photographing gravestones

[malijibic]

Not sure where to post so I am going to try here.  If it should be somewhere else please tell me.
EmyrBorth has just now , very kindly, given me instructions to find my ancestors grave stone
and a description " a slate gravestone with a lot of white lichen on - Ellen's grave".
I hope to be able to visit the cemetery before Easter.
Any hints about how to get reasonable photos of the gravestone would be very welcome.
Diolch

[PaulineJ]

Pick a bright day to photograph it.
Light cloud is best, rather than direct sunlight

Ive been photographing for find a grave , the lighting has made the biggest difference overall. Im using a half decent smartphone.

[malijibic]

I can only hope for good weather, our trip will be to lay flowers on my family graves by Palm Sunday.
I have a small digital camera which has given me satisfactory photos and a smart phone which I haven't tried out yet  It is the lichen that is making me think more than usual about the task.  I suppose that I have been lucky, up to now the gravestones that I have wished to photograph have been clean.
Thank you

[aghadowey]

Sometimes bright sunlight makes it harder to read lettering. Might be a good idea to find a graveyard near home to practice taking photos with both the camera and phone.

[Sinann]

Might be something useful here
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=317501.0

There was another thread but I can't find it, I remember someone said wetting the stone can help sometimes.

[cuffie81]

Below are a couple of links explaining how you can use a simple, home made reflector [1] to light a stone or alternatively, use an off camera flash [2] to light a stone.

Using an off camera flash is probably the best option, as you're not reliant on the sun. And it can be done using a compact camera, as explained in the link. Attached is one of my own examples; it's not the best example but gives you an idea the difference it can make.

[1] Gravestone Photography: Lighting
http://www.phototree.com/article_gravestone_lighting.htm

[2] How To Take Better Tombstone Photos | Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajmexico/sets/72157638809538224

[Calverley Lad]

Having taken a few photos of headstones over the last 30yrs I would take both phone and camera with you and go with an open mind!
Are you traveling some distance to view, I take amongst other things a kneeling mat to enable me to take a photo at a low angle.
Is the location an old neglected burial site, maybe a pair of garden shears come in handy?
I tend to take a photo firstly to view the location then if time permits a more detailed shot of the inscription.
More important is be safe,been down on my knees a few times falling into sunken graves and having my wife with me to help me onto my feet!
Regards Brian
Link for further reading: https://www.rootschat.com/forum/graveyards-and-gravestones/

[malijibic]

Thank you all very much, there is a lot to read and digest this evening.  I do like the idea of finding something similar near home to experiment and try out the techniques suggested.
Thank you.

[Ray T]

If you know where in a particular graveyard the headsone is, your old friend, Google Earth, can be useful. Remember that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West and you might be able to work out what time of day is best to visit. An angled sun will help the inscription to stand out (if that’s not too much of an oxymoron!). What you don’t want is to be photographing a South facing headstone at mid-day.