In search of shade

I have signed onto a basic photography course. Homework this week is landscapes. I went to Southborough Common for some local landscape shots but found it was too sunny and the distance was coming out too exposed. I have no idea how to stop this because I have not ventured beyond "auto"- that's the next course . I wandered into the churchyard in search of shade. I converted this shot to B&W to refect the sadness of members of the same family dying so young.