Why a Cemetery is the PERFECT photography location

It may sound strange, but a Cemetery or Churchyard is the perfect location to shoot some amazing photographs.
Come with me to the Rosary Cemetery in Norwich to see how a photographer can really hone their composition skill in these wonderful places. They're not full of ghosts and ghoulies, they're full of Dead Good Photo opportunities.
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[@a.beckwith4576]

Thanks Andrew for showing in real time your thought process and the time it takes you to get it “right “.

[@Sidchasingclassiccars]

I agree, old graveyards can supply an abundance of material. 👍

[@AndyBanner]

Absolutely

[@leeny1871]

The older cemeteries are incredibly peaceful. It's like another world. Even though the majority of them are on main roads and surrounded by traffic it all seems to fade away and there is just tranquility. I really enjoy taking photographs in cemeteries. My friends think I'm weird 😆

[@AndyBanner]

We're all weird in some way.... :-)

[@peterreber7671]

The disintegrating, damaged, dilapidated, neglected things, have a charm of its own.

[@AndyBanner]

Yes, indeed. I love shooting decay. Rusty things rotten wooden doors, tumbledown buildings abandoned cars..... let me at them I would love urban exploring but fear getting collared!

[@andymiles5156]

Some lovely images there Andy. I’m not religious, but graveyards, churches and cathedrals are my sanctuary from people. I’m just over an hour from Norwich, I’ve visited many of the churches, but I haven’t visited the graveyards there. You have inspired me to do so, thanks.

[@AndyBanner]

Andy, take yourself to The Rosary Cemetery. It's just up the hill from the railway station just off Rosary Road. There's time-limited parking on the roads adjacent or the multi-stories at Riverside or in town. Only a 15 minute walk max from the car parks.

[@andymiles5156]

Perfect, thank you for that!

[@wongkenneth4005]

Your cemetery images remind me the brevity of life, what remains is the tomb of photography subject.

[@jimrobertson2693]

Great video Andrew. I also like photographing in old cemeteries. Would be a bit of good luck to find one like this.

[@AndyBanner]

Old Church yards are always worth visiting as an alternative.

[@uncle0eric]

I remember a friend of mine describing one cemetery as 'the best park in the city, if you don't mind all the rocks.'

[@AndyBanner]

Haha. Yes, I can see that. Very ascetic places, well, the old ones anyway. The modern ones are anything but with manicured lawns, rows of headstones and little that's astetically pleasing. Except military cemeteries of course but very different opportunities in those.

[@robertfalcon6648]

During The Plague we went to the local church & we still go there , if you take a close view there are a lot of shots to be had.

[@AndyBanner]

Churches are brimming with images

[@ianclay3040]

Hi Andrew. Just come across your channel. Excellent content and love how you embrace living in a village with not much going on. This video has inspired me to explore my local village in Derbyshire (not the pretty part of Derbyshire) and look at the church, graveyard and see my village in a different way. Many thanks and keep creating.

[@AndyBanner]

Thanks, Ian. This particular grave yard is right in Norwich City Centre but Norfolk has 639 medieval churches with lots of ancient graves too. I really enjoy photography in church yards and the more unkempt the better. As for village living, I don't think I could cope with a city any more! Cheers

[@dennispenton2052]

Enjoying your creativity. Keep inspiring us.

[@AndyBanner]

Thank you, I will

[@PhilT993]

WOW, what a fantastic, overgrown cemetery! Such character!! I would LOVE to find such a location for my infrared photography. I find the infrared images add such an eerie look, perfect for the character of cemetery photographs. Thanks for sharing.

[@AndyBanner]

There's lots of similar places around me in Norfolk. Obviously, I don't know where you live, Phil. If you're UK based, this one is in Norwich. London has some ancient cemeteries such as Nunhead or Highgate. Medieval churchyards are good too.

[@PhilT993]

@@AndyBanner Thanks Andy. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, but I am originally from Northern Ireland. All the cemeteries around here are too well kept up for what I am looking for. I think you would find IR photography interesting with what you like to shoot. It is all a matter of taste, of course. The KZbin video that got me interested in IR was entitled "The Easy Guide to Infrared Photography" on the KZbin channel "e6 I Craig Roberts". Check it out and see what you think. I love his cemetery images. Cheers, Phil

[@AndyBanner]

Thanks, Phil. I will take a look. I would like an IR converted camera but funds and available bodies just don't permit this currently.

[@luzr6613]

That was a good romp. Ab Fab to have such a dilapidated site on hand - i'm envious. I was shooting a cemetery last month and, with one exception, every image demanded full, bright colour. It was the strangest place in many ways - filled with bling and tack and artifacts referencing some particular aspect of the life of the deceased. It was a cluttered place, with a wild variety of seats scattered amongst the ornamented plots. Chaotic... but authentic. So how do you respond when faced with chaos like that - when the chaos, like some Eastern market, is the defining value in the scene, and stripping that chaos away would be to destroy the most important thing: that any subject, and its broad context, for all the messiness, cannot be separated while maintaining the integrity of the place? It's where there can arise this conflict between asserting some sort of arbitrary aesthetic value vs 'documenting' with an honest depiction. Or something like that.... Anyway - great vid, loved the pics, and still feel envious. Cheers.

[@VictorReynolds]

There are many old cemeteries, especially Revolutionary War ones, in my area. I’ve visited some and found great subject matter!

[@AndyBanner]

They are a photographer's playground in fairness. Not for everyone, though

[@mikesphotography7185]

For me 8.11 is a very atmospheric and moody image, nice one Andrew. I may do one on the wildlife in a cemetery soon.👍

[@AndyBanner]

Last time I was at Rosary Cemetery, Mike, there was a white cat loitering... As you know, much wildlife in these places, it would probably be a worthwhile exercise for you. Cheers, Mike

[@toine1915]

Hi Andrew. In these places, in cemeteries, you can find very beautiful compositions. Whatever you make, there is always a story in it, even if the year is just the memory of the person who is buried there. The first photo is very nice next to that ivy is very well seen, buddy. If you look at the stones you can almost immediately see the origin of the person who is buried there. At that time, wealthy people spent quite a bit of money on a tombstone. Not only did the person have to look good when alive, but also when that person died, one had to show that he was of good origin. What I like about those older tombstones is the patina that comes on them. That structure alone is worth taking a picture of it. And you're absolutely right about the possibilities in such an old cemetery. We also have one in our city that meets these conditions. And when I'm there then I get, strange as it may sound, a very soothing feeling over me. I don't know where this comes from but it's just there. You've got some nice photos there, buddy. I also went back to black and white. When I work in color everything is different, there is no line at all which is the case with black and white. I'm also experimenting a bit with the square format. Just to see what is possible with it. They used to have the 120 film and the square format. It was good then so why not now? Now that I'm working in black and white again, I'm getting better and better. I get my photos in Lightroom with the camera setting, so also the RAW photos in black and white. And then I'll get on with it. I also put the linear camera profiles of my cameras in Lightroom and ACR. If I use this profile with my Olympus OM10 III, I get much more out of it than without this profile. I use it regularly now and I quite like it. Thanks again for this video, buddy, you do me a great favor every time. Take care of yourself and Nicky. Regards, Antoine.

[@AndyBanner]

Thanks, Antoine. I hope you're well. It's been a while since I put a video out - life got in the way sadly. This footage is about a month old and most of the video has been done for weeks, I just ended up doing other things and had no time to finish it. I don't like missing weekly videos. I know what you mean about cemeteries. This place in Norwich is amazing. It's large and plays host to many wealthy and notable local people as well as many "normal" people who were involved in notable things such as the massive train crash in the city in 1874 - link en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorpe_rail_accident - this wikipedia entry actually shows the graves in this cemetery. Have you tried DXO Nik Collection? There's a program in there called SilverEfx Pro. It's stunningly good at editing mono images. A number of the photos in this video were processed using it. Stay safe buddy. Andy

[@toine1915]

@@AndyBanner I know SilverEfx. But it is soo expensive. Take care, my dear friend.

[@Arripa-777]

I enjoyed this video ! I also take photos in cemeteries. The older the tombs, the better ! Thank you 👍

[@AndyBanner]

Cool, thanks. They're great places

[@colleenbailey5131]

Andrew, I loved this video. A couple of years ago my camera club had cemeteries as a theme. I wish this video had been out then. I would have taken a different tact. I will have to try again. I hope you are well. Colleen

[@AndyBanner]

Thanks, Colleen. I have let life get to me a bit over the last month, hence no videos. Hope I can get my weekly vids out again now.

[@simonpayne7994]

Some very nice opportunities and some very nice results. The main difficulty seemed to be reducing the business of the scenery. Cemeteries are wonderful if they are old and overgrown. Modern ones are pretty boring.

[@AndyBanner]

Isolation and simplification is needed in most of these places and yes, you wouldn't find me dead in a new cemetery....

[@richardeaton4882]

I’ve been drawn to photograph old cemeteries in the past but never got it right. Your idea of bringing in the foreground to say more about the place is most helpful. Thanks so much.

[@AndyBanner]

Thanks for your comment. I am pleased the video has given you some ideas.

[@dilinocasteneda3207]

thank you for sharing your insight on the thought process of what you see and feel just being in the presence of a cemetary. again thank you for sharing your side of things not alot of people can. it shows the passion that thrives within you. are you from that area? I would really like to join you sometime at some of those cemeteries to take photos if your willing.

[@AndyBanner]

I live on the Norfolk Coast. The Rosary Cemetery is about an hour from me. Are you in Norfolk?

[@gemini2261]

I was at a pioneer bush grave yard last week & didn’t take 1 photo of the graves! I am going to have to go back now with this inspiration. I will enter a shot in club comp & let you know how it goes 👌🏾

[@AndyBanner]

Wonderful. Please do tell me how you get on.

[@tracyallan-sherriff9132]

Hi from NZ, a year after your posted this. Your photos are amazing, but I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you about your 'horrible' photo around the 12m 13s mark. I absolutely love this photo - the colours, the chaos of the overgrown plants, the loneliness... I think it's stunning.

[@AndyBanner]

Thank you.

[@peterkennington1043]

Nice gritty video Andy and I also agree that graveyards make great subjects. I sometimes visit the one at the end of our village but it is rather well tended albeit quite old. I have used it for night photography but it can be a bit spooky.

[@AndyBanner]

They are just perfect places to practice and get some really good images too.

[@BrianChristopherPhotography]

Your images are hauntingly beautiful ! For whatever reason, I've always felt at peace while walking in a cemetary and photograph them regularly. Our cemetaries here in the Midwest US are not very photogenic though and often too well kept if that makes sense.

[@AndyBanner]

So kind. Thank you. Yes, a tidy cemetery isn't very appealing unless it's a military one and that's a different thing altogether....