Strong & Jones Funeral Home

The title comes from the name of the funeral home, which is printed (for marketing purposes, I assume), on the plaque above the headstone. Its too small to see on the screen at this size, but it's there. Sad. Or funny. I tend to lean towards sad.

This photo was of the type I had in mind to make before I left for my little trip to Florida. Not the detail of a commercial/marketing exploit, but rather a memorial or grave. Not that I understand these things; the plastic fence, plastic flowers, pom poms, or any of that. But I've seen it. I've seen so many graveyards in this region. This is where I grew up. And particularly in the south, I think the thing that one most comes to identify with is the landscape. Its somehow more present than in other parts of the country. It just is.

What I do know of this region is the light, the grass, the trees, the sand, the marks that people make upon the earth, even a thing or two about the people who roam around this landscape. So within this seemingly simple image, there is my attempt to strike a balance and say something I knew, without getting in the way of what I didn't. Its a tenuous line, and my thoughts while making this image were numerous. I tried to respond to it, but also step back and think. Maybe that's the tricky part about photography? Maintaining a balance between speaking, authoring, being authoritative and also being responsive. I felt that divide when I was making this image.