Washington Soldiers Cemetary

Yesterday morning I decided to take advantage of the currently low price at the pump to expand my boundaries a bit. I pulled up Google maps on the computer first thing and pointed my finger to a spot on the map that I would aim for. I copied down a couple of intersections for the gps and headed out the door. It was five in the morning but already I could see that the cloud cover overhead was not going to make for a very interesting morning. This time of year I tend like clear, but foggy mornings.

I ended up over close to a town called Orting, a rural town out in the middle of farm country. I kept driving as the light was coming up, not really seeing too much promise for anything good. Some mornings just start gray and well, pretty much end up gray and around here, that's most days in the winter.

The more I drove the more frustrated I became. Everything was just flat. No interesting color and no great light. I had contemplated just going home. And then I rounded the corner and , wow, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was absolutely amazing! I had stumbled across an old soldiers cemetery. Good light or no good light, to a photographer, this is quite the find.

I quickly cut a right into the cemetery and drove the road around to the back. As I pulled up and saw all of the grave markers rising up the hill to my left, I could barely contain my excitement. I became giddy, literally screaming and clapping my hands in joy over my discovery. Then it occurred to me where I was. Needless to say the yelling and clapping met an abrupt end. I stopped and looked at all of the grave markers and in the interest of maintaining good Ju Ju, I found myself apologizing to the occupants for arriving so rudely to their place of rest.

Humbled by the experience, I quietly retrieved my camera and tripod and headed out to shoot the cometery. I got some great pictures despite the lack of quality light. It's funny I love to shoot graveyards and cemeteries. I'm not sure of the fascination, I just love to be in a graveyard shooting pictures. It means so much more though, to shoot in this kind of cemetery. The men and women who lie here have such great and awful stories to tell. I found myself almost kneeling down in front of these graves in respect. I certainly thanked them for allowing me the freedom to be out, taking pictures in this cemetery, with it's less than stellar light. I know it sounds weird, but I talked to them while I shot and thanked them all again as I drove out to go home.