If you know it’s the right headstone, crayon rubbings will sometimes work. My dad used to do that with worn headstones and it makes it much easier to decipher. Just place a piece of paper over the stone and rub it with the side of a crayon. It’s not quite as useful if you have a large number of stones that are worn and you need to identify which one is of interest.
> On Aug 30, 2022, at 8:59 PM, Gordon Wilkinson via CoTyroneList > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi Roger, > > my son who is an archaeologist has been allowed by tribal elders to > photograph ancient (Australian) aboriginal petroglyphs and rock art. These > present similar challenges to snapping old gravestones. He concentrates on > the lighting, both by his own torch and waiting for a favourable sunlight > angle, to throw the markings into relief. He even uses different times of the > day to snap the same images and then compare and combine them. (Camping out > around these site can be so pleasant in summer). It is amazing just how > revealing the right lighting can be - even better than to the naked eye at > the spot. This is not post-processing, as nothing beats a good original, does > it? but can help when getting the primary shot. If the marking are not on the > photo, then no amount of CSI post processing can reveal it. > > He does use IR, but rarely, which can help since temperature can vary between > groves and surface, but with limited success. > > Gordon > > On 31/08/2022 10:56 am, Roger Cousens via CoTyroneList wrote: >> Does anyone know of a good guide to post-processing of the gravestone >> images? Gravestones can be so hard to read, as they get covered in lichens >> and as they decay, or (if not carved) as the raised letters drop off. I >> have toiled with Photoshop trying to bring out the captions on gravestones, >> altering different filters and colour/vibrance sliders, sharpening >> options….. Only to be frustrated that I cannot make out a key date or name. >> Or I still cannot read much of it at all! There must also be a best time >> of day/light angle for bringing out the lettering (and use infra-red)? It >> looks so easy when they are trying to process bad images on CSI-type TV >> shows. [I have the same issues with getting better text from old deed >> transcriptions that are badly faded or badly photographed]. >> >> Any advice would be appreciated. I was going through several churchyards >> last month, knowing that so many of my relations were buried there, but so >> few of the gravestones were legible. So frustrating. >> >> Roger >> >> From: James Huey via CoTyroneList <[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, 31 August 2022 10:24 AM >> To: CoTyroneIreland.com Mailing List >> <[email protected]>; Len Swindley >> <[email protected]> >> Cc: Valerie Stewart <[email protected]>; James Huey >> <[email protected]> >> Subject: [EXT] [CoTyroneMailingList] Re: Irish Emigration From the Port of >> Derry >> > ================================= > Send a Message to the List - [email protected] > List Archive - > https://list.cotyroneireland.com/empathy/list/cotyronelist.list.cotyroneireland.com > Join the list by sending an email to - > [email protected] > To receive the Digest version, send an email to - > [email protected] > Unsubscribe by sending an email to - > [email protected] > =================================
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