I like the history of the old cemeteries. That's why I take my camera and respectfully enter old cemeteries in the city or nearly forgotten cemeteries in rural areas where the church itself might be just a rural ruin now.

It's a shame to see graves which have been moved. It still seems disrespectful, even all these years later. I like to photograph the old headstones and admire the engraving/ carving/ sculpture.

People like to explore cemeteries and graveyards for assorted reasons. Some are urban explorers, some are genealogists researching family histories and some want to discover more about local history.

Myself, I'm an urban explorer in rural Ontario. I often see small cemeteries or just a few plots leftover on a farm. It would be nice to have them remembered, those people who became our history.

How and What to Photograph in a Cemetery

Each headstone that you photograph should be done from a few different angles, try to get the shadows as highlights on the letters and engraving/ sculpture. A stone which you can read at the time will be harder to read in the photograph when you are back home. Give yourself every chance at getting a good, clear photo. Take more than one photo from up close and farther back.

Morning light is often the best light for cemetery photos. In older cemeteries it was traditional to bury people facing east. There are always exceptions to this rule. If you can return to the location a few times, experiment and find the best time of day and the best weather (cloudy, sunny, rainy) to work for the stone you want to photograph.

Bring aluminum foil (or a large sheet of white bristol board/ paper) to add illumination to the stones. Set it at the foot/ base and move it around to catch and reflect the light onto the headstone. White bristol board will give a glow to the stone rather than a shiny reflection.

Bring water in a spray bottle. Wet the stone and let it dry a little. Water will remain in the crevices but dry from the flat areas. This will add some texture and make the stone easier to read in your photograph. Take photos before you wet the stone so it can be seen as it is (unless you really only want to read it).

When taking a photo of an individual stone - fill the screen with it as much as possible. Turn the camera so you are taking a tall rectangle rather than the squat square standard photo. (If you've never done this before you should read more about basic photography). Tilt the camera for the stones which have settled on an angle, few of the old headstones are perfectly in place.

Some headstones will be flat on the ground. Avoid getting your shadow caught in the photograph. Take the photo from an angle, try moving to the side or take the photo standing at the top of the stone instead of the base. Whatever works to keep your view of the stone clear from your own shadow.

Bring a gentle brush to remove dirt from the stone. Don't do anything that will harm the stone. Avoid chemicals and cleaners which will cause the stone to become more porous (shaving cream has been used to clean the stones but it also weakens them which causes them to deteriorate sooner).

Carefully pull weeds from around the stone. A stone already on the ground could be fragile and crumbly where the weeds have been making inroads. It's great to see more of the stone and give it a break from the crowding weeds but it would be a shame to have a chunk of it fall apart once the weeds are no longer supporting it/ keeping it in place.

Haunted Victoria Canada Graveyards: Ghosts at Old Burying Ground, Ross Bay Cemetery, Pioneer Square

Provincial Resources

• Western Canada Cemetery Association
• StonePics: Newfoundland Cemeteries

For Canadian Cemetery Explorers

• CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project (Canadian Cemetery Directory)
• Flickr: Cemeteries of Ontario (COO)
• Flickr: Canadian Cemeteries

Other Resources

• Pinterest - Cemeteries fascinate me.
• Cemetery Photography | Photography.ca
• Juliet's Lace.: My guide to graveyard photography.
• Achingly Beautiful Cemetery Sculptures (20 photos) - My Modern Metropolis
• The Stories Behind The Stones; Cemetery Photography | Fuel Your Photography
• The Association for Gravestone Studies
• Genealogy.com: Tips for Photographing Gravestones
• Recording Cemeteries with Digital Photography | Interment.net
• How to Photograph a Cemetery
• 11 Tips for Taking Pictures in a Cemetery | StoneAngels
• The Hobby of Graving
• 40 Hauntingly Beautiful Photographs of Graves Taken In Graveyards and Cemeteries

(http://www.flickr.com/groups/stoneflowers/)

I take photos of flowers carved in rock/ stone. Stone flowers are found on old buildings, cemeteries and other likely places. They have an aged, weathered beauty. Flowers are one of the things I especially look for when I explore old buildings.

I especially like flowers carved or sculpted from stone. It must be because I really like rock, history and flowers. So a combination of those things is pretty appealing.

Have you taken photos of stone flowers? Where did you find them?

Consider this a great time to test drive your digital camera's black and white feature. Stone sculptures tend to look great photographed with black and white film. In the age of digital cameras you can take the photo without changing film (as digital cameras don't use film). Just change the settings on your camera before you take the photo. Or, when you are looking at your photos, try giving the photo the black and white look using a photo editor.

Stone Flowers Sculpture

• Flickr: Stone Flowers
• Flickr: Flower Sculptures

Is it Carving or Sculpting?

Should you wonder, carving is the method of sculpting. Sculpture covers more than carving. However, carving is all about shaping the stone (or other material used) by removing chunks of it according to a plan. For most of history the stone carvers tools were a hammer and chisel.

Modern stone carving uses heat and lasers to shape and cut the rock. This probably saves a lot of fingers and hands when it comes to stone carving.

How to Carve Stone

• Stone Carving: How to Carve Sandstone
• Types of Stone Carving Tools
• Stone Shapers 'How To' Page
• The Stone Sculptor, Stone Sculpting Tips for Beginners

Start as Pumpkin Carver

If you really want to be a stone carver start with a pumpkin. See how the planning goes, start using the tools and then practice the skills you need. A pumpkin will be softer than stone but also a lot more forgiving and easier on your hands. Plus, a pumpkin can be put out in the garden to be composted but any mistakes you make in stone are... well, made in stone. Stone is pretty permanent.

I'm at the level of pumpkin carver myself. As much as I admire and love to photograph the flowers carved in rock, I don't see myself trying to learn that art. I'd rather stick to photography, illustrating, writing and sewing sort of stuff.

Stone Flowers I Have Found