Taking photos of the dead?

Splog

Splog

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Hi all
Just watching BBC1 - Richard Wilson two feet in the grave and they're discussing taking photos of dead relatives, friends etc! coffin shots taken with a degree of respect!
What do you think about this? Would you do it? if so why or if not, why not? :thinking:
 
I can't imagine why I'd want to. I don't remember my relatives being in a big wooden box, so I don't see as why I'd want a photo of a coffin.

I don't find it disrespectful (though at a funeral I would)...I just don't see the point. And I certainly wouldn't be shooting any "arty" shots using my dead friends/relatives as the subject.
 
Photo Plod said:
I can't imagine why I'd want to. I don't remember my relatives being in a big wooden box, so I don't see as why I'd want a photo of a coffin.

I don't find it disrespectful (though at a funeral I would)...I just don't see the point. And I certainly wouldn't be shooting any "arty" shots using my dead friends/relatives as the subject.
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I was thinking more in the terms of a final photo of their life / death and in no way as arty! just as a part of remembering someone? Personally I'm not sure one way or the other :thinking:
 
I'm watching it too, the photography bit was only a small part of the program. Not a program I would chose to watch, it just followed on and I didnt bother to change over, so I have one eye on the laptop, one on the screen.
Aparantly it was a popular thing to do in Victorian times and might be started again due to current interest.
Its a very emotive and personal decision thats taken when emotions are very raw.
I can see that in some circumstances it might be a comfort for the people left behind, but again that depends on the people concerned. I cant see that there is a right or wrong to this, just a personal view in each circumstance.
 
Photo Plod said:
I don't find it disrespectful (though at a funeral I would)...I just don't see the point.
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Why? We take photos at weddings, births etc! Is a funeral not also in some ways an event to remember?
 
I find it a little odd. I would prefer my memories of a loved one to be from photos of them alive, and happy, not dead, and.....well, dead!
 
Splog said:
Why? We take photos at weddings, births etc! Is a funeral not also in some ways an event to remember?
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Appologies, that post seems a bit insensitive and it was not meant like that!
 
Splog said:
Why? We take photos at weddings, births etc! Is a funeral not also in some ways an event to remember?
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The difference with the other occasions you mention is that they are associated with joy; funerals are not. Most people at a family funeral would find someone running around with an SLR to be disrespectful, and the photographs you're taking will be associated with misery. If people want to remember the person, then surely they'd look back at photos of when they were alive?

Of course, you can look at it in a purely documentary way - in which case, as you say, it becomes an event no different to any other. I can't imagine anyone wanting to look at your images, though, and I don't really see how you could get a real sense of pride or satisfaction from taking them. My aim in photography is to take photos that I - and other people - enjoy.
 
Photo Plod said:
The difference with the other occasions you mention is that they are associated with joy; funerals are not. Most people at a family funeral would find someone running around with an SLR to be disrespectful, and the photographs you're taking will be associated with misery. If people want to remember the person, then surely they'd look back at photos of when they were alive?

Of course, you can look at it in a purely documentary way - in which case, as you say, it becomes an event no different to any other. I can't imagine anyone wanting to look at your images, though, and I don't really see how you could get a real sense of pride or satisfaction from taking them. My aim in photography is to take photos that I - and other people - enjoy.
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I most certainly do not disagree with what you say and please note my previous appology for the quote used ...

The question was really meant as a general question and personally think that for a record of someone's life and death a photo of someone 'at peace' in a coffin is possibly (for some) a nice thing to see?
 
Splog said:
Appologies, that post seems a bit insensitive and it was not meant like that!
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No it does not, I scattered my son's ashes, he was only 6 months old, my Mum took some shots on the day, wouldn't be without them now, still have the photos the nurses took in the hospital of us together after he past, thankful they shot them.

When i die, I want to be propped up wearing an Elvis wig and shades surrounded by everyone drinking Tequilas :cool: and I want photographs :thumbs:
 

Dave, My OP was about taking 'tasteful' photos of coffin shots ... people at rest etc. as means of remembering and not shots of death per-se'
 
I wont even go to funerals.....(No way do I want to remember a relative or friend going into a hole or through a curtain)....So I could never photograph them dead......I want to remember them alive.
 
Splog said:
Dave, My OP was about taking 'tasteful' photos of coffin shots ... people at rest etc. as means of remembering and not shots of death per-se'
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Steve yes I knew what you were saying, i just went off track a bit sorry apologize for that, still dont think I would have wanted a image of my Mum and Dad in their coffins I will always remember them as full of life and running around having fun
 
I would love some photo's of my Granddads funeral, It was one of the saddest days of my life but my Dad, Uncle and I carried out the whole service ourselves (as he wanted) and we were celebrating his life rather than mourning his death. If I hadn't been so involved in the service (coffin bearing and reading a poem) I would have been taking photo's and I don't think anyone there would have minded.
 
Sniffing1987 said:
I would love some photo's of my Granddads funeral, It was one of the saddest days of my life but my Dad, Uncle and I carried out the whole service ourselves (as he wanted) and we were celebrating his life rather than mourning his death. If I hadn't been so involved in the service (coffin bearing and reading a poem) I would have been taking photo's and I don't think anyone there would have minded.
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I hear what your saying but your Avatar lets you down dude :(
 
PerfectSpeed said:
No it does not, I scattered my son's ashes, he was only 6 months old, my Mum took some shots on the day, wouldn't be without them now, still have the photos the nurses took in the hospital of us together after he past, thankful they shot them.

QUOTE]

Thank You! .... perfect example ....
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I have to scatter my fathers ashes on Mull in a couple of weeks.I took no photographs at the funeral,carrying the coffin and not wanting to do so put paid to that, but hope to take some at his final resting place, a place He and Mum always loved.Wether I can do so is a different story.....:)
 
fracster said:
I have to scatter my fathers ashes on Mull in a couple of weeks.I took no photographs at the funeral,carrying the coffin and not wanting to do so put paid to that, but hope to take some at his final resting place, a place He and Mum always loved.Wether I can do so is a different story.....:)
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I set my son's ashes free into a sunset, he will always be with me every night, don't need photos, it's a hard day, you will do what is right for you.
 
PerfectSpeed said:
No it does not, I scattered my son's ashes, he was only 6 months old, my Mum took some shots on the day, wouldn't be without them now, still have the photos the nurses took in the hospital of us together after he past, thankful they shot them.
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Aye thats different circumstances and you and family have our deepest sympathy's, must have been awful, cherish the moments you have together.

Splog said:
Thank You! .... perfect example ....
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This is a hard one,
 
Difficult and emotive subject. I guess we should all do what we think is right at the time.
 
Quite a lot of that going on here at the moment - we have to cover Repatriations (sending soldiers killed in action back to the UK) and Ramp Ceremonies (the loading of the coffins onto the aircraft) as well as Vigil ceremonies - whenever a Repatriation takes place, all other units in-Theatre stand vigil at the same time as a mark of respect.

Other jobs include covering the work of the British MRT (Medical Response Team) - a flying ambulance, either a Chinook or soon, a Merlin - and the PEDRO - the US Marine equivalent, flying on two Seakhawk helicopters (Maritime variant of the Blackhawk).
Obviously there are occasions when the casualties, despite the best efforts of the doctor and medics succumb to wounds recieved...
 
I remember the documentary on Wyatt Earp. After the gunfight the three dead men were photographed in coffins outside the undertakers just for advertising the coffins.
 
A very emotive subject and something that has no right or wrong answer. Death is something that is almost stigmatised in this country and is hidden away from public view so when it happens it is shocking and even more difficult to deal with.

The Victorians used to take photographs of their dead and make death masks, I think because of things like Spanish Flu, higher infant mortality and other nasties they had a closer association and understanding of death.

Its a societal thing, whilst we bury our dead some cultures keep the skulls and paint them in garish colours.

There is no right or wrong like I said. Annie Liebovitz photographed the body of her friend Susan Sontag and I can't even imagine how difficult that must have been for her, but she did it for her own reasons and afforded her as much dignity in death as the woman carried in life.

To everyone who reads this who has taken photographs of a deceased loved-one, I admire your bravery, honesty and depth of soul to come face to face with death and do what you have needed to do.
 
When my father died, we went to see him in the chapel of rest and i truly wish i had never done that. Now when i think of him thats always the first image that comes to mind; him lying in a coffin. I now find it hard to recall any other image of him and have to get the old photos of him to remember him in life, That one brief sight of him in a coffin has etched itself into my mind, I'm sorry but i just don't see why anyone would want a photographic record of a day that brings such sadness into our lives. Sorry just my opinion.
 
subseasniper said:
To everyone who reads this who has taken photographs of a deceased loved-one, I admire your bravery, honesty and depth of soul to come face to face with death and do what you have needed to do.
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To carry on with this thread, I agree its a very personal decision, as I said earlier in the thread and as has been said by many others.
I will recount a personal experience though. I was visiting my son in a chapel of rest the day before his funeral, he was 33 and passed away after a 6 month fight with cancer. As you can imagine, it was a highly emotional time, and as I was leaving him for the last time, for some reason that I cant explain, I took out my phone and took some pictures. I cant tell you why, call it instinct, call it reaction, call it what you like, I was on autopilot, but at that time photography wasnt my hoby, it happened on the spur of the moment and certainly wasnt planned.
Those pictures are on my computer, I cant bring myself to look at them, and I cant delete them. They will never ever be made public, and no member of my family has seen them or knows about them apart fro my wife.
Having said all that, I now wonder why I took them, and why anyone else takes them, in my case it certainly wasnt bravery, probably the reverse. In a way I wish I hadnt taken them, and cant explain why I did.
The Victorians had a different view on this subject, and it seems their view might be returning, but from my personal experience, I am very unsure if its a good thing to do as far as helping with bereavement is concerned, but again, its all down to personal feelings.
If I should be asked to take pictures like this or of a funeral for anyone else, it would be a hard decision to make and one I feel that I would refuse now.
 
The prog last night featured a photographer who took before and after shots, evidently with the agreement of his subjects, some of whom looked ill and the others were elderly. Some of the after death shots looked like the person was sleeping while others showed a marked deterioration in the subjects since their living portraits had been taken.

When I was a kid I bought a book of portraits at a jumble sale. Not mega celebrities but well-known authors etc of the day who were getting on a bit. Many had died within a couple of years of their portrait, which made quite an impression on me re: the value of photography.

I chose not to take any photos of my mother when she was discharged from Grantham & Kesteven Hospital with C Diff and her GP seemed to have left her to die. After six months back in hospital I photographed her when she got home. My sisters squeal at the sight, but after those months of hospital visits the outward appearance wasn't the person, to me.

At the same time (five years ago now) a photographer Web friend documented the final weeks for his girlfriend in a Berlin hospital.

Coming up on Radio 4's Midweek programme over the next 40 minutes:

Gill Shaw is a celebrity photographer and is also the mother of a soldier who has just come back from a six-month tour in Afghanistan. She travelled 21,500 miles around the UK in just 16 weeks, recording the experiences and traumas of injured serviceman, both on the battlefield and at home, for a new book in aid of the charity Help for Heroes. The book, The Hero Inside, is published by Quiller.
 
shooter said:
When my father died, we went to see him in the chapel of rest and i truly wish i had never done that. Now when i think of him thats always the first image that comes to mind; him lying in a coffin. I now find it hard to recall any other image of him and have to get the old photos of him to remember him in life, That one brief sight of him in a coffin has etched itself into my mind, I'm sorry but i just don't see why anyone would want a photographic record of a day that brings such sadness into our lives. Sorry just my opinion.
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That's really interesting to hear. When my father died, I had an opportunity to see him, albeit lying in his bed, having been 'made up', and before being put in his coffin. It was the hardest and most upsetting moment of my life, but I am glad I did it.

I won't go into any more detail as I'll probably get upset!! :(
 
I think there is a very niche market for funeral photography. My granddad, who spent the best part of 25 years video weddings, twice got asked (and did!) to video funerals.

It does happen... I think it may be more 'common' amongst minority religions however.
 
i got some very funny looks at my father in laws funeral, so just put my camera away and said no more about it. very embarassing won,t take my cam to a funeral again.( unless its my own ) don,t want the family fighting over my gear :lol:
 
Theres no way id want pics or to take pics of a deceased family member, i cant even bring myself to see relatives in the chapel of rest let alone have a photo of it!! i think you should have many photos before and remember them that way!!!
 
I don't see anything wrong with taking photographs at a funeral, including the coffin and open coffin shots, if that's what the immediate family want, but I'd consider it very disrespectful otherwise.

I was 27 when my father died. The funeral was open coffin, and I put my hand on his face and said goodbye, silently and in my own words. It seemed a perfectly natural thing to do, for me. This is all very personal and I don't think there are any rights and wrongs about it, other than respect.
 
My grandparents always had photos of the grave, usually with the wreaths on. These were then sent to close friends and relatives who couldn't attend the funeral.
 
I bought this book a while ago.

Memorable/defining/iconic images from the first century of photography.

Quite a few dead people in there. Including one of Bismarck which was only officially published in Germany about a hundred years later.

Sensitive subject.
 
somebody lying in state..perhaps
 
shooter said:
When my father died, we went to see him in the chapel of rest and i truly wish i had never done that. Now when i think of him thats always the first image that comes to mind; him lying in a coffin. I now find it hard to recall any other image of him and have to get the old photos of him to remember him in life, That one brief sight of him in a coffin has etched itself into my mind, I'm sorry but i just don't see why anyone would want a photographic record of a day that brings such sadness into our lives. Sorry just my opinion.
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I felt exactly the same after seeing my father in the chapel of rest, and to this day I refuse to ever visit a dead person in those circumstances.
That said I have photographed a funeral (not the open coffin), just general pictures of relatives in the church and at the graveside and later when it was filled and flowers in place. This was done as favour so the pictures could be sent to relatives in Australia who couldn't attend.
 
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