow we both realised very quickly that this place was actually safer and less intimidating than the world outside (for kids, we were particularly philosophical on that night :) ) and so after about three hours of shivering in our sleeping bags, we shrugged and decided to go home. Since then I've always found graveyards to be spiritually uplifting places (as our final resting places, they almost literally are...), despite the fact that some people think I'm an absolute nutcase... :rolleyes:
Anyway, this image reflects my take on graveyards and the whole life and death thing.
http://dpnow.com/galleries/data/685/IMG_6463x.jpg
Hope you don't mind me joining in the fun.
If I'm feeling a bit depressed or sad I often take a walk in one of our local cemetries. Just a different take here with a few additions here and there from PS.
In Loving Memory
http://dpnow.com/galleries/data/500/69541204_KKJLFfFM_harriet.jpg
I love cemeteries. I find them meloncholy but not at all 'spooky'. Favourite is Pere Lachaise in Paris (where Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf etc are buried).
I've been spending the past couple of months spending too much time photographing cemeteries (more on that in a couple of months).
Anyway, nice pictures, up to the standard we've come to expect from you lot.
Stephen
11-05-07, 09:34 AM
Thanks David, I feel the same way about them being melancholy places. I do find some of them extremely inviting though from a photographic point of view.
This one in particular was interesting, not because of who was buried there or that the graves were spectacular, it was somehow as though the forces of nature and vandalism were working together and taking over. TBH it wouldn't suprise me to see houses on this site in a few years. :)
http://dpnow.com/galleries/data/769/gravestone.jpg
Stephen
11-05-07, 09:36 AM
Hope you don't mind me joining in the fun.
If I'm feeling a bit depressed or sad I often take a walk in one of our local cemetries. Just a different take here with a few additions here and there from PS.
In Loving Memory
Not at all Tom, feel free.
Hi Stephen,
I like this mono shot a lot, The cold eirie and sombre somewhat unconfortable atmosphere suits the subject exrtremely well, the end result of your processing is a great picture, not something for the lounge wall though, unless you in to the musnsters that is:D :rolleyes: I will leave the techie comments to people more experienced.
Stephen
11-05-07, 12:18 PM
Hi Stephen,
I like this mono shot a lot, The cold eirie and sombre somewhat unconfortable atmosphere suits the subject exrtremely well, the end result of your processing is a great picture, not something for the lounge wall though, unless you in to the musnsters that is:D :rolleyes: I will leave the techie comments to people more experienced.
Haha thanks Tinka for your comments. Of course not all image making is for the lounge wall, though I do have some pictures on mine that not everyone would want on theirs *LOL
Your comment I will leave the techie comments to people more experienced intrigues me :) I'm not exactly sure what you are meaning. You seem to be suggesting that there is something technical to say about the images. For my own part the technical side of the imagery is less important and anything in that line that people might say is frankly irrelevant to the appreciation of picture. I suppose this is partly why I started the thread in this forum :) However having said that I really do wish people would try to express what their own opinions are more.
intrigues me I'm not exactly sure what you are meaning. You seem to be suggesting that there is something technical to say about the images. For my own part the technical side of the imagery is less important and anything in that line that people might say is frankly irrelevant to the appreciation of picture. I suppose this is partly why I started the thread in this forum However having said that I really do wish people would try to express what their own opinions are more.
No Intrigue, it seems that the technical aspect is important to some people, that is why I say I will leave this aspect of critique to the more experienced as I would not be able to offer authoritive critique in that area. Your images and processing do appear to be superior to my own, so techie critique and sugestions, is something that I do on occasions find useful.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For my own part the technical side of the imagery is less important and anything in that line that people might say is frankly irrelevant to the appreciation of picture.
I agree completely with your statement above.
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Stephen
11-05-07, 09:57 PM
OK, no fancy processing with this first one, just a little adjustment to levels and contrast and a slight crop
http://dpnow.com/galleries/data/769/Fallen-Gravestones.jpg
However with this one I tried a few ideas and finally settled on a slightly soft look. I'm still not sure if it works *LOL
http://dpnow.com/galleries/data/769/Graveyard_entrance.jpg
However with this one I tried a few ideas and finally settled on a slightly soft look. I'm still not sure if it works *LOL
I'm also not so sure it works too well as it is.
It just so happens Gert and I have become embroiled in one of our 'animated' discussions about it but we're gonna have to leave off because we need o get going to collect our youngest for the w/e ....... so I'll give you the gist of the debate.
The one thing we agree on is that we'd have liked to see at least some small area in sharper focus. He is rattling non-stop at me about how and why he'd prefer to see the distance in sharper focus and he's pointing to that dark area where there's a sort of 'tunnel' going under the trees (end of the path). I'm currently listening (with half an ear) to one of his tedious and endless lectures about where his eye is lead and ends (at the tunnel under the trees).
Why do men talk so much and why do they always have to sound like they're holding a ruddy seminar? :D
If I ever get a chance to get a word in I'd tell 'im I'm not so sure. I think I might like to see a touch more in the gate and dandelions/verge on the right of the picci. That was my initial reaction anyway.
Pol
I think the soft focus works well here and immediately brings me back to the old Hammer films. What does destroy the shot though is that square sign/screen thingy above the left gate.
But it all depends on what Stephen wished to convey. If it's the creepy atmosphere stuff then lack of any particular focus area is not required I feel. If its not that then ...,.
And you can tell Gert that too Pol.:D
Andrew Thatcher
12-05-07, 02:11 PM
Tim & I had a couple of hours taking a few shots yesterday afternoon. We ended up in Longwood, a small district of Huddersfield. We managed a few 'keepers' in the old graveyard/cemetery there. Its a an extremely neglected and somewhat derelict area, but in many ways better for it in terms of photography.
This is my first shot of the steps going into the upper part of the Graveyard, (there was a lower separate part too) Tim intends adding some of his to the thread too.
Your comments and thoughts are very welcome, even though I've put the thread in Eye of the Camera
http://dpnow.com/galleries/data/769/Cemetery_steps.jpg
This is a fantastic photo love the almost IR feel of the trees in the background. It just oozes atmosphere. You and Tim have some great shots from this walkabout:D