While participating in a climate change communications workshop at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) on Cape Cod, I came upon this apparent pet cemetery. Interestingly, while WHOI was founded in 1930, many of the headstones are dated prior to that. While some of the pets buried there may have belonged to early staff members at WHOI, it’s also possible that many belonged to people living in the area before WHOI was established.
The white picket fence with peeling paint, the border of dark trees, and the white grave markers combined to give the feel of a cemetery for human remains. Taken on a sunny spring morning, the scene lacked any macabre Halloween feel, but rather evoked a sense of remembrance, solemnity, and love.
This photo was taken with a Canon EF28-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens on a Canon EOS 10D. The exposure was set to 1/320 sec. at f/8.0 and ISO 400.