Know Your Camera
First off, you must know your camera and how it works, before setting off on any family genealogy research mission in which you will be taking photographs. Throughout this blog we will have recommendations on equipment or books that will help in your family genealogy research. We will not discuss operating your camera in this post, so we will assume you know how to. Read your camera manual a few times over the months, and even years after having the camera. You will forget all the little details of your camera if it has been a while since you used it.
In cemetery photography for family genealogy research you may encounter different lighting situations that will be hard to handle. You camera’s manual should tell you how to photograph in various lighting conditions. The objective of cemetery photography is primarily to get the inscriptions on the tombstones clearly in your photo. Secondly it is also nice to get pretty pictures of the cemetery overall. Some cemeteries are more photogenic than others!
What kind of camera do I need?
We highly suggest you use a digital camera in doing cemetery photography and genealogy research. Things are a whole lot easier with one. Set your camera on a fine or best setting, as this will give you a decent size image to work with but not hog up all of your camera’s memory. A camera with a zoom lens is almost mandatory. Due to lighting conditions, brush or fences, many times you have to stand back from the cemetery stone to get a picture. You will want the flexibility of a zoom lens. Although you need to use your wide angle as much as you can so that you are closer to the stone and can block out any extra light getting into your camera lens. You will also want a camera that allows you to disable the flash. A flash will generally wash out a tombstone photo and make the inscription unreadable in the final photo.
It is not a bad idea to have two cameras in case one goes out. We realize that not everyone can afford two cameras right off. Perhaps you can find a genealogy friend with a camera to accompany you. It is usually best to not be alone in cemeteries anyway. You never know when a ghost may suddenly appear! If you are alone, or not, always carry extra batteries and go to the cemetery with practice and knowledge of how your camera works…that is half the battle won.
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