Death and Taxes

 On May 15th I had an appointment to scout out a photo location for a future shoot at San Francisco's Sutro Baths. After that recon mission I planned to head down to Colma - "City of the Dead" planning to shoot some large format shots. 

I brought my little digital kit, and also filled the back with an 8x10, and 4x5 Toyo monorail kits which took up most of the room in the back of my "cheese wedge" (Gen II Prius.)

Normally 15 April is tax day in the US, but due to the pandemic, this year tax day was shifted a month late to 15 May (or actually the next work day, but forget that since that kills my title of "Death and Taxes".)

So that afternoon I spent a lovely day at Colma's Italian cemetery. A few things struck me on my visit. First off, how quiet and peaceful it was. I only encountered one other living soul in the couple hours I was there. The weather was perfect from my point of view- cool and overcast with the sun popping out now and again.

I've long been a fan of cemeteries, for photography and just in general. One particularly nice feature of Colma is due to the cool moist air, there's lots of moss everywhere. The chiseled angels and maidens are coated in a crusty dusting of orange.  And despite the death around me, the little orange splotches live- along with the chirping birds finding a perch on an angel or cross.

 

 There was one particular statue that I found to be particularly well done. A bust of a woman (below) somehow made me feel like she was looking at me.

The angels were plentiful and make for a nice typology if I get around to it.

I arrived maybe around 2pm, and the place closes at 4. So I never even got out my large format film gear. 

Next time!