What are your guidelines for taking photographs?
These are my guidelines for myself when I take photographs.
Each marker should have its own photograph. The photograph should contain the entire
marker, including its base, and any vase or sculpture associated with the marker. A close-
up photograph should be taken if it would make an inscription more legible. The marker
should be photographed at a slight angle so that three sides of the marker can be seen: the
side with the inscription should comprise the majority of the view, one side should be seen so that
a person can tell if the side is rough or smooth for example, and the top should be seen so that
someone can tell if that is similarly rough or smooth. The back side of the marker should
be photographed if it contains any inscription. For markers which have inscriptions on four
sides, a general photograph should be taken of the entire marker and a close-up should be taken
of each side.
For family plots, a general photograph should be taken of the entire plot. A photograph
should be taken of each initialed boarder stone, if present. A photograph should be taken
of the family plot marker if that is present. Any other features of the family plot should also
have a separate photograph taken of it, like, for example, the inscription on the entrance of a
wrought-iron gate.
When doing a complete photographic survey of a cemetery, take a general photograph of the
cemetery from the starting point (like the NW corner) and generally try to record the stones in
rows (like from W to E). If the cemetery is logically divided into sections, each section can
be photographed separately. A photograph should be taken of each object in the cemetery
even if it is not clear what the object is, or even if it is clear that the object is "trivial," like a
numbered cemetery plot marker. I will leave it to someone else to decide if the object is
important or not.
My goal is to record what I see. I do not touch. I do not move objects away from
the markers to get a better photograph, especially flowers, though I will brush leaves, twigs or
grass off of a marker. If flowers block a portion of the inscription, I will sacrifice taking a
three-sided photograph if by doing so I can take a photograph which will reveal the entire
inscription. On no account will I attempt to upright or otherwise move the markers
themselves.
I also try to be reverent. If a burial ceremony is taking place, I skip that cemetery and
move on to another one. If another person is visiting a grave, I start photographing a
different section. As much as possible, I also try to avoid stepping on the ground above
where the body itself would be buried.
