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Shooting Old Headstones in Cemetary
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Sep 7, 2017 23:51:44   #
GregWCIL Loc: Illinois
 
s_vanmeter wrote:
I just recently moved to a small community in Central Texas that has a cemetery with a lot of history. I am looking for advise on how to shoot old headstones so that the worn lettering can be photographed so that it can be read. I was thinking of trying bracketing, but don't know if I would gain anything by doing this. Some of the worn headstones are from the !850's range. I shoot with a Nikon D5300 and use the 18-55mm kit lens. Any advise?


I've shot quite a few old headstones for my Mom who is our family geneologist. As others have said, some side lighting helps. The main thing I do is greatly increase the contrast in Lightroom. Also adjust the white slider up and black slider down.

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Sep 20, 2017 11:51:46   #
s_vanmeter
 
Thank you, might try that, hopefully I won't scare to many people.

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Sep 20, 2017 11:55:15   #
s_vanmeter
 
Thank you for your input, sorry it took so long to respond. Have daughter in U.S. Virgin Islands and have been concentrating on her right now.

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Sep 20, 2017 11:56:57   #
s_vanmeter
 
Thanks

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Sep 20, 2017 12:07:48   #
s_vanmeter
 
Thank you for your help and the links you provided.

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Sep 20, 2017 12:09:33   #
s_vanmeter
 
Thank you, sounds like I need to get a mirror.

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Sep 20, 2017 12:11:49   #
s_vanmeter
 
Thank you, will try this.

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Apr 11, 2018 12:51:00   #
DJ Mills Loc: Idaho
 
turp77 wrote:
Many old Cemeteries here in Connecticut post at the entrance, rubbings are prohibited. I have a cheep framed 4 foot door mirror I mounted onto a piece of 1/4" plywood and put on independent adjustable legs so I can control horizontal and vertical position and as stated above bring it to the side around 30 degrees more or less to cause a shadow in the lettering. This way there is no damage to the stone and you get the highest contrast. I always leave the site the way I found it.

I like the sound of this solution. Would you mind posting a pic of your mirror setup?

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Apr 15, 2018 15:15:02   #
boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander
 
If the engraving is difficult to see with your eyes the camera won't "see " it either.

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Apr 15, 2018 19:01:29   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
boberic wrote:
If the engraving is difficult to see with your eyes the camera won't "see " it either.


I have found that increasing the contrast helps to see the words.

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Apr 18, 2018 12:43:20   #
davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel
 
jerryc41 wrote:
A graveyard at night? Are you crazy?


Jerry, he IS a photographer, and that eliminates sanity, don't you think? Besides, he presents a very good idea.

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Apr 27, 2018 10:21:28   #
DHooch
 
I feel for those trying to photograph headstones. I have been doing that with my family cemetery in West Virginia, with little success. The headstones are from the 1880s and many are just flat stones, set on their edges, with the inscriptions scratched on them. Even www.findagrave.com and the county courthouse have no information on them. I can, faintly, see writing, but, have not been able to photograph them, successfully, in order to read them. I tried a rubbing with chalk on paper, with no success. Someday, I will try other photographic techniques. The cemetery is about 300 miles from my home, so it is difficult to go there often.

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Apr 28, 2018 10:54:00   #
BrettOssman Loc: near Tampa, Florida
 
fuminous wrote:
There are some good suggestions but, you may find your best assistance in Photoshop using channels, LAB or, in Lightroom, converting to black & white and playing with the luminance sliders. You'd be surprised at the amount of information within the image but recognizable/useable only at specific wave lengths.


I, also, have had some success converting to black and white, increasing clarity and contrast. Of course there's a limit, as you may risk it becoming "fake" looking, if that matters.

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Jun 2, 2018 12:57:21   #
CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida
 
I would try one side light and use Photoshop on the photo and if that didn't give me what I wanted I'd set up on a tripod and then do multiple exposures with the side light coming from three directions (left, right and above) then merge the shots.

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Jun 3, 2018 07:07:51   #
Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)
 
Haydon wrote:
I'm not so sure even temporarily performing this would be considered acceptable behavior. Some might see it as defacing and disrespectful.

Others might see it for what it is ... an attempt to photograph a headstone and no disrespect intended. Recognizing that you do have a point, I would take my shots when no one was around. Sometimes you gott'a do what you gott'a do.
I've used talcum powder and wiped it away when I was finished but the times I've used it were not as challanging as this one appears to be. To use talc, just powdwer up the area that you're interested in and then wipe away the surface, leaving the powder in the cut out letters.

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