About Me

Brian Grawburg

Since the Fall of 2017 I’ve been photographing existing overgrown or endangered cemetery sites and looking for new ones that are being included in Vol VI of the Wilson County Genealogical Society Cemetery Index. The Index, which will be updated periodically, joins Volumes I, II, and III completed in the late late 1990s.

I’m shooting in B&W film using two vintage 35mm cameras for the headstones: a Leica IIIa (1937) or IIIg (1958). For larger images of a cemetery itself I usually use a Maimya RZ67 medium format camera. My 35mm film of choice is AgfaPhoto APX100; 120 size is Ilford FP4+. Both are developed in R09 One Shot (Rodinal). I shoot in B & W because the objects I’m photographing are not in color; they range from white with dark engraving to various shades of gray. In fact, shooting in color would distract from the real image.

I’ve been asked why I don’t just shoot in digital and the answer is very simple: part of the fun of this project is using a camera that requires me to think about what I shooting — I only get 36 shots per roll — and nothing is automatic. I use a Gossen Luna Pro SBC handheld light meter. Plus film is more archival than an electronic image.

I do have the images scanned by IndiePhoto in Philadelphia for back-up and to be able to post them here. These images are copyrighted and may not be duplicated or used on any other site.