A bit TOO peaceful?

in #photography7 years ago

People often think I'm morbid, but I have long loved the peace and tranquility of cemeteries. Apparently, with less and less space to bury people, cemeteries will also disappear over time. But at least for the moment, one can still go wander around among the graves, read the inscriptions and wonder about the lives of the people buried there.

How often you see the words "We'll never forget" on some neglected grave that has obviously not been visited in ages - apparently, being forgotten is the fate of us all. But first, in the words of Milan Kundera, we are turned into kitsch:

2017 grave cherub 100_3574.JPG

2017 Headless angel 100_3578.JPG

Kitsch or not, there is something uniquely sad about the graves of children. But a cemetery also offers its own, particular sort of classical landscape:

2016 cemetery 100B2070.JPG

2016 cemetery 100_2052c.JPG

2016 cemetery 100_2049b.JPG

These pictures were all taken at a local cemetery here in Centurion, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It isn't that old; the older a cemetery, the more photogenic it gets. And thus, for the really good ones, one has to travel to Europe. Perhaps one day, if and when I have rather more money than I do at the moment!

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how strange i was taking photos in a cemetery yesterday , but your one looks so much warmer , but my one had more interesting headstones , i will try and post it today . but nice pictures

Thanks for the kind words, and do show us your pictures. The gravestones in the local cemetery are mostly fairly recent ones, particularly dating from the 1970s and 1980s, when there was a craze for the most spectacularly tasteless gravestones in history.

I wouldn't want to be seen dead with such monuments... :-)

A half hour or so from here, there is a grand old historic cemetery, but alas, the are there has gone to seed and the chances that your vehicle will still be where you parked it after you are done with your visit are small.

ive posted some pictures of the grave yard i think the stone in particular dates from the 1700s , but is very hard to read i will try and decipher it a bit more latter , its interesting though we have some showman graves and gypsy graves in a town nearby and the are trully outrageous , i will take a few pics one day , but yes i like cemeteries nice and quite , very relaxing,