Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

[Nathaniel]

The St.Asaph Cathedral,built around 1200,is the smallest cathedral in UK. Recently renovation work as started to build new toilets,meeting rooms,possibly a cafe and so on. In the course of digging,the workmen have found the graves of two Bishops from the 16th & 18th centuries.(don't know what else will be discovered in time to come). I have been requested to take some photos of the headstones- with the coat of arms, plus the inscription. The coat of arms is not difficult and they can be seen very well but the inscriptions are rather faded and very weak. They have also been carved into a black metal sort of stone. As the inscriptions are the most important as it tells you who the Bishops are and when they died etc etc, I am wondering how I can get the lettering to stand out. I thought of sprinkling white chalk dust into the lettering or what remains of it so that one can read what is written. It must be borned in mind that whatever is sprinkled etc should be washed off after the photos have been taken as the originality of the inscriptions should not be changed.

This is a first for me and any help and advice from the more experienced and expert members will be much appreciated.

Many thanks

Nat

[Tigger]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

what about just water Nat ? I don't know if that would make the grain of the stone and writing stand out

[CountDavid]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Nat - without seeing your problem in situ it is difficult to advise- but I would consider using a flash set low and across the face of the inscription - i.e 90 degrees to the camera, so as to cast a low shadow. Hope that makes sense.
Hope it all works out well for you

David

[Columbarius]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Nat,

I would personally err on the side of caution & take advice from the local Archaeology Society or the County Archaeologist.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Thanks Ian,David and Russell for getting back so quickly. Yes, I can always use water and flash and see if the inscriptions stand out.Thats no problem. Russell, I am wondering why we have to contact the Archaeologists as the coat of arms (the headstone) and the flat bedded inscribed plinth have already been removed from the grave and brought into the Cathedral where they are lying in a corridor,out of harms way.

I might also mention that at the moment we do not want any media publicity as this is at the moment "work in progress". My instructions are to take the photos and give them to the Dean & Chapter.

[Tigger]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

I am wondering why we have to contact the Archaeologists as the coat of arms (the headstone) and the flat bedded inscribed plinth have already been removed from the grave and brought into the Cathedral where they are lying in a corridor,out of harms way.

to ask them how best to take the photo - after all they are probably well used to doing it ...just a guess

[Columbarius]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

to ask them how best to take the photo - after all they are probably well used to doing it ...just a guess

Exactly that!

[AlexR!]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Nat, I've never done anything like that, but my thought would be to avoid sprinkling stuff into the letters as you will be having to choose where to sprinkle, and therefore what you end up taking will be your interpretation of the engraving, and not necessarily the exact letters used. Much better, I think, to just try to use some gentle oblique lighting to ensure the texture is visible, that way it will be a truer record.

[Woolley]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

And shoot RAW for maximum adjustment afterwards. You'll be surprised what a change of contrast and levels will bring out.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Thanks Ian,Russell and Alex. The lettering on one of the stones is very faint, almost obliterated. That is a problem. I will be taking few more "looks" at this before deciding on the best way to proceed.
Yes, I must shoot in RAW as well. Thanks Woolley.

[kashmir]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Hi Nat,

I'm a member of a Family History Society who photograph gravestones for fun!!! One technique is the use of Shaving foam, can shaken up, sprayed over the lettering and then the surface scraped off (edited - should say gently brushed off) to leave the foam in the letters. Not 100% sure how safe that is on old stones. Other methods include rubbing with chalk, or running a pencil in the text. Spraying the surface with water.

However long shot, and it may be more trouble than help, in November last year (2014) a student from Glasgow School of Art ran a day course in the art of 'Digital Photography Techniques for Imaging Gravestones'. "Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI – don’t be put off by the long name…) uses standard camera equipment, with very slight and inexpensive modifications, and free software to produce astonishing images." Unfortunately I didn't attend this so don't know anymore, but the Student was Clara Molina.

So you could contact Glasgow School of Art to see if she is still a student, or can give you contact details, and maybe she can give you some advice. Sorry don't have contact details, but should be able to find them online somewhere.

Hope this is of some use.
John

[Nathaniel]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Thanks John for your help. Will try to contact her.

[John Liddle]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Nat -whatever else you do, DO NOT USE SHAVING FOAM.

It leaves residues which can damage the stone.

Oblique lighting (sheet of white card to reflect the sun across the stone if you are outside, or a nice bright multiple-LED lead lamp as used to work under a car if indoors) is one of the best methods.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Photographing ancient graves! Advice please

Thanks John. Presently reading up on imaging techniques via the internet; it looks like water is being mentioned very often. Actually, I can try various methods-water,chalk dust ( which can be hoovered out easily),flash etc etc without damaging the stone work. Looks to be a terrific challenge to me. The items are all presently inside the Cathedral kept in one of the corridors,out of harms way.