Editing Photographs of gravemarkers for the
Gravestones Photograph Project

 

Please view many examples already online at this site to see what information had been added concerning that person. Some may be extensive and others very sparse.
Do this in precise order. Any other way will mess the result.
1. Make copy of the original.
2. Move the originals elsewhere, to ensure they are not worked on.
Go to http://www.ipiccy.com (Quick and easy to use)
3. Custom-rotate the photograph so it is read straight.
Bad alignment

Bad Alignment		 Good alignment

Good Alignment
3. Crop the photo as close as possible. Note the difference.
no crop

bad crop		 cropped

Good Crop
4. Resize the photograph to 450x pixels width or x450 pixels height whichever is greater.
5. Lighten or darken the gravemarker as needed.
too dark

Too Dark		 lightened

Good (Lightened)
6. Special: Merged Photos of two-, three-, four-sided tall monuments. When resize, be sure the height of photos are identical. Go to Photomerge (in Abode Photoshop even the preference is for multiple and separate submissions). Select the appropriate photos to holding box. Drag the photos. Move until both match top and bottom. Save as new number or new name.
Same method can be used to take photo of a very tall monument and another photo taken of the engraving area of the monument and merge them top/bottom.
Same method can be used to show front and back of a standing monument with front as top portion and back as bottom portion. The wide photos can be done this way.
Side 1 and Side 2 merged to create a single photo
Side 1
Side 1 		Side 2
Side 2 		Merged
Merged
8. Here are the photos NOT acceptable, closer is better than far away. Exception is given to the tall monuments, providing the close ups are made of inscription areas to submit as separate photos.

too small and too far, not readable, less than 200x, 33 kb size and not "websized". If it were "websized", the readability will get grossly worse.

Excessive waste around the marker, not needed, photo is way oversized (640x) and is 65 KB due to the excess and not "websized"
9. Here is the MOST PREFERRED AND MOST WANTED.

It is cropped, removing all excess around the marker, resized to 450x maximum (if it is tall, make it x450 height maximum). It is also "websized" (also known as "size for web"), bringing the file size down to 100 or less KB
10. Go to specific state GPP. There is no further need to crop or lighten/darken photos at all after you already did your work.
Now that you are done with the cropping. Now it is uploaded... how should the information be listed in the "comment box"
a. Multiple sources should be consulted for additional information about the individual(s) listed on the marker: Family Search, WorldConnect, your family sources, your local genealogical library/society/collection.
b. the basic information should include...
Full name (if at all possible, even if the marker does not show full name)
birth date, place of birth
death date, place of death
(if it is in same county as burial, simply list place of birth; if it is in different county but in the same state, simply list place of birth, xxxxx co.; if out of state, the add the state.
Recommended basic format:
John Andrew Doe
1 Jan 1805, Anyvillage, Anycounty co., Anystate
31 Dec 1880, Anyvillage, Anycounty co., Anystate
married 1 Jul 1850
Jane Andrea Poe

list all information as shown on marker in the comment box, including the military information, biographical bits, etc.
11. In the "Comment" box, please list all information as shown on the gravemarker. If you know the maiden names, please enter them in the "maiden surname" box. Enter given and first names in the "Given Name" box. You can spell out the abbreviated or initial names if possible. This administrator will go extra mile if necessary to find missing bits of information if you are unable to find such information.
Note: Entire information shown on marker, including military, fraternal (usually Masonic, Order of Eastern Star, firefighters, IOOF) in the comment box below the names and dates. Enter Sr or Jr in given name space, not surname space.
The administrator will add the military designations on inspection before release to public view.
12. Research as much as you can of each individual...
a. if married lady, maiden surname (before married)
b. names of parents
c. married to who
d. get FULL dates from elsewhere if not shown on marker, such as familysearch.org, wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com, or elsewhere
e. Figure out the clues if at all possible to determine who the parents and spouses are.
f. This administrator will go extra mile if necessary to find missing bits of information if you are unable to find such information.
Enter all these information in the Comment Box. If you are not sure, check out other submissions by others to see what are in comments.
13. If you make any mistake, please email me the corrections to make.
Gallery of Bad Photographs
a. Edge not grass-clipped
b.the inscription area not swept clear of debris.
Now that you are done with the cropping. Now it is uploaded... how should the information be listed in the "comment box"
1. Multiple sources should be consulted for additional information about the individual(s) listed on the marker: Family Search, WorldConnect, your family sources, your local genealogical library/society/collection.
a. the basic information should include...
Read it all about utahgravestones.org article in Wasatch Wave newspaper
For Oregon only, please visit this site about "Oregon Burial Site Guide". It contains more details, including directions to cemeteries and burial sites. (Since then I have the book personally, inquiries may be made for specific cemetery only. For multiple inquiries, it is best and fair to buy the book from her.)
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