Sickly Green

Love this picture Motts.

you think vandals could've done stuff like that, Motts?

I love this one. I like how the blueish green makes the tombstone have an eerie feel to it.

I doubt it had anything to do with vandals; this sort of condition is pretty standard in older cemeteries. The process of burial inevitably disturbs the ground, and the dirt that is piled back over the tomb (and on which the stone sits) is not going to be entirely firm. Over the years the soil settles downwards, causing tombstones to tilt, fall over, or even sink into the ground. Added to that would also be the fact that the ground freezes and thus expands in the winter. (Modern cemeteries actually have a stone slab above the tomb, just beneath the ground you actually see, to prevent this).

Right you are, Alex. Although not all cemeteries put the concrete slabs down under the markers as they can often make digging of graves and regular maintenance difficult. Raising and leveling markers was a pretty common task when I worked in a cemetery. But back to the picture...I'm curious if Motts used a filter on this or if he played with the color channels...or both.

I can almost feel the lonliness and isolation. This pic gives me the feeling of being totally alone ... awesome pic, motts!!

this is amazing it makes me wish i could make this my bands cd cover =D

this is beautiful! I understand why a stone would sink and tilt, but what would make it rise up? Thats creepy

Sorry if this has already been pointed out...

On the subject of sunken graves-- Several years ago I read two very interesting books called "Death to Dust: What happens to dead bodies?" by Kenneth V. Iserson and "The American Way of Death" by Jessica Mitford. Both books touch, breeflyy in the book by Ms. Mitford and in painfully vivid detail in the case of Mr. Iserson as to the reason for graves sooner or later, getting that sunken in look.

Over time, even in the case where a body has been embalmed the body and coffen will decompose. As this happens the ground above presses down and sooner or later the coffen will give way and fall in. I'm fairly sure that this is the reason that some, but by no means all cemetaries now use a strong concreet grave volt. More or less a big sterdy box to put the box that holds the remains of your loved one. A box within a box. The valt can withstand the weight of the earth atop it and thus should not cave in. Or if it does, perhaps it will not cave in so much. It makes the groundskeeping less of a pain. Same reason too that you are seeing more and more grave markers that lay flush with the ground, rather then the rounded topped grave stones of yesterday. In fact, don't hold me to this, but I think someplace or other I read that many new cemateries will not allow anything other than a marker flush with the grounds, citing ease of upkeep as the reason.

I do not know, however why a grave would hump up. The only things I could come up with is-- (choose one of the following) A: as the person's body decomposes gas being released as a part of the process of decomposition builds up and causes an upword shift in the already loosened dirt. or B. A shift in the techtonic plates in the earth causes any number of lumps and bumps that previously had not been there. Grave yards as far as the earth and her plates go are no different than any other place so it is just as likely to gain a lump or two over the years... Or 3. Some creature who travels via tunneling along under the ground causes the humps to form as a result of its' digging.

Then again, maybe not.

The people in the graves push the markers up. Hands can come out and grab your leg.

Exactly Autoguy ! ;-) And it didn't take three paragraphs to explain either.

Couldn't they even dignify the deceased by putting their names on the stones, instead of just a number??!

thanks blueskyes, but i like autoguy's answer better, lol ^_^ j/k

Wow!! great pic! love it!

Did a vision of zombies pop into anybody elses head when they saw this?

Great effect!



common for stones to shift.
not uncommon for skulls and other bones to be pushed to the surface in 19th century cemeteries.

As i've said before this site is extremely educational. Now i know what to talk about at tomorrow's spagetti dinner at my mothers! Hey ma do you know why graves sink? That will go over well. LOL!

I love this pic, another one to add to my screensaver. I'm thinking of adding some music to it. Perhaps Mozarts Requiem Mass would be fitting.

I live where the local cemeteries do not allow grave markers that are not flush against the ground. This has been standard for thirty years or so, although the cemetery is quite old. The reason given is that the cemetery is located with an ocean view, and when severe storms come, parts of bodies, coffins and so on have been found on the beach. The gravestones that are not flush are the first things to go.

In the northeast, frost heaves will push all kinds of objects right out of the ground. Just a thought....

zombified chucknorriss, what i thought

this is a really great picture

This photo gives me chills. I really love the beautiful coloration of the greens and blacks. Again, outstanding job Motts.

I LOVE this one. Very eerie, but the colors make it seem kind of peaceful...

That would be the undead trying to come up and out of the grave. EEEK!

i can't imagine being burried with a number instead of a name.....

Zombies.... I would watch out motts. You never know..

I have done serious research on human burials & have discovered that weather, soil and YES decomposed bodies do release gases. However ! It's been recorded that mass graves sites from the Holacust were filled in with HUNDREDS of victims. The ground has been known to expand ALSO seen with the naked eye to be actually moving in spots. This is mainly because when they we're shot once, they fell unconscious not always completely dead. As they lined up the next victims on top of the last ones repeatedly covering any that were still alive. Bodies piled in all different direction created air pockets, those that came to could have survived briefly once covered with soil thus making the surface move. Could you imagine being one of those people?