Cemeteries series (crit, please)

[Max von MeiselMaus]

I have been plugging away at still life for the last few years, as I taught myself how to handle a camera. I recently decided that it was time I kicked myself out of my comfort zone and challenged myself with something new. So, I have set myself the task of spending a day in each of London's Magnificent Seven Victorian cemeteries. As being outdoors with a camera is so different to what I had been doing before, I didn't set myself many, concrete goals. It would just be enough to come back with a workable picture. However, I did have in mind to focus on composition, with a view to producing strong enough shapes to make some decent B&W images. As it happens, I got seduced by the colours and, whilst I did do some desats, I prefer the colour versions and so am posting those.

Technically, the things I noticed are that the low light on the two overcast days of my visits meant pretty high ISOs. There is therefore a lot of noise and not a little blur. Not that noticeable at this scale, but it is there. Also, the glaring, white sky on the day of the Kensal Green visit was a right, royal pain. I tried to keep it out of shot as much as I could, but didn't manage that all the time. It also showed me an aspect of my Sigma 18-50mm that I hadn't noticed before; HORRIBLE chromatic aberration.

So, I have done two of the seven and need a new set of goals for the next visit, which I am hoping will be in the next few weeks, weather permitting. I now have a Fujifilm X-E1 with the 16-50mm kit lens, which is replacing my Canon 60D for outdoor shooting. I am tempted to take a tripod, but am concerned that it will hamper my flexibility and speed.

So, any crit on what I have so far would be invaluable. Hard as you like. Any ideas for a new set of goals would also be of great use.

Thanks in advance.

Highgate Cemetery









Kensal Green







ETA Brompton Cemetery is in Post #21.

[Shadowman]

Very eerie captures.

[Mike Buckley]

Each image is wonderful in its own way. Very well done!

When you return, simply look for more and more opportunities and you'll be fine.

[swarfy]

love the first pic ,wish I was nearer

[bnnrcn]

All very nice.

[flashback]

If this is out of your comfort zone then I'd hate to see what you produce IN your comfort zone. I think all of these images are great. The only other comments I would offer are: in #3 I think the image would have been 'complete' had you gotten the top of the pediment on the left, giving you a series of 4 full pediments; in the last image, to have included the bottom left hand corner of the doorway. Both are minor things and in no way detract from these great images.

[chauncey]

it will hamper my flexibility and speed.

Max, it's a cemetery...don't understand the need for speed. As you know tripod would allow lower ISO.
Even without the self imposed limitations into consideration, those images are quite good.

[Manfred M]

Max this is a fine series of images and frankly we would have to get into some really significant nit-picking to find fault in any of them. You seem to have taken these shots on a gray and somber day, and that somehow seems fitting, given the subject matter.

In general, I find that this lighting worked quite well for you; the even illumination means that you are not fighting with the highlights and shadow details; everything is nicely in range for you.

I would like to pick on two of your images; the first and the 5th one.

#1 - I find that the door to the crypt on the left is a bit overwhelming and might be affecting the balance of the image. I like the way you handled the balance in your third image and wonder if cutting off the door in a similar way might not strengthen the composition.

#5 - I find that the large piece of gray sky a bit problematic. There is just so much untextured brightness there, that pulls the viewer's eyes away from the image. You can't help the way the sky was that day. but including less of it will likely strengthen the image. Have a look at what the image does if you crop the top away to around to the tops of the trees.

(I emulated both suggestions in Lightbox, so know what these changes could look like).

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Thank you all for taking the time to comment.

Mike, I am visiting a new cemetery each time, so hopefully there will be new things to photograph. I suspect, however, that I will get to cemetery four or five and all I will be able to see is MORE tombstones, MORE mausolea and MORE statuary. Then I will need to start being really inventive. But let's see.

Mick, you are as far away from these cemeteries as I am, just on the other side of London. It is not the best time of year to visit as they close at 4pm and the golden hour starts after that. I will now wait until their summer opening hours, which start in April. Do go along. It is well worth the effort.

Jack, that is very handy indeed. I have no experience of architectural photography and no idea of what I should be looking out for. Not clipping pediments and other architectural details is a sound piece of advice. I shall keep that in mind as I shoot.

William, yes I can see how my need to move quickly in a cemetery might seem rather paradoxical! At the first cemetery, the only way to access that half of the place is via a walking tour, and you aren't allowed to leave your group. I had perhaps two minutes to take each shot before trotting after my retreating group. At the second cemetery, I wanted to hit it just before golden hour, do a scout, then spend an hour walking through and taking some shots before it shut. I believed that I would feel rushed, but gave up before it shut, when my fingernails had started to turn blue (cemeteries in January. Not a very good idea). So, yes, I could actually have used a tripod there. I will take one to the next cemetery. And a pocket hand warmer.

Manfred, those are very handy suggestions. As you can probably tell, I had a strong attachment to keeping the lintel of that doorway in the all-white-sky shot. However, it does nothing and I can see that cropping there would get rid of that awful expanse of white. I will have a go at reframing these.

Thanks again for the input. It is very much appreciated.

[Mike Buckley]

Well, now. If we're going to get into the realm of nit picking, I do agree with both of Manfred's suggestions.

[Geoff F]

Nice 'moody' scenes - looking as though they have come from the set of a horror movie!

[Manfred M]

At the first cemetery, the only way to access that half of the place is via a walking tour, and you aren't allowed to leave your group. I had perhaps two minutes to take each shot before trotting after my retreating group.

That is indeed quite challenging, but I guess they have their reasons for doing so; fear of vandals, I suspect.

I've had to take a tour to see a number of places that I wanted to photograph, so seeing and seizing the opportunity presented is really the only thing one can do; and given those circumstances, you have produced some amazing images.

What I will sometimes do when photographing in cold weather (we get enough of that around here) is to wear a set of cycling "half" gloves that expose the fingers underneath a set of heavy mittens (mittens are a lot warmer than gloves). I take off the mittens, and the cycling gloves cover around 80% of the hand, so offer some protection, and only the finger tips get cold.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Thanks Mike. Yes, good suggestions indeed.

Geoff, my tastes tend to the gothic, hence my choice of subject matter. Nothing like an empty cemetery in winter.

Manfred, yes, a challenge, and that was a big part of why I chose to do it. Being usually studio based, with inanimate objects, I am used to spending literally hours titting about with the composition and lighting. Doing this forced me to think and act fast, and that was refreshing. Not sure it has speeded up my still lives, though. And good idea on the gloves, although I feel somewhat embarrassed complaining about my discomfort at 3-4 C with the temperatures you have over there!

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Max,

Well, you clearly are a modest chap

I came to this thread, from your introduction, hoping to be able to suggest some helpful ideas, but I was immediately struck by the good compositions, exposures, colours, etc. others have already covered most ideas I could contribute.

The only thing I might ask, is that if possible (from Flickr, where they are hosted); can we have some of them a bit bigger please?

Ideally:
The landscape orientation ones could be bigger: 1200 wide by about 800 high.
The portrait/vertical ones remain as they are now: 534 wide by 800 high.

The reason for limiting height to 800px is that will fit on most viewers screens even when viewed in the LyteBox at 100%.

A great start, well done, Dave

[Mike Buckley]

If this is out of your comfort zone then I'd hate to see what you produce IN your comfort zone.

I would just like to go on record that I think that's the best comment in the thread so far. Good luck to anyone trying to top it!

[ShaneS]

Great images Max (Welcome to CiC BTW)!

I agree with Manfred's nitpicks as well but overall you should be very pleased with the set and I will look forward to what you come up with under different conditions and in the different cemeteries that you plan to visit.

[zkogut]

The first 3 images are my favorite. I think I like how creepy they are along with how well they seem to be shot. Very cool concept, well executed.

[Chri5]

I love them all Your composition and editing is inspiring. What camera and lens do you use?

[Barbara Ponder]

A fantastic set of images! I feel a little morbid being so fascinated and intrigued by them. I keep looking at them and finding new and interesting things in each.

[Max von MeiselMaus]

Thank you all very much for your encouraging comments. It was a bit of a risk for me to venture outside with a camera and, not being my area, I was finding it difficult to be objective with the outcome. Sounds like I might be doing something right, which is very encouraging. So, more to come.

I should also perhaps also set up a thread with some of my usual stuff. Very different, just as creepy.

Dave, I can't see all of a 800px height image on my monitor, so I am inclined to post things at a max of 600px height, as I can't be the only one. Is 800px height the most common choice? I will have a think on that. I like to be able to see the whole composition in one go, without scrolling. However, 600px doesn't give you much in the way of detail.

Chris, these were shot with a Canon 60D and a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC. I wouldn't recommend the lens for this. The purple fringing with the glaring white sky shots was painful. Otherwise, it is a lovely sharp lens. I visited the next cemetery in my list, Brompton, yesterday and took my new Fujifilm X-E1 with Fujinon XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6. I have looked at a couple of the shots and all are pretty soft. I am hoping that was just the shots I was looking at. I will tackle them properly today. It can take a couple of tries to get used to a new camera and lens and how to get the best out of them.

Thanks again for the input. It is very much appreciated.