funeral pics

Maybe I could setup a little fund for my family to take shots of me in my box after my death. Hm, how'd I frame that--portrait or landscape?
 
Bet your outlook would change if you lost a 22 year old friend. I agree though. I felt a calm sense of serenity when my grandparents passed, but when someone young dies it's no longer unusual.
No actually it hasnt. Im the last in my group of freinds in school. Most of them died before 20, I grew up in Detroit proper death comes around alot. Most died from drugs a couple from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, one from menegitis. We are all born to die.
 
I would only take pictures at a funeral if it were 200 miles away, and if I didn't know any of the people attending.

Not necessarily that it's a bad thing, but I wouldn't want to be known as the "funeral photographer".
 
We are all born to die.


Yep, I agree.
There are two things we can't get away from in this life, and that is death and taxes.
And besides what is it about death that has people so leary of photographing it? Why unless it is against your religion to be photographed, would it be disrespecting the dead? If they were photographed in life, how is death any different?
 
I would want to remember the past, rather than that day of the funeral.

And on another note, I would be angry if someone had a camera pointing at me while I was crying with a drippy nose.

I'm all about emotion when it comes to photography, but funerals, I would draw the line.

It's easy for a wedding photographer to blend in, but when it comes to funerals that is breaking a norm. Everyone would be focused on the photographer, rather than the deceased. In my opinion it's disrespectful.
It like a brides maid looking better than the bride... you just don't do it... You don't take attention off the bride, is the same as you don't take attention off the deceased

Rather your taking a picture of the coffin, or the actual deceased, every funeral I've been too, non of it seems real or looked like the person.. A funeral has never been something I want to remember specifics.

In our society nobody comes to the realization that they will die till, the day comes. I know when I wake up every morning I expect to live. I don't plan on dying.. I guess I am just having a hard time understanding why someone would want to document death.

If it was someone "famous" like a previous president, sure.. there's going to be cameras.. but thats for the nation to be apart of it..

Photogrpahy is about memories, and emotion... I would much rather see pictures of my father-in-law smiling than the memory of him in a coffin. The day of his funeral, he didn't look like himself, I'm still trying to erase that image from my mind, because it wasn't him.
 
Every family is different. A while back I was asked to take pictures at a wake and then the funeral. I was told that it was the first time in many years that the entire (very large) family was together. The deceased was in his 90s and there were only a couple surviving siblings (all up in age). For this family, "passing" was a celebration of life. It was quite touching.
 
I don't know of anyone who takes candid shots at funerals.

The whole point to the exorcise is to show who was there and the support and love for one another that they showed.

This is (should be) done with posed/semi posed shots. If there is to be a shot taken of the decedent then you should state that you don't unless asked. There are some of us who do not get closure until they have seen the body and if they could not attend then a photo is the next best thing.

Funerals are unlike weddings or other Happy events and should be treated with dignity and aplomb.
 
To the responders that said it is a time of privacy, or its absurd etc etc, Just keep in mind that you are thinking very regionally. Where some think it is a morning of death, other cultures may think of it as a celebration of life. Just saying, the WWW is a bit larger than the apple pie American town you live in. Just pointing that out.

On a local point of view (mine), I have no desire to photograph funerals. Emotionally charged atmospheres make me uncomfortable
 
A close friend of mine died tragically and her grade school daughter asked that people take photos of each other at the funeral and give them to her. She said she never wanted to forget the people that loved her mother. No photos were taken of my friend, it was a closed casket, but many photos were taken of her children surrounded by her mother's friends.

I know thats not quite the same as having a professional photographer there, but I have a copy of the photos I took that day and I will always cherish them. Viewing them makes the rawness of her death reappear, and in turn pushes me to make something of every moment.
 
I won't be shy... funeral pics have a certain sex appeal to them. I love going to funerals.

LOL how did no one respond to this one?

BTW, for all those that wouldn't take a picture at a funeral, you aren't invited to mine. For everyone else, its an open celebration of a life lived.
 
I am bumping a thread because as it just so happens, 2 of my long time friends lost parents this week. One very old fiend of the family (the family are the in-laws of my best friend. I was in the wedding with my best friend and photographed the weddings of 3 other daughters, Christmas parties, maternity and family portraits of this family). They lost their mother on Thursday morning. Over Christmas, I shot their last family portrait in which it was an honor.

The second friend is a relatively new friend whom my family has basically adopted as OUR family, lost their father on Wednesday afternoon.

I was asked by both families to cover the funeral services and I wanted to tell you how honored I was to fulfill their request. Taking their photos was a celebration in life and not a grim reminder of death.

I have posted for the family some of the images of the service this afternoon on my blog (here) and if you are interested, you can see that you can shoot a dignified celebration without being insensitive to those around.
 
I am bumping a thread because as it just so happens, 2 of my long time friends lost parents this week. One very old fiend of the family (the family are the in-laws of my best friend. I was in the wedding with my best friend and photographed the weddings of 3 other daughters, Christmas parties, maternity and family portraits of this family). They lost their mother on Thursday morning. Over Christmas, I shot their last family portrait in which it was an honor.

The second friend is a relatively new friend whom my family has basically adopted as OUR family, lost their father on Wednesday afternoon.

I was asked by both families to cover the funeral services and I wanted to tell you how honored I was to fulfill their request. Taking their photos was a celebration in life and not a grim reminder of death.

I have posted for the family some of the images of the service this afternoon on my blog (here) and if you are interested, you can see that you can shoot a dignified celebration without being insensitive to those around.


Those images are very beautiful, tasteful and show so much emotion. Good job, and thank you for sharing.
 
I have observed in my lifetime, that the mortality rate of the human species hovers right around 100%. In our family, the after funeral wake becomes a small party where family you haven't seen in years get together. Even though I'm the photographer of the family, Cathy's uncle is the curator of the Shannon family archive. (Cathy's side) He always has a pocket camera of some kind and takes pictures of anything family related, even the funerals. It's just expected.
 

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