Graveyard shoot

[kparlin74]

I'm an amateur who's been requested to do an album cover.
They want it done in a graveyard at night. Any suggestions, about getting access or other thoughts. I tried to email the superintendent, to no avail.

 

[EW1066]

Find an old grave yard in a small town. They aren't usually gated or fenced. No permission needed...


Vince

 

[ryan7783]

and take a friend - those places can be really creepy at night. I'm adding graveyard shoot to my list of shoots I want to do.

Good luck!

 

[asfixiate]

what kind of equipment are you using?

 

[Arch]

Most Graveyard attendants in my area only request that you do not include clearly visable names on the headstones, that is if you talk to them nicely and explain your reasons for wanting to shoot there in the first place. Some attendants will want to chuck you out without wanting to engage in any conversation, but thats just the way it goes.

 

[SBlanca]

and take a friend - those places can be really creepy at night. I'm adding graveyard shoot to my list of shoots I want to do.

Good luck!

chances are the band will be there..

im guessing for the graveyard thing it depends on your area, like where i live theres two graveyards, one is the peoples one the other one is an old navy one, the navy one even if the gate is closed anyone could get in by jumping over...im with the person who said look for one in a small town

 

[Clutch]

I'll have to agree with finding an older cemetery. They have an eerier look and feel to them. Also, if you're going to be shooting in black and white consider a red filter as that would allow you to shoot at dusk and still give the look and feel of night while leaving available light for details.

Do a little homework, an old church cemetery where there were at least one or two wealthy congregants who had vaults or monuments for their deceased. They are the atypical "old graveyard" look you may well be seeking.

If you're shooting film you may also want to consider infrared film.

 

[JerryPH]

Night shot? Day shot? Both have different lighting needs.

Wideangle? Narrow? Fisheye? All have different lens needs

Realistic? HDR? Both have different software needs.

A little more info is needed.

 

[andrew99]

Find an old grave yard in a small town. They aren't usually gated or fenced. No permission needed...


Vince

+1


Also it might be an idea to go by yourself a day before to do some tests since it sounds like you'll be shooting in tricky light. Try some with and without flash, etc. Also I think shooting at dusk or dawn will be better than at night so you can get a mix of natural and flash light. Do you have any strobes or off camera flash?

 

[Meysha]

I'd be careful about shooting at night. Remember photography is all about light.. and at night there isn't any. :-(

So dusk would be ideal... it'll look like night in the pics,,,even though there's heaps of light still.

Just go in with a clear idea of what you want to shoot... that always helps when you know what the final product is meant to be.

 

[andrew99]

I'm not sure what the budget is, but rent a generator and smoke machine if possible!

 

[Judge Sharpe]

A blue filter makes better "night shots for black and white- think of the old Black and white oaters from the old days.

Here is an idea- find a rual cematary. scout your scenes late in the day, and set up the shot you like while you still have daylight.
Once it is dark, open your shutter to "T" for a timed shot. go behind the various headstones and other items of intrest and fire your flash gun, leaving your shutter open the whole time. Take several shots to establish the amount of back lighting and bleed over you will record. You may need only a couple of flashes from differant positions, you may need more. If you need some front light use a couple of hidden candles in front if the main features. This is an old trick from the mid last century to make nighttime land scape shots. Oh and don't forget to whistle.
Good luck
Judge Sharpe:thumbup:

 

[frXnz kafka]

Album cover in a graveyard? How original.

 

[keith204]

I'll agree that this album cover shoot in the graveyard is absolutely not original at all.

Having said that... here's something I did while teaching my brother the concept of shutter speeds in the grave yard.

Set the shutter to 30 seconds. While it's open, go stand somewhere in the frame. Hold still for like 10 seconds, and jump out of the frame. You'll be transparent which is a neat effect. Maybe you could have all the band members do this, and then pose for the bright shot, where they stand in a 2nd place, and an extra person fires a strobe...makes them appear even more.

The cheesy effect would be ghosts around the band.

 

[djrichie28]

Try and get a full moon rising just over the horizon too. Creepy, but cool. A fish eye lens with that composition might be neat as well. Post it when you get it. Sounds like there are a few in here who will wanna see it.