Uploading photos: best practices
How to capture a readable headstone, preserve context, and submit a batch that can move through review without stalling.
Start with the stone, not the sky
Fill the frame with the memorial first. A reviewer can recover context from section markers and nearby plots, but no one can recover inscription detail that was never captured.
Take one straight-on photo and one angle-corrected backup if glare or erosion is present.
- Keep the full top, base, and edge of the marker visible.
- Avoid portrait photos that crop off the bottom of a companion marker.
- Use morning or late-afternoon light when marble is reflective.
Include location clues
If the cemetery uses section signs, path numbers, or columbarium wall labels, add one context image to the batch.
GPS is helpful, but section signage is what makes future corrections fast.
What slows review
Most delays come from mismatched memorials, duplicate uploads, or batches with no plot context.
Fastest path to publication
One clear memorial photo, one context photo, and a note if the inscription is hard to read.
Reference
Written for the real contributor and moderation workflow.
Updated: January 21, 2026
5 min read
Keep going
Articles that usually resolve the next question.
Editing OCR fields before submission
How to correct names, dates, and inscriptions without inventing missing information or erasing provenance.
How duplicates and merges are handled
What the review team does when two uploads appear to describe the same memorial or when family plots are easily confused.