This book is a photo-essay taken in the older sections of Waikumete (New Zealand's largest cemetery) where the graves have suffered from time, weather and vandalism. I look at these shattered and weed-encrusted graves. Memories erode like the headstones under years of winter storms. We move further from our past, from the great-great uncles and aunts. Families move away or are captured by daily schedules and the need to care for the living over the dead.



The electronic age has made us more mobile and has given us infinite distractions to fill our days. It is easy to get caught in the internet's fast pace and semblance of immortality.



Where does honoring the reminder of a loved one's passing fit in our lives in this electronic age of fast food and fast living.



Walk with me and look at some of these damaged graves. Pay homage to the memory of those who have gone before. Contemplate how precious each day of our life is. Think about family and friends who have gone before you. Take a walk and remember in this photographic essay about life and death.