Fairview Cemetery - A Visual Tribute
Fairview Cemetery in Hiram Village, Ohio is just a short walk from my house. I visit this place almost every day. Often to photograph it, other times just to experience it. I love the look and feel of the cemetery, and appreciate the history and the many connections to Hiram’s founders. Over the years I’ve explored every square inch of the grounds. My favorite spot is the knoll in the center of the cemetery. The early settlers always sought out high ground when situating their cemeteries. I see this in nearly every old cemetery I visit, and I always gravitate to these hilltops. I love looking down on the surroundings while standing among the oldest gravesites.
I am a photographer with a passion for historical sites, but with an even deeper feeling for mood and atmosphere. I strive for photos that convey feeling rather than a mere visual documentary. Living so close to Fairview allows me to pop in at a moment’s notice. I try to time my photographic visits to align with the weather, sky, and light. I’ve been here in every conceivable weather extreme, from dense fog, to blinding thunderstorms, and the dead of winter. It never gets old, and all these years later I’m able to extract new visuals on almost every visit. Here are some of my favorite photos from Fairview along with some commentary on the photographic process.
Written and photographed by Dave Dreimiller
Summer thunderstorm quenches the old gravestones on a sultry June afternoon.
The Gothic receiving vault, erected in 1879, is arguably one of the most significant pieces of architecture in the village. The vault once served as temporary storage for those that passed away during winter months when frozen earth prevented permanent burial. The vault fell into disuse with the advent of mechanical excavating machines capable of penetrating the frost line. The structure remains todays as the definitive visual landmark of Fairview Cemetery.
Icy winds blast over the west end of the cemetery near the receiving vault on a bitter cold January day. The low sun angle of winter highlights shadows and undulations in the drifting snow. The trick with winter scenes is to take photos on approach so as not to track up the snow with footprints. These photos work so much better with pristine snow cover.
The Tilden Family plot on the terraced east end of the knoll on a December morning. The diminution of the sun (both brightness and elevation) near the solstice is jarring and I shoot as often as possible this time of year to capture the effect.
Autumnal sunset over the southwest corner of the cemetery. This section contains graves nearly as old as those on the knoll. It is flanked by a row of pine trees on the southern property line giving it a shadowy, secluded feel.
The low December sun hangs over the knoll at midday. The shadows cast this time of year are many times longer than the objects that create them.
The sun attempts to break free of intense clouds in the wake of a summer thunderstorm. I’m often heading into the cemetery in advance of storms that send most sane people to shelter. There’s high drama in the sky right before storms hit, and again as they break up.
Thick fog blankets the cemetery in early autumn. The change of season presents many interesting photo opportunities.
The winter solstice sun casts an eerie shadow of the flag flying over the Heinly Family mausoleum on a bitter cold December afternoon.
Icy cold March winds spin the decorative pinwheels into a complete blur at the gravesite of James and Lucretia Garfield’s children.
Morning sun burns off the fog over the knoll.
Autumn leaves settle over the massive stone monument of the Stevens Family on a damp October day.
Lake effect snow squall fills the air with wet snowflakes on a chilly day in February. I used a strobe here to create light reflections on individual snowflakes as they fell.
The receiving vault under a brilliant sky in late autumn. I frame many shots such as this from ground level looking up toward the sky to lend a sense of drama. Blue sky, puff clouds, and autumn leaves is always a winning visual combination.
Sunset over the historic southwest section of Fairview. Autumn and winter offer great sunset vistas from the cemetery that are obscured by thick foliage in spring and summer.
A vibrant June morning on the south side of the knoll. I create beauty shots of individual graves such as this Civil War veteran to help document Fairview Cemetery on findagrave.com.
A fisheye lens view of winter twilight falling over the knoll. Color leaches out of the landscape as the sun sets, leaving a shadowy look defined only by silhouettes.
A spring cloudburst fills the air with spectacular reflections of raindrops. The effect is created by shooting into the sun during a momentary break in the cloud cover.
Autumn leaves fill the air on a brilliant November afternoon. Autumn color tends to photograph best under bright sun on days while blue skies add a pleasing color blend.
Long shadows reach out for me on a cold winter afternoon in late January. I often present winter shots in monochrome to dramatize the shadows.
Infrared view from the top of the knoll as an intense thunderstorm churns just north of the cemetery. I was in bright sun from this perch while torrential rain was falling less than half a mile away. Getting between the sun and a storm like this is one of my joys in life.
The gravesite of the Allyn family on a blustery afternoon. The Fairview grounds are normally well maintained. I make great use of any interval between lawn mowings. I love the look of tall grass among the old stones. Also the weathered look of the stones themselves. Many of the white marble stones (including these) have since been cleaned, destroying the patina of age. To me, the gleaming whiteness of the refurbished stones destroys the character of an old cemetery. I’m very fortunate to have captured photos of the stones in a weathered state.
A family plot atop the knoll viewed from beneath a cool canopy of maple leaves on a hot summer afternoon. I often drag the camera shutter on shots such as this to create motion blur as the leaves flutter in the wind.
A 2011 view of the sprawling cherry tree that once towered over the knoll. It was felled by a storm, and took out several monuments on the way down. Old hardwood trees are steadily disappearing from local cemeteries, either from storms or as a preventive measure. It’s for the good of the monuments, but their loss robs these cemeteries of much character. These trees were planted over generation ago and they will not be replaced in my lifetime, if ever.
Winter view of the knoll with a backlight of blazing sun. Days like this dazzle my eyes to the extent that I cannot even see the review screen on my camera. So I simply shoot blindly, pointing and shooting and bracketing the exposures. I love the texture and shadows here. Winter snow scenes can easily go flat. This one is alive with texture and depth.
I love shooting the autumn colors in cemeteries. The change of season offers a stirring metaphor for life and death. Here I was attracted to the juxtaposition of brilliant autumn hues against the bleached white gravestone. Peak autumn color is never realized until after it’s over. So I just return again and again as the season unfolds.
Autumn sunset over the knoll in early winter. The setting sun creates a splash of warm color across an otherwise cold and bleak scene.
Looking across the basin in the northeast corner of the cemetery from Wakefield Road during a momentary break in the clouds.
My absolute passion is capturing the beauty in darkness, evidenced here by a momentary glint of sunlight across the top of the knoll on a dreary November afternoon.
Autumn in full blaze on the west slope of the knoll. There’s usually a magical week or so when the fallen leaves are in balance with leaves still on the trees. Visually the effect is one of complete color saturation, top to bottom within the frame. But the fallen leaves quickly wither and their colors become muted (and/or the wind strips the trees of leaves), destroying the effect.
Blizzard conditions erupt under the brutal polar vortex on a January morning. On this day the only access into the cemetery was on foot, trekking through deep snow. The only tracks I found had been left by animals. The cold was breathtaking as I made my way to the top of the knoll. Only later did I notice the snow rollers dancing in the foreground at lower right.
The same maple leaves I photographed in high summer now hang dead over a foggy tableau atop the knoll in late October. Cemeteries take on a mystical appearance in fog, and Fairview is no exception. Photographically, a little fog goes a long way. I often include some degree of clarity in the frame to give context to the fog.
The Ryder Family plot atop the knoll on a foggy summer morning. I try to get here early during summer days in an attempt to stay a step or two ahead of the maintenance crews. This area was weed whipped the following day destroying the softness of the overgrowth.
A fallen limb provides a perfect foreground element under a brooding winter sky. I live for this sort of sky texture and it sets the tone for many of my outdoor photos. This photo, taken in November, 2018, is one of my all-time favorites from Fairview. It’s been viewed around the world via my Flickr feed.