Tsawwassen Cemetery

I love cemeteries. They've always fascinated me. And I'm so happy that my two best friends enjoy visiting them too and like to wander through them with me. When Sunday morning started out cold and rainy, I knew it would be perfect for moody, shadowy images. At first we weren't sure where to go but on my suggestion we ended up heading out to Tsawwassen, BC to find a recommended cemetery to walk through and take some shots of. I set the camera to black and white. The stone, moss, marble and mortar just seemed to invite black and white photography.
In contrast to the rain and flat grey sky back in town, it was dry and only a little cloudy out in Tsawwassen . I shot in black and white anyway despite the bright sunlight.
Whenever we go into cemeteries we do that with the utmost respect. We speculate about the lives and families of the dearly departed, comment on the variety and styles of the stones, read and comment on the inscriptions and are amazed when we find stones that have been there since the mid 1800s. We've never found anything older, but we keep looking.
In this particular cemetery, we were aghast at the vandalism done to the majority of the headstones. It was truly awful. How bored can people be that the idea of defacing or destroying the only remaining link some families have to those that have passed on would be great fun is beyond my comprehension. The level of disrespect leaves me speechless.
I hope to one day visit century old cemeteries around Scotland and England - to take pictures of headstones, crypts and mausoleums that have been there for hundreds of years. It will be an experience of a life time. But for now, I take advantage of local, younger places of rest with continued respect and curiosity.