Watching over me

Wildmead Cemetery

I am learning to use Photoshop Elements 8. And in doing so how to add textures to my photos. I am loving it and how it can transform a photo. You can see more on my photo blog Digital Photo Walk.

Blog Interview with Douglas Keister

Photographer-writer Douglas Keister has authored and co-authored thirty-eight critically acclaimed books. He also writes and illustrates magazine articles and contributes photographs and essays to dozens of magazines, newspapers, books, calendars, posters and greeting cards worldwide.

Most of us, cemetery bloggers, know of him for his cemetery books: [1] Going Out In Style, [2] Stories in Stone, [3] Forever Dixie and [4]Forever L. A. His 5th cemetery book, Forever New York, will be published in the Fall. I hope he will continue to author cemetery books because they fill a void for those of us that love the beauty and historical aspect of a cemetery.

Doug was very kind to agree to this informal blog interview. Let’s learn a little more about him.

Art for free in Paris?

Paris' cemeteries are beautiful and free.

Read this article by author Douglas Keister here!

Don't forget you can follow Doug Keister on facebook. He's working on his next book, Forever New York, due out in 2011.

Cemetery Art

Pleasant Valley Cemetery

Cemetery Art

Beautiful Cemetery Photography

Cemetery Photography by John Thomas Grant

Many of you know of the great cemetery photography by John Thomas Grant. He is working on his book, Final Thoughts, that will be released in 2011. For those of you that may not know of him - you must visit his website. Recently I left a comment on one of his Facebook posts about how his photos spoke to me and he asked that I explain. I thought about it a day or two and realized I didn't need a long winded wordy response. This is what I shared with him:

Cemeteries offer an afternoon of discovery. Beauty and art is waiting to be found in the old stones, statues, epitaphs and landscape. Perhaps what each of us find is different. You capture them in a manner that gives them a voice. This is what I hear:

“Call my name out loud”

“Stay awhile”

“I am the shoulders on which you stand”

Beckoning: “Remember me”

Perhaps even a whisper of “thanks for stopping by”.

Most of my photographs are taken to preserve and share via the internet on websites and blogs. Among those are many interesting gravestones discovered on my walk that I share with you here at Digital Cemetery Walk. Some days though I long to capture the beauty found in the cemetery. Sometimes, I get lucky and come home with a snapshot of the beauty I saw that day. JT Grant does exactly that. I hope you will stop by and visit him soon.

Cemetery Art

We all see something different when we "look" at a cemetery. What do you see?

Wildmead Cemetery

Cemetery Art?

When you are photographing cemeteries and later review your photos do you find one that speaks to you on some level or becomes one of your favorite cemetery photos? I do. Perhaps I'm not alone. Does anyone have one framed and hung?


I am presenting a genealogy workshop in the fall and one of my sessions will be titled "Cemetery Art & Symbolism". My goal is to provide basic information on the various types of cemeteries and the symbolism found on the headstones. And, how they offer an afternoon of discovery where beauty can be found in the old stones and epitaphs.


As I go through my photos to prepare my outline I find many that are considered "favorites". Two of them are used as my blog header and footer photos. Taken in the historic Linwood Cemetery in my hometown of Columbus, GA, they tease you with a sampling of what you will find there. You need a full day to explore Linwood.






A few other favorites were included in my post "A Walk at Wildmead".
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If you have one of your favorite's on a blog feel free to share the link in the comments section.