I have a very precarios question: What do you think about posting pictures of graveyards, of gravestones or something else. Pictures, where you can definitely read whose last resting place it is. Well, you will understand, why I ask such a question. There are thousands of most interesting old gravestones and graves, I can't imagine a place with more best motifs to take photographs. But well, there is the problem of ethics and morals. Well, this is my question. Would you like to see such pictures, or even post yourself such shots, or do you take the view, that this is unjustifiable? Greets, Ikarius.

I take a lot of shots in cemetaries. I don't generally post anything where a name can be seen, but that's because I'm generally more interested in the statues I find. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with posting something with a name, as long as it was photographed in a public cemetary. -Taltos

Personally I don't have a problem with taking images of old (emphasis on OLD) gravestones....or posting them, even if the name is visible. But I won't/don't take images of new graves.... just doesn't feel right to me. I was once in a cemetary where I was asked by security (some very rich/famous/influential dead people are buried there) to not take photos out of respect for the families.... but all I was really doing was taking pictures of the monumental statuary.... I didn't care about who was buried underneath them and I wasn't showing the names... sigh

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com

Thanks for your replies. Fortunately you have a liberal view of life. Well, yes, you are right, there couldn't be anything wrong with taking pictures of statuettes or details of gravestones. Yesterday, when I have sent my posting, I wanted to add something: I, for my person, wouldn't like to see the grave of my relatives in this gallery or forum. So what's valid for me, should be valid for anyone else. Ok, in the next days, when spring defeats winter, I will do a sequence in a very large and known cemetery of europe. Greets, Ikarius.

May I suggest a guiding rule? Consider the time limit on copyright, which I think is currently 70 years in Europe, as a guideline for whether publishing a picture would be OK. I don't think a grave marker in a public place should be considered as a copyright issue, but that is surely long enough. Of course, if it happens to be a grave of your family, we can assume you asked.

...I don't think there is a right and wrong here -- but though I love walking thru a graveyard with a camera -- I do shy away from photographing individual names -- unless the inscriptions are so weathered they become unreadable -- I don't think of myself as superstitious - but will sometimes tap a gravestone I have been standing near as if to say " sorry for disturbing you" .... I was in a very old cemetary last summer --- beautiful day -- cicadas droaning in the trees - dragonflys darting about -- and was in seventh heaven with my camera! - thought they should charge admission - yet I was the only "alive" one there -- wonder how many others her share these feelings.

Totally agreed, unstrung65! Nothing more to say.