Do you take pictures of things that are sad? *animal death mentioned*

[theluckyone3]

A robin built a nest in a low tree in our back yard. The poor mother was always being displaced from the nest when my kids were playing in the yard. There were 3 eggs in the nest. Usually, at the end of the day as I was picking up toys, I would sneak a peak in the nest just to make sure everything was OK. Yesterday when I went outside, the mother bird wasn't on the nest, nor was she in the yard or on the fence chirping at me as usual. When I went to the nest, 2 of the eggs were just gone and the third was cracked open, split in half, and a small naked looking baby bird with huge fused blue eyes was laying there--still inside the bottom half of the shell. It apparently heard me or felt my movements, because it opened it's mouth wanting food. I didn't know what to do. My instincts told me that something was wrong--2 eggs missing and no mother bird in sight. All day, I kept my eye on the back yard, but the mother apparently abandoned the nest for some reason (we are in a drought and I assume food is scarce). Sadly, the baby bird died, but before it did, I wanted to take a picture of it. I was so profoundly upset, I thought taking a photo might help. Does that make sense? My dh discouraged me from doing so, said that it seemed morbid.

Thoughts?

 

[crownlaurel]

I don't know why and I have never once taken it out to look at it, but I took a picture of my mother in her casket. My grandmother thought I'd been bit by a vampire or something.

I also have lots of pictures of my son when he was in the hospital with pneumonia with an IV in his scalp.

I'd say shoot what you feel. You can always delete it/throw it away later.

 

[Nein-reis]

I dont know if this is sad, but I was watching CSI on TV yesterday with my wife and it was an episode that started out with 3 bird watchers looking for birds (they were arguing about something) and one noticed a crow. When he looked through his binoculars he noticed the bird had a human eye in its mouth. Thats when I noticed one of the guys had a 30D with a L lens around his neck. I told my wife I would of taken the photo. She looked at me like I was a creep.

 

[montresor]

I don't know why and I have never once taken it out to look at it, but I took a picture of my mother in her casket. My grandmother thought I'd been bit by a vampire or something.

Diane Arbus did the same thing when her grandmother died. Photography is often about telling the truth.

 

[Alex_B]

if it comes to documentation, than photography can be a good tool.

Of course this is very different from happy world vacation shots ... and some people would be disturbed by it.
But death is part of life, so if you take pictures of newborns, why should you not take pictures of the dead. Animals included.

of course you should always be careful how to use such images. you should use them in a way that respects the dead creatures.... and not in a mocking or pseudo-funny way.

 

[Mike_E]

Not to worry, it's only morbid if you take a lot of those type shots. What you are experiencing is a portion of the grief process. Wanting to hold on to something (photographing it) that you have grown fond of is perfectly normal.

If I may suggest, if you are still bothered by it in a few days, put out some bird feeders and baths in a small fenced area where the kids can not get to them. After doing this, photograph all the visitors you have and enjoy them all in memory of the little one.

mike

 

[theluckyone3]

Oh, if I had taken the bird's picture, I would never have used it in a humerous way. I was deeply disturbed by seeing it just laying there without it's mother, esp when it opened it's mouth asking for food. (It reminded my of my little 5 month old nursling rooting around for my breast.)

Once it had passed, I took the nest out of the tree and carried it into the woods.

I really wish I had taken the picture.

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

I don't see anything wrong with it. I personally wouldn't do it because it would make me sad every time I came across it but that's just me. I have a hard time dealing with death and dying and the htought of it.
I have a friend who is a photographer for the county coroner and I DON"T understand how she does it! Just doesn't phase some people I guess.
Amd my husband would have talked me out of taking the picture too.

 

[Mike_E]

A sunrise and a sunset are the same thing, it just depends on which direction you are looking (point of view). There is a small market for photographers to shoot funerals-you wouldn't think there would be any, right? The thing is that to remember the whole of a life you have to include the end of it. That and the fact that sometimes the relations are so far flung that they can only get everyone together for funerals and the photos serve to bring everyone closer again when viewed after everyone gets home.

Taking photos -on occasion- of things that sadden us can be of benefit to us in that it can serve as a reminder to keep such a situation from happening again or to remember just why you are making the effort you are (building bird feeders and watering baths for instance). Taking too many photos of personal tragedies will only serve to bring you down.

mike