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This one was taken in Edale graveyard, and while this is a reasonably old gravestone (1845), some of them dated back to the 18th Century. These were weathered, and difficult to read, but they stand testament to the age of this village and its many generations of inhabitants.

1.58pm on 28/5/05

Canon 20D

EF 17-40 f/4L USM

17mm (27mm equiv.)

f/5.6

1/60

aperture priority

+0.0

evaluative

100

no

RAW

C1 Pro

no

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3x2
comment by Adriana at 08:09 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

WEll defintely not a common subject but the importa thing here is be prepared to the step we all will give some day. Its amazing to see how a stone can remeber us a whole life and how long it endures.

comment by alex at 08:13 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

A morbid and interesting image. I have many graveyards around where I live that are wonderfully old and are full of headstones such as this. A nice change of pace from your previous work.

comment by EADGBE at 09:00 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

What does the dead bird on the stone symbolize? Life is fleeting, death eternal?

comment by Raffi at 09:20 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

Yikes, that dead bird adds a lot to the picture. 1800s eh, damn that is a test of time.

Wonder how that bird got so smushed?

comment by peter cohen at 09:20 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

Yes, but how did you get the bird to lay so FLAT??

comment by djn1 at 09:47 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

Raffi: I think the bird had been there for some time, entropy did the rest.

comment by Ioannis Verdelis at 10:12 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

I think this picture suffers a bit with exposure. The stone is "too white", while the grass is OK. Hope this helps...

comment by Fellow Eskimo at 11:37 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

How odd the bird is! and I agree with loannis about the exposure. I think detail is actually lost in the grass.

comment by rob at 11:41 PM (GMT) on 1 June, 2005

enfin une photo classique rien d'exceptionnel je me disais que david j nightingale etait un extraterrestre ! mais non il sait aussi faire des photos ordinaires ! ! ! merci !

comment by Paul at 12:50 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Interesting perspective on this. At first I thought it would be better if the words were easier to read, but after I look at it for a while, I think I like a little mystery in this -- just enough information to peak my interest.

comment by Brooks at 01:16 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Not enough detail in the grass? OK, I'll refrain. Anyway, great image David. I just can't believe you squashed that poor bird to get it. :-)

comment by Rachel at 02:03 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

This is my favorite photo ever. Just wondering--do you mind if I hotlink?

comment by J.P. at 04:43 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Great!

Death and dead.

comment by Sahil Karkhanis at 07:19 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Morbid...? I don't think so... A touch of melancholia, perhaps, and a hint of the tragi-comic... Or maybe I have a morbid sense of humour...

Nice picture...

comment by Patchanka at 07:58 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Great picture - a double death, did you arrange it or was it really like this? Greetings, Patchanka

comment by pierre at 08:09 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Nice subject for a morning coffee :)
That's a cool picture, the dead bird makes the image here

comment by djn1 at 08:27 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Ioannis/Fellow Eskimo: yep, perhaps it would have been better to have shot this under a more gentle light.

Rachel: hotlinking is disabled on chromasia. Email me if you'd like to use a version of this shot on your site.

Patchanka: even my dedication doesn't extend to dragging decomposing birds around graveyards ;-)

comment by SteveO at 10:58 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Nice colours in the stone, the contrast with the grass is nice. Not sure about the dead bird though, mind you it would probably be a bit boring without it.

comment by mikey at 11:16 AM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

very vibrant colours, powerfull image. even if it is morbid.

comment by Jordan at 02:13 PM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

I like your framing and the subtle vignetting to reign in the bottom edge. Very nice.

Bummer for the bird. Did you clean off the grave site after? I guess that's the old-tymie etiquette. If it were my grave, I don't think I would care. I'd be dead.

comment by djn1 at 05:09 PM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

Thanks everyone.

comment by santaquilla. at 06:38 PM (GMT) on 2 June, 2005

a good one, but ....

comment by lisa at 01:49 AM (GMT) on 3 June, 2005

I love this photo and especially how vibrant the green of the grass is. and I like the subject matter. it's a nice change.