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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Eight: Using symbols and metaphors to express meaning > The fallen, Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia, 2013
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15-FEB-2013

The fallen, Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia, 2013

Thousands of Confederate soldiers are buried here – rank upon rank of them. Most of them were killed during the 1864 Battle of Atlanta, fought within sight of this cemetery. I found a fallen grave marker, bearing the name of a soldier named Ross, broken off at the base and resting in the dirt. It symbolizes the most important cost of the American Civil War -- or for that matter any war – the loss of an entire generation. Military graves fill this image, lending context to this broken marker. While the other markers may be upright, those stones ultimately symbolize the fallen as well.

FujiFilm X10
1/900s f/9.0 at 7.6mm iso200 full exif

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Phil Douglis07-Apr-2013 21:27
I tried it in black and white, and came to the same conclusion, Tim. The warm colors speak of life, while the graves represent death.
Tim May07-Apr-2013 18:58
My initial thought was to wonder what this would be like in black and white - then I thought, no, the warm glow adds a sense of the age and time that has gone by since those awful days.
Phil Douglis06-Mar-2013 23:00
Thanks, Endre. The composition does indeed made the difference here. I had to find a way to emphasize the fallen stone, yet keep the ranks of the other stones within the frame for context. The spacing between elements here is very important as well. The fallen stone appears to be drifting away from the others.
endre novak06-Mar-2013 21:42
yes, indeed. classic composition and great result.
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