Professional photographer Eric Mueller has a simple trick for getting beautiful photos: “Stand in front of something beautiful.” Following his own advice, Eric frequently comes to Lakewood to shoot. “The world is so confusing and complicated,” he explains, “so I like to make my photos as simple as possible.” The immaculate grounds and the diversity of Lakewood’s 250 acres of urban memorial parkland appeals to him. “I love the varied topography including Jo Pond, the array of trees, and the flat expanses that give way to rolling hills. It reminds me of an English Garden.”
Eric also has a lot of connections to Lakewood. He lives an easy fifteen-minute walk away, he’s taught a class at Lakewood on photography and has another session coming up in May, his parents are at Lakewood, and Eric and his husband have already secured niches in the Garden Mausoleum. “I feel a reverence and respect when I’m at Lakewood that changes my mindset when I’m shooting. It makes me feel like I need to be at my best to honor this place. And that informs how I think about the images I’m going to make.”
Eric admits to having a terrible sense of direction, which actually works to his advantage at Lakewood. “Every time I come here, I discover something new. That sense of exploration is important for any artist or photographer, because it fills you with the idea that there’s possibilities that you might not have considered, opportunities that are just around the corner.”
When asked what his favorite season is to shoot photos at Lakewood, he immediately says winter, because he likes when a fresh carpet of snow covers the ground, but then he adds fall, then mentions summer and finally lumps in spring. This isn’t surprising considering Eric’s library of Lakewood images, which includes everything from spring tulips to swirling, golden leaves and snow-covered monuments. Eric’s favorite location within Lakewood is a bit easier to pin down. “The Garden Mausoleum,” he says without hesitation. “Shooting there is like taking pictures at a hot air balloon festival, no matter where you point your camera, you can’t get a bad picture.”
Focus on the Seasons: Lakewood Photo Contest
Like Eric, many of Lakewood’s families and visitors have told us they love taking pictures of our beautiful grounds – and many have shared them with us. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our new Focus on the Seasons photo contest at Lakewood. Winning photos will be featured in our 2023 calendar!
To learn more about out photo contest and submit your entries, read our photo contest blog.
