How to Photograph Headstones

Older headstones can be a challenge to photograph well.

Headstones, tombstones or gravestones mark the place of burial. Ornately carved and solemnly lettered, these headstones are can make beautiful photographs because of their artwork and lettering. Descendants of the buried person may also photograph headstones out of general interest in their ancestry. Headstones exposed to the elements can fade. Over the years dirt covers untended headstones making it difficult to photograph headstones accurately. You can prepare the headstone before photographing it to get the most optimal picture.

Things You'll Need

• Gallon of distilled water
• Soft cloth
• Handheld mirror
• 20 inch by 60 inch long mirror
• Long stick
• Digital camera
• 2 camera cards with plenty of memory
• Cloth board

Instructions

1. Pour some of the distilled water over the headstone. Wipe with the soft cloth to clean the stone. You may have to lightly scrub the stone to remove embedded dust and mud.

2. Use the hand held mirror to check for any unclean words on the epitaph or any engraving on the stone till you are sure that the headstone is clean enough to be photographed.

3. Place the long mirror about seventy five feet away from the stone. This will ensure that the stone lights up with the light reflected by the mirror. Prop the mirror with the long stick at an angle that gives the best light to the stone. This will also depend on the time of day and position of the sun when you are setting up the photograph.

4. Place the cloth board behind the stone. This will prevent any background objects such as electric poles from intruding into the photograph.

5. Focus the camera in such a way that the sides of the stone are parallel to the viewer. You may have to sit or bend to achieve this position. You may need to take several photographs. Keep two memory cards, one inserted in the camera and another as backup if required.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not use a digital camera, the Association for Gravestone Studies recommends a 35 mm SLR with a 50 to 55 mm lens or for crowded locations, a wide angled 35 mm lens.

References

• Genealogy.com: Tips for Photographing Gravestones
• Ancestry.com: Photographing Gravestones- A Few Basic Pointers