Can I make it work

[chauncey]

I pass this cemetery, circa 1800's, on a regular basis and have tried to figure out how to shoot it,
or even if it's worth the effort...could it be a silk purse if I would do something different?

[Ziggy]

I think the colors of fall would add to the scene.

[Shadowman]

There are so many ways to photograph a cemetery, it depends on how you want the output to look, time of day when you captured the shot, and how willing you are to put yourself into the scene.

One quick suggestion would be to change your angle of view, shoot from a lower or higher angle. You don't necessarily have to lie down, I've seen tripods that allow the legs to be spread so that the camera is mounted at a low angle.

I mentioned time of day because you can try to use flash to make daylight appear to be captured in darkness. If shot during the day, you could emphasize lights and shadows.

Another concept worth exploring is in the post-processing, a graphic pen treatment could give you a nice monochrome sketch look.

With this particular image I would probably crop most of the foreground and emphasize the headstones and the background trees, perhaps dodge and burn some edges on the trees.

Well worth pursuing future shoots and working with this particular capture.

[IzzieK]

Well said and advised, John...I would've said -- go closer unless you are scared one of those hands will reach out from the ground and grab you!

[Manfred M]

Good advice so far; you are too far away to get a compelling image. This gives us a very good overall view, but it's not particularly interesting shot this way.

My first impulse would be to go super-wide angle from tombstone level, focusing on one and then letting the others add to the background. Alternatively, same idea, but with a long lens to give you a very flat view of the tombstones. Interesting lighting and leaf colours would add to the effect.

[chauncey]

I did ignore the tenant of "get closer"...maybe some light painting at night...

[Dave Humphries]

I think monochrome is needed here William, because, for me, the pastel colours, even though 2 stops under exposed and desaturated, just don't illicit the right feeling - they appear too 'happy'.

[Mike Buckley]

I did ignore the tenant of "get closer"

And rightfully so. I like the composition a lot except that I would crop considerably at the bottom. The exposure doesn't work for me but I assume you made it that way intentionally. Most important, this scene is so nice that it would be well worth the time to return during different qualities of light, various seasons and the like.

[JBW]

Chauncey, When I was a pastor in an Indian village I spent a lot of time in a the graveyard. Old graveyards are areas of powerful emotions. I don't see those emotions in your shot. perhaps if you were to wait for the sun or moon to cast shadows? Or if you were to focus on the falling over stones? The fenced area in the background? Possibly there are family plots?

[chauncey]

Not sure why I wanted the shot...it sure isn't something I would hang in my LR.

Like I said, I drive past it often...got there about 6:30 PM, walked around and waited.
Finally around nine, I took the shots...didn't work out well for whatever reason.
Maybe the emotion never grabbed me...don't know. I will try again though...thanks for help.

[Wandjina]

I would try and find an angle where I could isolate those two angled tombstones that are currently in the centre front of your photo. Get in close and low, so that you are looking up against a dark background of the trees. I agree with Dave, convert it to monochrome.

[MrB]

I agree with Dave, but perhaps a mono conversion with closer framing/cropping, particularly to reduce the foreground and to make the headstones fill the width.



Cheers.
Philip