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Finding and Exploring Canadian Cemeteries

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.

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

Provincial Resources

For Canadian Cemetery Explorers

Other Resources