During the field-trip with NGLFP to Westview Cemetery in Atlanta,  all three of us converged on a large monument for Stephen Andrew Ryan upon which sits a mesmerizing mourner. The mourner leans at the base of a rough hewn cross and stone ivy is growing up the sides of the base and cross. Her stare and features can be interpreted many ways but she is very captivating none the less. We each staked our positions but I wanted to focus mainly on the woman so chose a spot to the left of the monument. I still wanted to capture a slight angle to the base but be in her direct path.  The sun was in and out of clouds so I had to make a last minute adjustment to make sure all the light tones would remain printable.  Most of my negatives from that outing were damaged by bad chemistry or not what I envisioned. But I am quite happy with this image and it pulled me out of my comfort zone and usual natural scenes. And unlike Sally Mann I didn’t have to tell the model to “hold still”.

Technical: Ilford Delta 100 4×5 , f32, 1/8, 250mm. EV range 10.5 distant shadows, 14-15 for the stonework.
Developed in Pyrocat HD 3:2:500 23minutes. Printed on Ilford Warmtone with LPD 1:2.