Old Salem burying ground - interpretive guide

[Manfred M]

We had a bit of a chat with this young lady who was dressed in period costume at the old cemetery in Salem.

I caught her leaning on a vault with the headstones in the background.

[Mike Buckley]

The subject and foreground work really well for me. The appearance is very natural. I would prefer not to have the bright background but I understand how that situation just can't always be avoided when you're sightseeing. Definitely a keeper.

[John 2]

That's a nicely composed shot Manfred. The background is a bit bright but I guess that is how it was. Most importantly the exposure of the young lady is spot on.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured, so what was the narrative, was there discussion of witchcraft?

[Manfred M]

Nicely captured, so what was the narrative, was there discussion of witchcraft?

That was the main theme in town, although it was a very tiny part of Salem's long history. The witch hysteria only lasted a few months, but the town's long history as a major international trading centre lasted many decades. Based on the main thrust of the tourist industry, one would think that the witch hunts were Salem's main claim to fame.

Yes, the young lady was part of the witchcraft re-enactment side of things; apparently with the tourist season starting to really get busy for the next couple of months, there is a major focus on that side of Salem's history. She also told us that things are even crazier around Halloween which is really when the daily tourist traffic peaks. There was a re-enactment of one of the trials happening a bit later in the day; something we did not stay for.

[Manfred M]

The appearance is very natural. I would prefer not to have the bright background but I understand how that situation just can't always be avoided when you're sightseeing.

The background is a bit bright but I guess that is how it was. Most importantly the exposure of the young lady is spot on.

I totally agree; but the problem with travel photography is finding a way of pulling of a decent shot in the limited time one spends at a location. I got the shot I wanted, given that it was a bright, sunny day. I had a Speedlight along in case I needed fill light, but managed to do okay without it. I had to do a touch of dodging on the camera left side of the face and the white balance was pretty well bang on, even with all the light filtering through the trees and bouncing off the grass.

[Shadowman]

That was the main theme in town, although it was a very tiny part of Salem's long history. The witch hysteria only lasted a few months, but the town's long history as a major international trading centre lasted many decades. Based on the main thrust of the tourist industry, one would think that the witch hunts were Salem's main claim to fame.

Yes, the young lady was part of the witchcraft re-enactment side of things; apparently with the tourist season starting to really get busy for the next couple of months, there is a major focus on that side of Salem's history. She also told us that things are even crazier around Halloween which is really when the daily tourist traffic peaks. There was a re-enactment of one of the trials happening a bit later in the day; something we did not stay for.

Thanks for the additional information, the witchcraft angle is what I'm most familiar with about the region; and Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot.

[John 2]

Not a crit Manfred, just an acceptance of everything you say.

........................ but the problem with travel photography is finding a way of pulling of a decent shot in the limited time one spends at a location. ...............................

Tell me about it - especially on a bright day and in company

[Manfred M]

Not a crit Manfred, just an acceptance of everything you say.



Tell me about it - especially on a bright day and in company

John - I'm in total agreement with you and Mike on that. Fortunately my wife likes to do some shopping and she knows I do not, so I can get an hour or so solo shooting time while she is doing that. That generally doesn't help the lighting situation, though....

[rpcrowe]

Nice capture of the young lady. Did you use fill flash.

My wife has been lobbying to visit that area of Massachusetts. Here family has deep rooted ties there.

Her ancestors came over with some of the first Puritans to settle in that area. Her family is always mentioned in any history of that part of Massachusetts.

In fact, her direct ancestor was killed with the first British volley of musket fire at Concord Bridge on April 19, 1775, making him one of the first Patriots killed in the American Revolution...

[Manfred M]

Nice capture of the young lady.

Thanks Richard.

Did you use fill flash.

I did not need to, even though I had it in my camera bag. The light on her was fairly even and diffuse, the camera left side of her face was slightly too dark, so a bit of dodging was all I had to do to fix it.

My wife has been lobbying to visit that area of Massachusetts. Here family has deep rooted ties there.

Her ancestors came over with some of the first Puritans to settle in that area. Her family is always mentioned in any history of that part of Massachusetts.

I suspect that you would enjoy it. The historic core of Boston is quite small and quite walkable; much like a lot of the
European cities. The more modern cities that are further west tend to be more spread out.

In fact, her direct ancestor was killed with the first British volley of musket fire at Concord Bridge on April 19, 1775, making him one of the first Patriots killed in the American Revolution...

If he is buried in one of the local graveyards, you might want to go looking for his headstone. We were told that after the invention of the lawnmower, the cemetery caretakers often undertook to align the headstones so that the grass was easier to cut, so their location often has little to do with where the bodies have been buried.

[Mike Buckley]

OFF TOPIC

killed with the first British volley of musket fire at Concord Bridge on April 19, 1775, making him one of the first Patriots killed in the American Revolution...

I'm a student of Benjamin Franklin so I'll nitpick by mentioning that the American Revolution began as of the official Declaration of Independence about a year later. The skirmish in Concord was one of several events involving gunfire that led to the American Revolution. It's difficult for me to understand how any event involving peoples' deaths can justifiably be called only a skirmish, but that's what it is often called. Benjamin Franklin was on a ship returning from England (actually, escaping England before being arrested) when the skirmish at Concord took place.

[rpcrowe]

I have to disagree with the Revolution beginning with the Declaration of Independence. The colonies had already organized an army, appointed George Washington as Commanding General, fired on soldiers of the crown at both Lexington and Concord, taken over Fort Ticonderoga, fought a battle that influenced the military judgement of many senior British officers for the rest of the conflict (Bunker Hill A.K.A. Breed's Hill), invaded Canada and positioned artillery commanding Boston and forcing the British to withdraw, all before the Declaration of Independence was signed...

IMO, those were a lot more than skirmishes.

There was also some Naval actions prior to July 4th, 1776.

There was even quite a bit of military action in the Southern Colonies during 1775 and the first half of 1776.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southe...olutionary_War

The Revolution in the Southern Colonies is a much overlooked subject. I know that when I studied American History in a New York high school, nothing was said about the military action in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, leading to the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown...

IMO, when one group enters into military action against the group in charge, especially when the revolting group organizes an army and navy, that is a revolution. It doesn't require the signing of a paper to that effect.

[Mike Buckley]

You're probably right, Richard. I just looked quickly at some websites that place the beginning of the Revolutionary War at 1775.