In my travels throughout the Southeast I have been fortunate to capture many great pieces of sculpture and architecture.   Many pieces honour the passing of a loved one and are merely a reflection of the love that was lost, or perhaps all but lost.  

In Memphis, Tennessee a towering arch reads, "LIFE, DEATH, THEN LIFE AND LOVE ETERNAL".   I stood in awe at this inscription.   Sometimes the inanimate objects seem too personal to photograph at first.   I try to capture the emotion as well as the artistry as well as I can.

As a child, my mother and her friends would venture out, taking me on hiking trips.   These trips ranged from arrowhead collecting, exploring abandoned housed, and to old cemeteries in the woods.   My creative interest with the "not-so-normal" was kindled.

It was not until many years later, on a very foggy day in Atlanta that my interest in cemetery photography was realized.   A statue of a woman weeping, surrounded by dark, whispy tree limbs was enveloped with dense fog.   She knelt on a stone slab with the family name inscribed," GRAY."   How incredibly fitting...my passion had began...and my interest in the monuments themselves was stimulated.

The artist??  The model??  The inspiration?? After a few photo contests hosted by Oakland Cemetery, I developed a good working relationship as well as a friendship with the cemetery preservation staff.   I learned the story behind the statue on the "Gray" plot,  I learned of Niobi and her mythical story...