General Rules of Respect

Get permission and follow any rules laid down by the property owners. Cemeteries, temples, ruins, etc., are most likely owned and managed by some entity, whether it is a church, local government, historical society, etc.  Be sure they are okay with you visiting and doing photography there.

Get a permit if required.

Do not walk on graves.

Do not touch headstones or other artifacts.

Do not move anything; flowers, mementos, etc.

Unless it is part of a specific assignment or for journalistic use, avoid photographing any graves less than a century old. I base this on my pastime of genealogical research, most research websites use this guideline for rthe elease of information for public use.

Obscure the names on headstones when possible, especially if more recent. Ideally, this is done in camera, but can also be done in post-processing.

Do not photograph other visitors.

Do not photograph during a funeral or when someone is paying their respects, etc.  

If visiting a site that is specific to a particular faith, check the calendar for any holidays or prohibitions before you visit.

Some sites are very sensitive to visitors, due to age and condition. Bring as little gear as possible, and avoid anything that may disturb the site (heavy and/or hot lighting, dragging large light stands across the ground, using tomb markers or other artifacts to support your gear, etc.).

cemeteries headstones

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