This is a second posting of old stones from our last walk around a cemetery. While it’s always humid and wet there, the cemetery backs up to the harbor salt marshes, a dull day brings out the contrast colors and textures in photographs. The ruin and decay doesn’t hurt either.

The headstone below is also becoming covered in lichen. Stones with Lamb statues usually were used with the death of children. The number of children buried here is striking and shows how hard life was here after the US Civil War.

Carved stones like these were new ideas when the Charleston cemeteries were first created. That might be why there are so many ‘interesting’ monuments here (like a full size pyramid with Tiffany stained glass windows). In the US there weren’t any cemeteries until the mid 1800’s. The initial cemetery concept was also to be a park. Something like visit Grandma, have a picnic , and ride a pony 😝.

Photographs were taken in the old areas of the Magnolia Cemetery.

Specs; OM-1 (1), Pana Leica 100-400, Lightroom, DxO Color Efex, DxO Filmpack.

A wet, drab, morning in an old cemetery. This particular place has both Gothic and Victorian designs. You can’t help but get moody images.

I used a long Pana Leica lens which in hindsight was not the best choice but it worked out. With the high contrast, wet lichen, and general decay most any lens would probably have been OK.

I didn’t plan this, but each of these head stones were for young children. Mortality rates for children were high in the mid 1800’s.

I also used DxO Filmpack for the final developing. You can search for film and development looks by date. From the history section I selected an 1800’s range.

Specs; OM-1 (1), Pana Leica 100-400, Lightroom, Topaz, DxO Filmpack.