Flowers at a Graveyard

This is one the last remaining graveyards in Cades Coves, Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
These graveyards served the settlers of Cades Coves until their land was annexed by the National Park Service. The settlers were allowed to continue to live on the land until they moved or died. Still today, relatives visit these sites and leave flowers in remembrance.

This image was horribly underexposed. It had been morning sun with some mist. There was no saving the original lighting. I did a b/w conversion and then added multiple graduated layers of fog (NIK). I used a pinch of Simplify and the rest was hand tone balancing. Added a slice of canvass at the bottom. I painted-in the flowers for effect, and a bit out of respect for the hearty soles that once lived there. (pretty sappy!)

Hope you like it................

No, I don't like it a bit -I love it!! Very nicely done Jay. The flowers along with the tree and fence really make this one special. Nice save and the fog is done very well.:S3:

I'm with Denise, I also love the image. Through all of your work, along with the story, you have really created an image that conveys a really peaceful, almost spiritual feel. I envy your foresight and processing skills.

Wonderful composition, Jay. Love the serenity and the mood in the backdrop on the mountains and the treeline. The flower definitely adds to image. Very nice processing.

Outstanding!! Love every bit. Thanks for sharing.

Outstanding! What a way to turn trash to treasure. That little splash of yellow adds a beautiful splash of energy against that foggy backdrop.

I agree, Jay, this turned out awesome! Love the soft, subtle variations of tone, and tree is framed just right, and flowers are great touch. Very well done! :5

Hi Jay, What I like the most is how you handled the tonal range throughout the image. Good comp along with the tree placement. Good one!

Hey Jay,
Pretty darn good save! The mood and feel really make this stand out!

Jay, I really like this. I think I'd crop just a tad off of the left (eliminate that darker trunk half way up) but it's lovely as it is.:S3:

Jay, very nice save. What I like best is the look of the trees and the distant mountains.

Thanks everyone. Good feedback, glad this one worked out.

Cheryl, good catch on the crop suggestion.

Very nice Jay, I like it a lot. I think Cheryl's crop suggestion would put it over the top. I really appreciate how well you have conveyed a feeling with an image, which is the ultimate goal in photographic art. This image seems to be holding its breath.

You created an outstanding image Jay. You did a great job with the tones and the fog is very realistic.

I would not have guessed that this was a throw-away image. Lovely mood. Good work! Congratulations.