Cemetery Pictures

[thosewhotell]

I managed to get a short amount of time at the weekend to take a brisk stroll around a cemetery near to me.

I have included a couple of shots below. There are a few more on my blog... I know you guys don't generally link to external pages, so no offence if you don't, but in case you are interested:

postcardsfrom1971: Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea

Feedback is more than welcome of course. Thanks for looking

 

[Rick58]

I don't know. There just isn't much to say. They aren't very interesting to me. Sorry.

 

[thosewhotell]

I don't know. There just isn't much to say. They aren't very interesting to me. Sorry.

No apology necessary. Thanks for taking the time look, and to respond.

 

[KenC]

The one with the arch is interesting, but I'd crop much closer to the arch because everything outside it is just a distraction, at least IMO. What can be seen through the arch looks like it may be a bit overexposed.

 

[Rick58]

The one with the arch is interesting, but I'd crop much closer to the arch because everything outside it is just a distraction, at least IMO. What can be seen through the arch looks like it may be a bit overexposed.

I stopped at the arch also, but without a point of interest inside the arch, it just didn't work for me.

 

[amolitor]

I almost like the first one. An angle that clarified that the leaning stone is a cross would have improved this, I think. It took me, I think, too long to work out what I was looking at -- a broken monument, with the broken-off cross leaned carefully up against the base. This is a great subject, the combination of decay and care is poignant and interesting.

The second one is basically nothing. It looks like you were going for a contrast between the bush/planting/whatever and the chapel behind? There are some interesting shared elements here, and echoed shapes like that is good. There's nothing else going on here, though, so it's ultimately not very interesting.

The third one has, I think, real potential. The idea of a passage to elsewhere is a good one for a cemetery shoot, surely! If it were mine, I might fool around with subtly darkening the area outside the arch, and lightening the area visually inside it, to emphasize and clarify the idea of "passage through, and to, somewhere else". Nothing too heavy handed, if it's obviously manipulated I think you ruin it, but pushing gently on it to bring out that idea might improve it a fair bit. Maybe even slightly blur the area visually inside the arch, to clarify the "elsewhere" idea?

 

[Notsogood]

I thought I was the only person who liked to shoot cemeteries. I like the first one, but I am no expert by any means.

 

[FanBoy]

I thought I was the only person who liked to shoot cemeteries. I like the first one, but I am no expert by any means.

Not So. Some cemeteries offer great photo opportunities with their architecture and landscaping.

 

[thosewhotell]

thanks to all for your feedback. I agree that the arch could do with some interest inside it, and also agree 100% that is it overexposed in the middle. For me, it is just an interesting headstone, nothing more, but will try to take on board some of the constructive comments.

 

[OregonT3i]

I liked the first one as well. I found it to be an interesting photo.

 

[manaheim]

Cemeteries are tough. I love them and I spend a good amount of time roaming around them, but getting good pictures from them is extremely challenging. Of all the years I've been doing it, I've personally captured THREE that I like, and I've seen a max totaly of maybe 4 outside of those.

To be honest, I can't even much tell you what works and what doesn't. I think that, overall, they are beautiful places that just don't photograph well at all. Look for moods and emotions where you can. Decay is obviously a possibility here and there (as in your shot of the fallen stone), but you still have to compose it well and it has to be interesting enough to stand on its own... or shown in a way where the other elements are brought in in a way that works.