Civil War Unknown Soldiers

This is a very powerful picture. It evokes so much emotion. It's truly brilliant. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Has the tree actually grown partially over this soldier's grave?

Wonderful photograph. The fact that the tree has overgrown an unkown grave adds to the effect. I have some cemetary photos posted here but this one blows mine away.

Looking at the thumbnail, my first impression was that this would be another cliched graveyard shot (BTW, a cliche I am not above pursuing myself!). However, realizing that this was a civil war grave of TWO unknown soldiers overgrown by a tree adds an impact found in very few such photographs. The indignity of being buried together... the inherent commentary on time's relentless march forward... life's interconnectdness as the men buried here probably helped to fertilize the young sapling... the tumult inflicted upon these soldiers remains as the tree roots spread throughout the ground. All very powerful stuff.

 

Compositionally, the photo is very well balanced. Orientation is good too with the strong diagonals provided by the tree. My only complaint - and I'm not sure if it is a complaint or not - is that I wonder whether the photo may have been stronger without the unsharp mask applied. Since I don't use photoshop (or an equivalent) I would surmise the unsharp mask helped you reduce the DOF. Yes/No? If so, I would like to have seen SLIGHTLY greater depth of field, while still acknowleding your correct intent to keep the focus on the foreground grave.

Thanks for the comments! Yes the tree is enveloping the stone, which I've seen in a few older graveyards. I can't decide whether I want greater dof. I'm a bokeh (?) fan. But, the unsharp mask wouldn't affect the out of focus elements. I do shoot stopped down a little more now, as I grow more accustomed to medium format. My own pick: I'd like to yank that piece of grass out of the shot. I hate changing or staging what I'm shooting, but I would make an exception were I to shoot it again--or at least shoot it both ways.

The angle doesn't work out for me, the background is too distracting, and you could have removed the straw of gras in fromt of the stone

Bittersweet really because I also feel that the tree is cradling the men. Well done!

Very well composed

Great perspective you've got here! Thanx for sharing!

Hey! Stop pushing!

Nice job on capturing an image that I'm sure many people have not yet seen. I do wonder if you got any different angles while you were shooting. I would love to see more. Very well done.