Funeral photography...?

[Writenow]

My uncle took pictures at my great aunt's funeral nearly 20 years ago. I was young but I do remember hearing mixed comments, many people found it rude and others thought it was a great idea as our extended family never gets together outside of such an event. The photos are very awkward and everyone has this confused blank stare on their face when they were looking at the camera . I think the telephoto suggestion was a great idea, had he used that he may have captured the moments he was looking for.

[melaina]

For my family it's fairly common to take photos of the body in the casket. I don't know why, always seemed grusome to me but I think it goes back to the 1800's (or whenever) when death photos were common place. The elders of the family usually request it. Creepy feeling going through a book of photos and run across one of Aunt Effie in a coffin!
When my Grandmother passed, her funeral was video taped.
On a more commical note, my Great-Grandma carried a photo of her headstone in her purse so she could remember her birthday! She kept forgetting the year she was born.

Melaina

[shutterbug_wannabe]

Melaina, sorry, but that is funny and sounds like something one of my relatives might do! Must be a Missouri thing huh? You are not too far down the road from me. Get photos, BTW on your flickr!

[DaddyDab]

Well my family in Florida must also be like Melaina's. I also thought it gruesome to have photos of the person taken in their casket. But our very old family photos have several relatives' "death photos" and I remember my grandparents telling me it was a common practice.

I do not think I would feel comfortable shooting someone in their casket but I did like the above suggestions for the reception still using a telephoto so as not to be obtrusive. When I lived in California, it was very common for people to take photos as memorial services which of course there are no bodies there or the person has been cremated.

But I will give you kudos for helping your friend's family in their request.

[melaina]

Originally Posted by shutterbug_wannabe

Melaina, sorry, but that is funny and sounds like something one of my relatives might do! Must be a Missouri thing huh? You are not too far down the road from me. Get photos, BTW on your flickr!

LOL, no need to be sorry... I thought it was funnier than heck (as well as pretty smart in a way). What photos do you want on my Flickr?

[Dizzle]

It's common place in many cultures to photograph the funerals of relatives. I was in an odd position in April when my daughters dad passed away. I flew back to Detroit, took all my gear as I had wanted to just go out for a day and shoot around Detroit to show my boys some of the places they might not remember from growing up there...but was asked by several of his family to bring my camera to the church.

I had to say that there was no way I could take photos of his funeral as I was very deep in my own grief that they may not have understood. I have 5 photos on my phone that I popped off of 2 flower arrangements and his beautiful blue casket. None of his body because, really, to me...that wasn't him and that is not what I want to see everytime I think of him. And I am very much thankful that there was no one with a camera at the gravesite where I completely and totally lost it. Probably the most emotional time in my life...period.

I did take many photos at the "reception" and then back at the house when it was just family...but by that time everyone had relaxed a bit and was sitting around telling stories and what not.

I personally could not do it, but I do understand that many folks want to have those moments captured and I know a few photogs who are more than willing to help them out.

[Oldharry]

I photographed a friends dad's funeral last year. They asked for photos at the visitation and the service. I took them as friends and family signed the attendance book at the visitation. Many of the people they hadn't seen for years (his dad had been the pastor of a number of churches during his lifetime). The widow really appreciated the photos as she couldn't remember all the faces after the event. There must have been three to four hundred that came by.

My friend preached his dad's funeral (now that's tough) and I took some photos during the service. I shot all the photos with existing light, a Canon 2.8 70-200 L telephoto lens, and from a distance.


Canon Mark III ....L lens

[Sodaman420]

I think it's cool.
I am going to do it at the next funeral
what better way to remember someone?
F*** them, its my friend or relative too, and this is how i want to remember them

[nikita]

I had never attended a funeral prior to my aunt's last year while on vacation in the Philipines. I probably wouldn't take pictures if I attended at home in the US but I know that in the Philippines, it's definitely ok to take pictures. Heck, people even videotape for relatives that can't make it or for remembrance.

I'd always seen open casket pictures that our relatives would send us of from some family member's funeral and it always seemed a bit macabre to me but to actually experience it (see it) in person is definitely another thing.

My cousins asked me to take pictures when I attended their mother's funeral. I wasn't exactly sure how/what I should shoot so I came up with images like this:



That's one of my cousins giving her mother a final goodbye. You can see there is a guy there videotaping the whole thing.

It did seem odd, for me, to take pics with so much raw grief going on in front of the lens. I couldn't help but tear up as I was shooting the entire time. In the end, my cousins were very grateful to have the pictures I took of them, even in their extreme grief.

[Jim Bryant]

As a press photographer we sometimes get this type of assignment to cover, especially if a hometown serviceman is killed overseas. What I try to do is contact the funeral director or whoever is in charge of the Mass and memorial services, explain to them what type of shot is needed. I basically stay out of the way and shoot with a 300mm or 400mm 2.8 lens standing out in the hallway on either side of the chapel. That way, I'm not imposing on the family's grief and not making a fool of myself. But there was one funeral I had to cover where seven players from a football team were killed in a single car accident and I was pretty much all over the place shooting with a 17-35 and 70-200 lenses. I figured if the TV folks covering it were gonna get in my way, I'd stand along side of them. The black & white photo was nominated for the 1983 Pulitzer Prize in News Photography, which made the top ten, but was beat out by a color shot of a women hugging her husbands gravestone.