Graveyards, Tombs and Catacombs, Photographed with Care

How stone ages in a graveyard

A cemetery is a record of weathering over two centuries, side by side. Newer stones are sharp and clean. Older ones lean as the ground settles, lose the edges of their letters, and collect moss and lichen on the side that stays damp. Iron railings rust and stain the stone below them. If you paint or texture a historic burial ground, these small changes make it believable.

• Neo-Gothic Cemetery: 223 photos from cemeteries in Edinburgh, Scotland. Most stones date from around the 19th century, in different stages of disrepair and covered in moss. Shot at 7360 × 4912.
• 19th Century Graveyard, Auckland: 430 photos of Victorian sculpture and grave ornaments, with most stones dated between 1850 and 1930. Most photos were taken under overcast skies, so the shading is neutral and easy to relight.
• Tropical Cemetery, Sydney: 109 photos of 19th- and 20th-century monuments and grave decorations in a warm, humid climate. Compare it with Edinburgh to see how climate changes the wear.

Chapels, mausoleums and rock-cut tombs

Families with means built small houses for their dead. The Paris pack shows the full range, from plain headstones to tall monuments and family chapels with stained glass windows and carved stone. Some are in ruins, with trees growing through them. Others are well kept.

Other cultures solved the same need in other ways:

• Islamic Medieval Necropolis, Samarkand: 155 photos of a street of tiled mausoleums first built in the 14th century and carefully restored.
• 1000 Year Old Brick Mausoleum, Bukhara: 50 photos of a 10th-century brick tomb that survived thanks to the dry climate. $4.99.
• Ancient Rock Tombs Town Architecture: 124 photos of Lycian tombs carved into a cliff face at Myra, Turkey.
• Elbrus Small Pyramid Tombs: 29 photos of small pyramid-shaped tombs in the Elbrus mountain region of Russia. $4.99.

For more ancient burial architecture, see ancient ruins reference photos.

The Catacombs of Paris

The Skull Paved Catacombs of Paris pack has 139 photos at 6000 × 4000. The catacombs are underground ossuaries in a small part of the tunnel network left by old stone quarries under the city. They hold the remains of more than 6 million people. The bones were moved there from overcrowded city cemeteries and stacked along the walls, some arranged in crosses and other patterns.

The photos show the tunnel shapes, the stone walls and the way the bones are stacked. That matters for any scene set in underground passages: the light is low, the ceilings are close and the walls are rough limestone.

Real resting places

Every place on this page is a real burial ground, and many are still visited by families. The packs document architecture and stone. We ask artists to keep that in mind. These packs work well for gothic, historical and dark fantasy scenes, and they deserve the same respect you would give any other heritage site. More atmosphere reference is on our horror and dark fantasy page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I read the names on the headstones?

In many photos, yes, because the packs are full resolution. If you reproduce a real grave in published work, consider changing names and dates. Most artists use the photos for form, carving style and wear, then design their own stones.

Which pack is best for a gothic cemetery scene?

Start with the Paris pack for chapels and monuments, and the Edinburgh pack for moss-covered, leaning 19th-century stones.

Do you also have vehicle and ship "graveyards"?

Yes, but they are scrapyards, not burial grounds. See junkyard and scrapyard reference for cars, aircraft and ships left to rust.