Photo of the Week 2015-12-28

I can't recall if I have featured images by another photographer here on my blog, perhaps one by my father or maybe one that I found inspirational. I really should go back through all of the posts from the over six years I have been blogging (that's over 300 blog posts) to review where this photographic journey has trod.

This week I am going to feature a photograph made by someone else. Not someone standing with me, using my camera, or helping me make an image of myself in some far, or not so far away location but someone who may not be "into" photography the way I am. As far as I know, they may only take "snapshots" to record family events like birthdays and vacations ...

On Christmas morning past, as I sat waiting to open gifts while Lynn took Murphy out for his walk and Jordan slept upstairs, I sat down with my iPad to check my Facebook page and post a Merry Christmas message to all my friends. In doing so I noticed I "had mail" and checked my inbox to see a message from Holland. I smiled and thought how nice to receive a Christmas message from the family that hosted my parents when they visited in 1995. The Zandvoorts, Jan & Ina, have kept in touch over the years, and have been very generous in providing any information available regarding my grandfather who is buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery, not far from where they live.

Recently, on Facebook, I had seen photos and short videos posted of the annual Christmas Eve candle lighting ceremony at Holten. I find it moving that the Dutch continue to honour those who lost their lives liberating Holland in the last stages of WWII. The images of the cemetery at Holten touch me deeply. I have plans to visit Holten in the next couple of years and make my own images but as beautiful and moving as it is, my visit will not be on Christmas Eve, there are other dates of significance that I must capture ... so I was overwhelmed with emotion when I opened the photos attached in the email from Holland showing my Grandfather's grave (front corner) during this year's candle ceremony. 

I posted the originals to FB on Dec 25 as they were ... here, I've taken some artistic liberties ... 

Holten Christmas Eve Candles 2015

EJGE B67380 -  Holten Cemetery 1-A-1

DJE