Between Today and Tomorrow: The Unfolding of Hillcrest Cemetery

3rd Eye Blue
Dec 16, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Dec 19, 2024

It’s great to see you again, fellow shutterbugs!

Tell me, what’s a photographer if not someone who’s taken a few imperfect shots along the way?

What if I told you that (obviously) not every shot will be perfect (and perhaps even well below par), but it’s still alright to share those? What? You’ve never heard that before?

Well, on this site we (I mean me) embrace lackluster photos as passionately as we embrace beautiful photos. Like everything else, photography takes practice, and we believe in “progress, not perfection,” right? Right?!

Right.

A couple of evenings ago I went to Hillcrest Cemetery in Derby, KS to take photos. Out of 80 photos, only 6 made the cut – and those 6 aren’t impeccable. I made a total (newb?) mistake and instead of lowering my ISO, I socked it into auto without realizing. So be it. Fuzzy photos can have a certain charm. I mean, kinda.

So, why a cemetery? I recently decided I wanted to do a photography project, and I didn’t want it to be too little, too easy, or too overdone. I have always loved cemeteries; the peacefulness, the solitude, and the contemplative quality they hold. To some, this project may seem strange, maybe even a touch morbid. I assure you that morbidity is not my goal. Instead, I want to display how beautiful cemeteries are.

Turning the lens around (you see what I did there?), I feel as if cemeteries are often overlooked and abandoned to the ravages of time, and I want to encourage others to visit, pay respects, take in the introspective character these places have, even if you don’t know those that are resting there.

A cemetery without guests is a very miserable entity indeed.

Do you know how many cemeteries there are in Kansas? Well, according to Google, that number is two thousand three hundred and seventy-one (2,371). Not an easy journey I’ve embarked on. I have visited many cemeteries in KS over the years, but I’ve chosen to start this challenge anew... and only two of the cemeteries I’ve photographed (probably) won’t be redone. One, because it was recent, and the other due to its distance and, while I may visit them again, with so many more to see...

I will share a few of those photos here soon, in other posts. This post is to share my photos from Hillcrest, and give you a bit of information.

Hillcrest was established in 2006, and open for burials in 2007, because the nearby cemetery, El Paso, was reaching its capacity. According to FindAGrave, there are currently 758 memorials at Hillcrest. From my research, Mr. “Jack” Tabler, who was born on January 4th, 1925, and passed on March 8th, 1980 at the age of 55, is the earliest plot on the site; but a cenotaph for Christopher Allen Bade, October 15, 1958, is also nearby.

Because of the most recent date/s of passing within this cemetery, I won’t be mentioning any names. This is a new concept for me, and I’m still learning about the nuances of what is considered respectful in these spaces. Please know that I have no intention of being disrespectful or insensitive in any way throughout this project.

This is a fairly new cemetery, and it is very well cared for. The graves here are beautiful and like some I’ve never seen. Many are decorated for the holiday season, and as the sun set, the number of solar lights placed began glimmering and lighting up the landscape. It was quiet. Peaceful.

As I said previously, these photographs are not my best, and I plan to return here sometime to take the photos this cemetery deserves.

Thank you for visiting!

Hillcrest Cemetery

Derby, Sedgwick County, Kansas, USA

Coordinates: 37.51944, -97.22028