Controversial Locations - Where do YOU draw the line?

I find it really disrespectful to use a stranger's gravestone for pictures. Not just with dolls, but in general.
Although I do respect all opinions, I can't help but cringe when posters talk about the families being fine with this, or the fact that the person is dead.
It's not an issue of whether the person affected is alive or not, but an issue of overall morality.
And I don't know about other people, but I would be pretty bothered if someone decided to place their doll or other possession on my mother's tombstone, ogle at it, then snap a bunch of pictures. I find that akin to someone sitting / leaning on a gravestone, or putting their water bottle or sandwich on it. In my opinion, it's just not right!

 

I don't think it's offensive or disrespectful at all, even though I am kind of religious. Why would I? As you stated yourself, the people buried there are dead and obviously aren't going to care. As for the living, if it's at their relatives grave and they would prefer me to not take doll photos near their relatives tombstone, then for common courtesies sake I'll stop. Otherwise I really don't care if people are judging me for it. Cemetery stones are beautiful and some of them can be really amazing pieces of art. Why wouldn't I want to take photos of them, period, let alone with a doll?

Of course, it also depends on the intent. I don't approve of it being done for the sake of being edgy or if the doll is posed in a provocative manner, obviously, but if it's done right then I fail to see the problem. People do WAY more disrespectful things in cemeteries than take photos. We have issues in my state with people breaking or even STEALING people's headstones, for cruds sake.

 

I suppose if the location has restrictions for photo shoots, then I simply wouldn't use them.

 

In England Whitby has a rather famous landmark which is surrounded by a graveyard so visitors often take pictures. And if it was my grave I wouldn't care because I'm an artist, I would like to know I have provided something for people to make art from. In my university we had a trip to the local cemetery to pick out names for our project I found that slightly odd, not disrespectful but odd.

 

Yes, I do find it very disrespectful taking photos on someone's grave and I don't see why people wouldn't. Someone has lost their love one and you're sitting there taking pictures of your doll on someone's grave..what? I'd be furious if someone took pictures on my grandfather's grave. There would be serious problems.


























Better get ready to say "hello" to my little friends.

 

I'd be pretty offended if someone took pictures of my dead loved ones' graves. :/
If the flowers are fresh, and the grave looks taken care of (and the date of death is not 100+ years ago), I find it pretty offensive to use peoples place for mourning as a photoshoot. To me, my grandparents graves are the place I can go to mourn my beloved. I'd hate for people to walk all over it and pose weird stuff in front of my grandparents tombstones. oO"
I'm not at all religious, but I still remember my grandparents, and I'd really feel super offended.

Hmm...other not so very awesome places would be toilets Ö.ô they are not clean! XD

 

As long as it is a public gravesite (not private property like a church, etc where you could be essentially trespassing), and are not bothering or upsetting the people there to grieve, and have asked about photo restrictions, I think it's fine. Just imagine how you would feel if it was the grave of your close loved one and be respectful and professional.

That said, pictures close to graves are way out of scale and look unrealistic and cliche.

 

I think it's rude to take pictures in graveyards on someone's tomb stone. I mean, if someone was using my grave stone for photos I'd feel like it's disrespectful and taking my death lightly. Then I would haunt them for not giving me respect D:< with that said, I don't think it's harmful or anything like that. I used to be Pretty morbid when I was a kid, I would visit cemeteries and play in them and place flowers at some graves that didn't get any. I think it's better to just be respectful, like I don't think someone's place of rest should be used as a prop just to make a picture look cooler. I would only use fake ones. Nobody better do it on mine though, it's totally not worth a haunting, I'm pretty relentless.

 

I'm not even that traditional a person but I'd find really rude if I saw someone putting a doll up on a stranger's grave. I can totally get using the graveyard itself in the background, graveyards can be very beautiful and lots of people go to admire the beautiful sculptures and such. I personally wouldn't find it that rude to have a picture of a doll sitting on a bench there or something. But what's the point of using just one particular grave? I can't really imagine a doll photo that would make sense with a random person's grave as a prop anyway, and really I just think it's disrespectful to treat a grave as you would any other object. It can't be that hard to just get a fake halloween one that would also be more to scale.

Idk about many other places that would be rude. I guess just where you're supposed to be quiet and not take pictures anyway, like a normal church (not like the giant beautiful cathedrals that are tourist spots anyway).

 

I personally would most dislike smelly rotting garbages as the place of photoshooting. I am disguisted by such shoots, and thinking of beautiful dolls being placed in such environments doesn't please me at all. I've seen several of this type of photosessions, and every time I felt sorry for the dolls being in such inappropriate place.

I wouldn't mind any places of "sorrow", like hospitals or graveyards, but only if the photoshooting doesn't bother other people.

 

On the grave subject, I think it doesn't matter if I find it disrespectful or not. If the people to whom the grave belongs (that is, the family that paid for it) think it's disrespectful, then you should be respectful and not take pictures there. Some people take it very seriously. If you want to ask permission, then by all means, but if the thought of asking permission at all gives you pause, then you need to stop and evaluate. Same goes for anyone else's property - if someone doesn't want you around their house or in their yard taking pictures, then that's an off limits place.

 

I would never place a doll directly on a grave and I would never show anything identifying like the inscription. Just taking a photo in the cemetery is ok for me though. The are great sculptures and beautiful ironwork etc that could make for a stunning photo.

 

If it was my grave, I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'd be pleased if there was some way to know about it. But I can't speak for everyone.

 

I guess my opinion for doll pic areas is the same for selfie places. If selfies are awkward/inappropriate at a certain location than dolls would be too. Like graves, funerals, special monuments, weird poses with grandmothers, kids or cats there or participating etc etc etc. You probably all know those super awkward pictures >< imagine those with dolls instead of people. That would certainly add to the weird factor even more.

 

It depends. Here in Europe there are tons of incredibly old graveyards that no one ever visits, or graveyards that are visited for turistic reasons and often used as photoshoots, so I don't think it's that scandalous. It's not my kind of aesthetic at all, so I'd never do it, but I don't think it'd be disrespectful unless it's a recent grave, you mock it, or you cause some damage to it. Also I think it could be a good idea to leave flowers to the tomb you use for pictures.

 

Some of your comments made me smile. If I saw somebody putting a doll on my grave and taking pictures of it... for a good laugh, I would move a doll a bit and maybe even do a ghostly giggle - that would be some experience for the doll owner !

Anyway, it depends how you do it. Photography can be a great art, and BJDs inspire artistic people. The only thing we should consider is to do it discretely - take pictures when there are no other visitors around. And avoid showing any names on the graves.

Besides, there used to be a time when graveyards were a very popular - and ''normal'' place for meetings. Just like going to the park... I guess the attitude changes with centuries.

 

If your family member had died and loved your dolls, I see no reason why taking photographs next to their grave would be a problem. It does make me uneasy taking pictures of graves of people I don't know because I wouldn't want to disrespect them or upset them. It doesn't matter if you're religious or not, you can't disrespect others' sacred property. I think it depends on your intentions and how the doll is posed. For instance, sitting your doll on top of a headstone with a outfit that leaves little to the imagination to shock viewers would be disrespectful. But say there is a path leading through the graveyard and posing your doll to be walking through with good etiquette without focusing on a stranger's grave would be okay. It's definitely a very fine line.

I do believe it would be completely inappropriate to bring your doll to large memorials such as the 9/11 Memorial or the Anne Frank house. It's a more public setting with more people that are upset and you don't want to upset them further. Also, big religious areas would be very awkward as well like a popular church, especially during a service. Maybe if you belong to a small church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or otherwise that you help or teach at, you could take a few pictures with permission.

 

I'd draw the line at a cemetery simply because I feel extremely uncomfortable being near the dead. I'll go to visit a grave but that's the only reason I'll even walk near one. Just seeing one from the other side of a fence sends chills down my spine.

That said, I think if you're going to be taking photographs on a particular grave you better have permission first, whether it's relatives or in the case of the long deceased the cemetery staff. Even if the person underneath might just be dirt and decomposing organic matter by now it's still a testament to the fact that at one point that person was alive on this planet and that they mattered enough to someone to have a marker put down.

It's one thing if you get the okay, but to do so uninvited is rather disrespectful, if for no other reason you're using the property of someone else without consent. I'm sure most people wouldn't like it if someone started taking picture in front of their house/on their lawn without permission first. Being dead doesn't mean you should forgo manners on the behalf of the occupant.

On the land itself...hey, if there's no photo restrictions its your camera, imo. Like I said I certainly wouldn't do it.
I'd also avoid private property unless I've been granted explicit permission to take photographs. And lakes or other large bodies of water where the level rises above my shoulders. If something happens...I can't swim. I'd rather not risk my property in such a manner. Same for bridges. I'm not jumping down after a hunk of resin.