West Cemetery 10-27-2015

West Cemetery in Litchfield has a quiet, solemn character that stands out late in the year. Walking the grounds on a crisp late-October afternoon, the long shadows cast by towering spruces cut dynamic lines across the grass. Converting this scene to high-contrast black and white emphasized the historic gravestones lining the old cart path through the parcel.

The framing uses massive spruce tree trunks on both flanks to naturally frame an open, sunlit aisle leading deeper into the cemetery. Weathered headstones dot the sun-dappled field, catching sharp raking light against the darker grass. Deep shadow lines break across the foreground dirt road, adding rich tonality and dramatic depth to this historic New England scene.