Weekly Reflection - Week 2

This week, I was struck by the pure artistic aspects of Spring Grove. I have been an amateur photographer for about twelve years, but have put it aside for a few years. As we walked around this week, inspiration crashed into my head. The artist in me that had been hibernating began to reawaken.

Like every other artistic pursuit I have been involved in, I am a bit rusty. But even as we walked on a rainy, grey day, I began to see the beauty. The way the trees and flowers provided a backdrop, the shadows and the sun that would give excellent contrast on a sunny day, the details and textures of the monuments, all provided excellent fodder for my reemergence into the world of photography.

Specializing in black and white film photography, and knowing the exact outdoor conditions required, I realized that class would not be the optimal time to explore. So on Friday, after driving to four different places looking for black and white film, I returned to Spring Grove. I repeated almost the exact same path we followed the previous Wednesday, and explored for myself. While I am still surprised I did not get lost (although my roommate did!), I did discover things I overlooked on Wednesday. I am also sure there is so much more I have missed.

I can’t wait to get into the older areas. I would like to see how the structures, forms, and mediums of the monuments have changed over time. 

I never thought I would find beauty in death, but I am beginning to.

Here are a few of my pictures taken from the last class section. The three rolls of black and white film I took on Friday will have to go to be processed; I will post them (if any of them are any good) as soon as I get them back.