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snader โ This is the end
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Published: 2004-06-10 11:18:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 2172; Favourites: 52; Downloads: 441
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Description
This is the real thing. This is actual human sculls and bones.This is shot in a church in a small town (Kutnรก Hora) outside of Prague. It's an ossuary and it's decorated with an amazing amount of human bones. The cemetery has been very popular (popular is probably the wrong word here) due to the fact that in the 13th century an abbot covered the cemetery with 'Holy Soil' from Jerusalem. During the plague sick people used to come here to die. In 1870 a woodcarver was hired to decorate the church with the remains of all these people. He had about 40 000 sets of bones to work with. Among the most impressive things he made is an enormous chandelier, a coat of arms, and two big (6ft) chalices. There are bones everywhere.
It's an amazing sight to see the interior of this church. This shot is such a small part of it all.
(It was pretty dark in the ossuary and I didn't have my tripod and I didn't want to use the flash so to get reasonable shutter speeds I had to use ISO 800 so it's pretty noisy.)
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Comments: 56
Wow, I just learned about the Sedlec Ossuary yesterday! There was a segment about it on Ripley's Believe it or Not. And then I was randomly browsing your deviant art when I saw this as the thumbnail and I just KNEW it had to be from the "bone church", and it was! I'd really like to go there someday.
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Just a tad distrubing. But I have to admit, seeing "bone architecture" would be pretty amazing.
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Freaky. Definitely not Martha-Stweart type of decor.
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This is a beautiful photo of a fantastic place. I've been there twice, it's a very special place. I think you captured it very well. Now I have to find my photos I took there
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thanks for the comment and the fav!
It sure is a fantastic place, I want to return there someday.
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No problem mate 
I hope I can go there again and get some nice photos, those I took there last time didnt' turn out all to well
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Amazing photograph! It's almost got an illustrative/painted look to it, hadn't it been for the grain which I think adds a nice touch to this piece.
Nicely composed too, love the subtle tones and rough textures.
-Thomas
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Is this a resubmission?? I remember seeing it before. Anyways I loved it then.
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a really interesting shot.
in a way... a very cool wallpaper
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waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i wana see that church!!!!
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Wow, that's a little creepy...but I love creepy!! 
Excellent shot, nice composition too!
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I bet it makes praying more comfortable 
Amazing shot. Quite disturbing.
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I like the graininess. It seems to go well with the feel of the photo
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oooh my God.. Skulls! I loove skulls!
the nois does'nt bother me at all here.. It just gives a nice effect to it all
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yeah, the noice kind of fits
thanks for the comment!
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i think i've seen that place on "ripley's believe it or not". great shot, i wish there was skull churches here. i like the noise, i think it suits it. sharpness would give it a scientific feel, and since you've described the place and respect it i think the grain and noise gives it a bit more feeling and age to the place.
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very nice photo!
a bit horrible....
perhaps it would be a nice wallpaper
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Thanks!
And yes, it would probably make quite a nice wallpaper
And thanks for the fav!
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This is one of the coolest pics I've ever seen !!! 
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dude, i wish you had more of this series in your gallery...because it's just impressive...seems totally worth the trip there to see it in person...
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Everybody seems to want more shots of this place. There wont be any more though.
And yes, it is definately worth the trip, it's an amzing place.
Thanks for the comment!
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The way the cranial and Humeres bones are stacked is in the classic "Jolly Rogers" pirate style. Beautiful picture. I'd love to go there and do sketches.
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I'm on my laptop which usually shows noise more but I must say that this shot is only enhanced by any noise in the shot. it's not weird coloured noise so it just looks like grain/texture I guess. anyway. great composition, focus, and textures.
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Thanks!
I think I like the noise in this shot too.
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Whoa, that's awesome. It looks more like a painting or something than a real photo. Nice work
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wow thats amazing. that was a incredible time period in history. great framing. wonderful
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Why do I gain the wish to pull at one of these bones?
Great shot, I love old churches and the bones in it, we have lots of them in Germany. Some of the skeletts they have are "holy" and covered with gold and jewelery and people come to pray in front of them.
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Fabulous!
I've been to that church once (couple of years ago... but without a proper camera 
It's a real cool shot!
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Really beautiful. The subject matter, the color, the composition.. all perfect.
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Thank you so much for the comment and the 
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Fantastic lighting & textures. I've seen this church on television here in the U.S. I've always wanted to visit, with my camera. Glad to see one of us got to go! Great image!
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I've actually never heard of it before, but I'm really glad I've seen it now. Thanks a lot for the comment!
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I think the grain in the film gives a rather surreal feal to it...which is interesting in contrast to the stark reality of it. Most people just aren't that accustomed to seeing that much death, and here they seem to take it almost humoruously (pun intended). 
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It seriously doesn't get much creepier than this....this is just fantastic in every way possible.
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Thanks!
It definitely was a bit creepy with all these bones but at the same time the place had the same serenity as a normal church.
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when i first saw this i thought it was a render.
Awesome photo, and an interesting description, it'd be an awesome place to visit one day, though.
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If you have the chance, don't miss it. It was one of the most special places I've ever been.
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i noticed that the skulls are all approximately the same size
does that carry through the whole structure of this piece?
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this is fucking awsome....did you do anything to the background, cuz if not that makes it all the more better, but if you did you did a great job! 
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Aside from some curves and other adjustment layers in photoshop, everything is untouched.
Thanks a lot for the comment and the
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