Life in the cemetery, Sucre, Bolivia, 2014 by Phil Douglis

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06-MAY-2014

Life in the cemetery, Sucre, Bolivia, 2014

The atmosphere within this cemetery is so tranquil that many come here simply to study or read. Many of its tombs are stacked within niches set into massive glass-fronted stonewalls. I interpret the scene here as a home for both the living and the dead. The silence was overwhelming.

FujiFilm X-M1
1/640s f/22.0 at 101.2mm iso800 hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	06-May-2014 08:08:01
Make	FujiFilm
Model	X-M1
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	101.2 mm
Exposure Time	1/625 sec
Aperture	f/22
ISO Equivalent	800
Exposure Bias	-1.00
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Metering Mode
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Phil Douglis		03-Aug-2014 19:05
You express my intentions precisely, Celia. The display on the face of each tomb is very similar to a painting in a museum. It is faced in glass. It has a frame. Within the frame of each display, various memorial objects such as dried flowers, etc., are carefully arranged as in a composition. This method of arranging the dead goes back to Victorian times, when this cemetery was created. At that time, many large urban cemeteries around the world were designed for the living as well as the dead. They were beautifully landscaped, and functioned very much as public parks function today. This tradition still thrives in this cemetery. It is a place of relaxation and pleasure as much as it is for remembrance and grief.

Cecilia Lim		01-Aug-2014 20:23
Your image is intriguing to me because it reminds me of the atmosphere in an art gallery. The tombs look like precious framed paintings in an art museum and the bench is provided for visitors to sit, admire and ponder at the art. Being a place of the dead, this cemetery is surprisingly tranquil and relaxing, where one can find refuge to enjoy a quiet moment to oneself. What an amusing and incongruous image!

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