How to photograph a war memorial

Photographs are an important part of recording a war memorial on the NSW War Memorials Register. They document the memorial's physical characteristics, and provide a record of its condition, which can help identify conservation and repair issues. The below guidelines will assist you to ensure the photographs you take are of a suitable format and quality to be published on the Register.

We encourage you to download our full guide to photographing war memorials before you begin documenting the memorial.

Please note, any images submitted to the Register are subject to review under our Editorial Policy and reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution. We reserve the right to exclude or edit any photo submitted, without notice.

Minimum requirements

You must have at least one high-quality, clear photograph of the memorial in its entirety to submit a new or updated memorial to the Register. We also suggest you take and submit multiple photographs, as shown in the 'What to photograph' section below.

Quality and resolution

Please use the highest quality setting on your camera or device.
Set the image quality to high or fine. The minimum resolution should be 150dpi.
Photos should be saved in jpeg, png or gif format.
Photos must be less than 8MB but as large and clear as possible.
The image size of photos you upload should be at least 2 Megapixels in size, or approximately 1600×1200 pixels.

Lighting

When possible, shoot with your back to the sun, as opposed to facing towards the sun; this will avoid potential overexposure and lens flare.
If you are taking a photo of a memorial in a glass cabinet, such as an honour roll, avoid using the camera flash, or take the photo from a slight angle to minimise reflections.

File names

At a minimum, name your files with the name of the memorial. This will help you when preparing your submission and will help us when we review your submission.
You can also include brief additional details in the file name, such as 'North side' or 'Left plaque', to easily identify the subject matter of the photo. These are particularly useful if you refer to these areas in your submission.

What to photograph

To fully document the memorial, we recommend taking the below photos. Please also refer to the example photos on this page and in our guide to photographing war memorials.

Setting: Take a photo of the war memorial in its wider surroundings, including any gardens, trees, or plaques nearby.
Front: Take a photo of the front of the memorial, straight on.
Sides: Take a photo of each side of the memorial, clearly showing any details, inscriptions, or decorative elements.
Plaques and inscriptions: Take a close-up photo of each plaque and/or inscription, including any honour rolls, showing as much detail as possible. Pay particular attention to fully capturing dedications and veterans' names.
Damage: Take close-up photos of any area/s where there is damage to the memorial, or areas of concern. This may include graffiti, cracks, plant growth, unstable stonework, or deteriorated mortar joints.
Anything else you think is important to show about the war memorial, such as unique decorations, or the maker's name.

Remember to always check your photos before leaving the area to make sure you have fully captured the memorial and that your photos are not blurry or otherwise unusable.