Solemn

Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland

Behind the Lens: The site of the single bloodiest day in American history on September 17, 1862. There were a total of 22,720 casualties that occurred during the battle between 5:30 am and sunset. The single bloodiest area was the battle in the cornfield where this photo was made. This battle opened the day and lasted from 5:30 to 9:30 am. Over those four hours, 8,200 casualties mounted for both the Union and Confederates. Standing here, you feel the weight of the loss that occurred.

As for the photo itself, I knew that with the heavy fog in the air, I was going to make this a black and white image. I decided to go with a panoramic photo to show the vastness of the field and to anchor that with the single tree in the frame. The fence guides the eye nicely through the frame.

By bringing this print into your home, you aren't just owning a moment of nature's resilience, you are actively protecting it, with 5% of your purchase going directly to the American Battlefield Trust.