For no particular reason this years initial Great Blue nesting images were done in B&W.
Well, one reason was the light on the nest and a nice blurred dark background in the swamp. It’s hard to get contrasts in an environment like this.
Two Great Blue Herons starting the breeding season.
I’m thankful several birds have chosen nearby Cypress Trees, I am able to get decent close in flight shots and stand in a comfortable spot in the swamp.
A sepia toned photograph taken of an 1800’s monument being slowly engulfed in Moss. Typical southern scene, and one that reminds me why I am here.
The water is closing in.
This plantation first set aside land for burials before the US Civil War. The marsh and ponds were not near as close to the grave sites as now.
Found on a walk.
This is Charleston, South Carolina. It’s not unusual to find grave sites, or whole cemeteries, of confederate veterans. Hey, the war started less than 10 miles straight down the road from here.
This spot was just a little different in the individuals buried together. It caught my eye since this was my first day out in a while and I was wandering (a bit aimlessly) slowly around the old stones.
In the 1800’s it was traditional to mark off burial plots with large, long, rectangular stone borders. The plots were for family, military regiments, or perhaps social groups like Masons.
But not here.
This small section (above) is all CSA, confederate soldiers with no other obvious connection. Also most were not killed during the war which is how the typical CSA cemeteries are laid out.
The obvious different age and quality of the head stones was striking.
The largest stone was a monument to someone killed and buried elsewhere early in the war. Probably during the first incursion north by southern troops. Seabrook is an old family name in South Carolina. Why is the monument almost hidden here and not in one of the big family church grave sites.
A few markers were for veterans that died many years after the war, the early 1900’s. All were CSA soldiers, but from different units.
The last little mystery is why at this spot, this group of men. Within this cemetery, the old Umbria Plantation land, is the CSA ‘Soldiers Ground’. It actually started during the Civil War because of the large number of troops needing to be buried. Many soldiers and sailors are buried there. This group could have been among them.
Just some thoughts and questions that occurred to me standing there, camera in hand, shooting outside in the nice weather.
All photographs taken at Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina.
Most of the letters were worn away. It did start with ‘Capt.’ and the anchor carving was clear.
This is not the only old sailors stone, Charleston has been a seaport since the early 1700’s.
Magnolia Cemetery.
Found on a walk, the statue / head stone for Lizzie Patrick, 1881-1885.
Cemetery records show Lizzie died of scarlatina, known as Scarlet Fever. This was common in the late 1800’s.
Not just cabins here, the smaller ‘houses’ can be seen off to the side.
Several different monochrome methods were used here in finishing the photographs.
Indian Fields, South Carolina.
