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Of course the first thing you need to do is find out the cemetery in which your ancestor is buried.  We will assume you have already completed that portion of the cemetery research task.

Don’t expect to rush off to the cemetery and walk around quickly to find the actual grave site.  Many times it is much more difficult than that and you may spend hours wondering back and forth, at some point forgetting what rows you covered and which ones you didn’t (we have done this in our excitement!)

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First off make sure you are dressed casually and for the weather.  Go in the early spring if possible, and if not try the fall.  You need to get there when there are no overgrown weeds, grasses and bushes.  This is especially important to avoid chiggers, ticks and snakes!  It is always possible to trip at cemeteries and literally fall on the ground.  There are usually many uneven areas and perhaps some sunken graves, let alone the gravestone you didn’t see.

We do not recommend you go alone to any cemeteries.  There usually is no one in authority like a policeman or caretaker actually watching over the area, so you will be alone usually.  While visiting one cemetery in hills of Kentucky we got a scare as a car load of drunken teenagers decided to stop right in view of us and get out acting rowdy, relieving themselves and yelling at each other.  We tried to act like we didn’t see them but had several nervous minutes until they left.  We live in Pennsylvania and actually got a permit, after that, to carry a gun, if necessary.  It never hurts to have something to feel like you are protected, especially in today’s strange society.  Gun packin genealogists?

If available, visit the cemetery caretaker’s office to get any maps and other information (history) of the cemetery.  We found this to be of great help in finding graves quickly, especially in the very large cemeteries.  Also, ask their permission if you are doing gravestone rubbings.  A map will speed up your day and make it a lot less stressful.  It is not unusual to visit a cemetery of which you know your ancestor is buried there (according to some record) and never find the grave.  This has happened to us more than once, after driving for two hours to get there.

Cemetery research and grave hunting are two of the adventures that any genealogist will eventually get involved in.  Most of us feel closeness to cemeteries more so than most people.  So don’t be afraid to get out there and do some research.

The absolute best book so far on cemetery research is

Continuing our discussion about photographing cemeteries and gravestones for genealogy research, we can make a list of items you should bring.  By following these lists you should have everything you will need to successfully photograph a cemetery for genealogy research.

For your own comfort you may need a water bottle, mosquito repellant, suntan lotion, gloves, hat, good shoes and socks, a GPS and a note tablet and pencil.  For your own safety you will need a cell phone, flashlight and maybe some maps.  Cemeteries are not always the safest place, so be careful.  Once when we were in Kentucky doing cemetery research, we were in a very secluded, yet gorgeous, cemetery and we nearly had an encounter with a group of drunken local teens.  But this very rarely ever happens, as most people have an unwritten respect for cemeteries.

You will need some items to potentially clean gravestones.  Bring along a spray bottle full of water, rags for wiping dirt off of stones and a soft toothbrush for detailed cleaning.  Do not use any wire brushes, sealants or harsh detergents!

You will want to be careful when cleaning gravestones for genealogy research, as many of them are easily damaged.  Over the years a gravestone will accumulate a build up of lichens, fungus, mold and dirt.  If a gravestone was made of limestone or sandstone, as most early ones were, because they were easy to carve, it will not be very hard.  Marble is also soft but not as soft as limestone or sandstone.  Granite is a more modern choice for cemetery stones and it is the hardest of the stones used for cemeteries.  With granite you can be a little more vigorous in your cleaning technique.

Always keep in mind that if you are cleaning some other family’s gravestone for genealogy research that you must respect it.  To be on the safe side it is best to ask permission, of the cemetery keepers, to do cleaning if you will be doing several of them on you genealogy research adventure.

There are several things you will not want to forget for your camera when doing cemetery genealogy photography.  Make sure you have that extra set of batteries, a strap for your camera (that you will want to actually use), extra card for your digital camera and a very soft cleaning cloth like a man’s hankie or eyeglass cloth.

As well as all of the supplies you may need to do cemetery genealogy research and photography, you should be in good enough shape to take a lot of bending and squatting.  Fall or spring is a good time for a cemetery adventure as it is cooler out and not as humid.

Cemetery photography for genealogy research can be really fun for those of us into family history research.  Most cemeteries are peaceful, historic and picturesque in their own way as well as full of genealogy information.

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.