Snowy Graveyard 2-1-2014

Hiking through historic New England cemeteries after a fresh winter snowfall offers incredible peace and photographic contrast. While walking through West Cemetery in Litchfield, I spotted this weathered marble headstone leaning directly into the base of a massive, mature deciduous tree. The trunk had grown so close over the decades that it practically cradled the stone.

Presented in clean monochrome, the composition emphasizes stark tonal contrast between pristine white snow and dark textured bark. Sunlight rakes across the snowbanks, carving subtle drifts around the leaning markers and highlighting the faded inscriptions on the historic tablets. Deep forest shadows in the background keep full focus on the quiet winter landscape.